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Isaiah 18:3
All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye.

Isaiah 33:13
Hear, yethat are far off, what I have done; and, yethat are near, acknowledge my might.

Isaiah 41:1
Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renewtheir strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.

let the

Isaiah 1:2
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

Deuteronomy 4:16
Lest ye corruptyourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

Deuteronomy 32:1
Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

all that is therein.

Psalm 24:1
A Psalm of David. The earthis the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

1 Corinthians 10:26
For the earthis the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.

pay attention, O peoples.
The repetition of the call to "pay attention" emphasizes the importance and urgency of the message. It underscores the idea that God's word is authoritative and demands a response. This is consistent with the biblical theme that God’s revelation is meant to be heard and heeded, as seen inDeuteronomy 32:1, where Moses calls heaven and earth to listen to his words. The term "peoples" broadens the audience, reinforcing the inclusivity of the message.

Let the earth hear, and all that fills it,
This phrase extends the call to the entire creation, suggesting that God's message has cosmic significance. It reflects the biblical theme of creation's participation in God's redemptive plan, as seen inRomans 8:22, where creation groans for redemption. The phrase "all that fills it" indicates that every aspect of creation is under God's authority and is affected by His decrees.

the world and all that springs from it.
This final phrase reiterates the comprehensive nature of the call, including not just the physical earth but also its inhabitants and all life. It highlights the interconnectedness of creation and humanity, a theme found throughout Scripture, such as inPsalm 24:1, which declares that the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord. This phrase also points to the eschatological hope where all creation will be renewed, aligning with the prophetic vision of a new heaven and a new earth inRevelation 21:1.

“Come near, O nations, to listen” (Isaiah 34:1a) is God’s summons to every Gentile power.

•He is not pleading but commanding, the way a king summons subjects (Psalm 46:10;Isaiah 33:22).

•The invitation is universal, reaching beyond Israel to every culture and empire—echoing earlier calls such as “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 45:22).

•It anticipates the global gathering for judgment pictured inJoel 3:12 and fulfilled inRevelation 20:11-13.

•Because God alone is Judge, He has the right to convene the court and issue the verdicts (Psalm 50:1-4).

“Pay attention, O peoples” drives home the urgency of the moment.

•“Pay attention” carries the sense of “be utterly focused,” much like Jesus’ warning, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:9).

•“Peoples” broadens “nations” to include tribes, ethnic groups, and families—no one escapes accountability (Deuteronomy 32:1;Jeremiah 6:19).

•To ignore God’s voice is perilous; those who refuse to listen invite the discipline seen inIsaiah 28:23-29 and the letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2–3).

“Let the earth hear, and all that fills it” widens the circle from humanity to creation itself.

•The whole planet is called to witness the righteousness of its Creator (Micah 1:2).

•Psalm 19:1-4 shows the heavens already declaring God’s glory; now the earth is told to give attention to His justice as well.

•This echoes the cosmic groaning ofRomans 8:22—creation knows something is wrong and longs for redemption.

•Isaiah deliberately links moral rebellion with ecological upheaval; later verses depict desolation (Isaiah 34:9-15).

“The world and all that springs from it” removes any possible loophole.

•Everything God has made—people, animals, ecosystems—must acknowledge His verdict (Psalm 24:1;Acts 17:24-26).

•The phrase anticipates the universal chorus inRevelation 5:13: “And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth… saying: ‘To Him who sits on the throne… be praise.’”

•It also recallsGenesis 1, where God repeatedly called creation “good.” The Judge now addresses that same creation marred by sin.

Isaiah 34:1 is God’s courtroom summons: every nation, every people, every corner of the earth, and every creature must draw near, listen, and heed. The verse opens a prophecy of judgment that proves God’s sovereignty over all creation and His right to call the world to account. It invites sober listening today, urging us to align with the righteous Judge whose words are true, final, and universally binding.

(1)Come near, ye nations, to hear . . .--The two chapters that follow have a distinct character of their own. They form, as it were, the closing epilogue of the first great collection of Isaiah's prophecies, the historical section that follows (Isaiah 36-39) serving as a link between them and the great second volume, which comes as an independent whole. Here, accordingly, we have to deal with what belongs to a transition period, probably the closing years of the reign of Hezekiah The Egyptian alliance and the attack of Sennacherib are now in the back-ground, and the prophet's vision takes a wider range. In the destruction of the Assyrian army he sees the pledge and earnest of the fate of all who fight against God, and as a representative instance of such enemies, fixes upon Edom, then, as ever, foremost among the enemies of Judah. They had invaded that kingdom in the days of Ahaz (2Chronicles 28:17). The inscriptions of Sennacherib (Lenormant,Anc. Hist.,i. 399) show that they submitted to him. They probably played a part in his invasion of Judah, in his attack on Jerusalem, analogous to that which drew down the bitter curse of the Babylonian exiles (Psalm 137:7). The chapters are further noticeable as having served as a model both to Zephaniah throughout his prophecy, and to Jeremiah 25,Jeremiah 46:3-12, Jeremiah 50, 51, parallelisms with which will meet us as we go on.

The prophecy opens, as was natural, with a wider appeal. The lesson which Isaiah has to teach is one for all time and for all nations: "They that take the sword shall perish by the sword." There rises before his eyes once more the vision of a day of great slaughter, such as the world had never known before, the putrid carcasses of the slain covering the earth, as they had covered Tophet, the Valley of Hinnom, after the pestilence had done its work on Sennacherib's army. (Comp. as an instance of like hyperbole, the vision of the destruction of Gog and Magog, inEzekiel 39:11-16.)