Isaiah 26:16
O LORD, they sought You in their distress; when You disciplined them, they poured out a quiet prayer.
O LORD
The verse begins with a direct address to God, using the covenant name "LORD" (YHWH in Hebrew). This name signifies God's eternal, self-existent nature and His faithfulness to His promises. In the context of Isaiah, this invocation underscores the people's recognition of God's sovereignty and their reliance on Him. Historically, the use of YHWH reflects a deep, personal relationship between God and Israel, reminding us of the covenant established with Abraham and reaffirmed through Moses.

they sought You
The phrase indicates a turning towards God, often in times of distress or need. The Hebrew root "darash" implies a diligent search or inquiry, suggesting that the people are earnestly seeking God's presence and intervention. This seeking is not casual but reflects a deep yearning for divine guidance and help. In the broader biblical narrative, seeking God is a recurring theme, emphasizing the importance of turning to Him in faith and repentance.

in their distress
This phrase highlights the context of the people's seeking—times of trouble or affliction. The Hebrew word "tzarah" denotes a narrow or tight place, symbolizing the pressures and challenges faced by the people. Historically, Israel often turned to God during periods of national crisis, such as invasions or exile. This pattern serves as a reminder of human vulnerability and the need for divine assistance.

when You disciplined them
Here, the verse acknowledges God's role in allowing or orchestrating circumstances for the purpose of correction. The Hebrew root "yasar" conveys the idea of chastening or instructing, akin to a loving parent disciplining a child. This discipline is not punitive but redemptive, intended to bring about repentance and restoration. Scripturally, God's discipline is a sign of His love and commitment to His people, as seen in passages like Hebrews 12:6.

they poured out a quiet prayer
The imagery of pouring out suggests an outpouring of the heart, a sincere and earnest communication with God. The Hebrew word "lachash" for "quiet" implies a whisper or soft speech, indicating humility and reverence. This quiet prayer contrasts with loud lamentations, reflecting a deep, personal communion with God. Throughout the Bible, prayer is portrayed as a powerful means of connecting with God, expressing dependence, and seeking His will.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who is both just and merciful. He is the one to whom the people turn in their distress.

2. The People of Israel
The nation chosen by God, often depicted in the Old Testament as turning away from God and then seeking Him again in times of trouble.

3. Distress
A period of suffering or hardship that leads the people to seek God. This is often a result of their disobedience and the subsequent discipline from God.

4. Discipline
The corrective measures taken by God to bring His people back to Him. It is an expression of His love and desire for their repentance and restoration.

5. Quiet Prayer
The response of the people to God's discipline, indicating a sincere and humble seeking of His presence and help.
Teaching Points
The Purpose of Discipline
God's discipline is not punitive but corrective. It is meant to draw us back to Him and to refine our character.

The Power of Prayer in Distress
In times of trouble, turning to God in sincere prayer is crucial. Our prayers, even when quiet and humble, are powerful and heard by God.

The Importance of Seeking God
Seeking God should not be limited to times of distress. Cultivating a consistent relationship with Him prepares us for life's challenges.

Humility Before God
True repentance and seeking God require humility. Acknowledging our need for Him is the first step toward restoration.

God's Faithfulness in Response
God is faithful to respond to those who earnestly seek Him. His desire is for our restoration and growth in righteousness.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding God's discipline as an act of love change your perspective on the challenges you face?

2. In what ways can you cultivate a habit of seeking God, not just in times of distress but in everyday life?

3. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's faithfulness in response to your prayers. How did that impact your faith journey?

4. How can the concept of "quiet prayer" influence your approach to prayer, especially in difficult times?

5. What steps can you take to ensure that your response to God's discipline is one of humility and genuine repentance?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Hebrews 12:5-11
This passage discusses the Lord's discipline as a sign of His love and a means to produce righteousness in His children. It connects to the theme of discipline in Isaiah 26:16.

Psalm 34:17-18
These verses highlight God's responsiveness to the cries of the righteous in their distress, similar to the quiet prayer mentioned in Isaiah 26:16.

2 Chronicles 7:14
This verse emphasizes the importance of humility, prayer, and seeking God's face, which aligns with the people's response in Isaiah 26:16.
God a Harbour of RefugeIsaiah 26:16
Prayer Forced by TroubleR. Tuck Isaiah 26:16
Prayer in TroubleW.M. Statham Isaiah 26:16
The Argument from the PastW. Clarkson Isaiah 26:12-18
The Resurrection of IsraelE. Johnson Isaiah 26:15-21
People
Isaiah
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Barely, Chastening, Chastisement, Disciplined, Distress, Missed, O, Poured, Prayer, Punishment, Silently, Sought, Trouble, Visited, Whisper, Whispered
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Isaiah 26:16

     8713   discouragement

Library
Our Strong City
'In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.'--ISAIAH xxvi 1-2. What day is 'that day'? The answer carries us back a couple of chapters, to the great picture drawn by the prophet of a world-wide judgment, which is followed by a burst of song from the ransomed people of Jehovah, like Miriam's chant by the shores of the Red Sea.
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Song of Two Cities
'In that day shall this song he sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. 2. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee. A. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength: 5. For He bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, He layeth it low; He layeth it low,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Inhabitant of the Rock
'Thou wilt keep him In perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.'--ISAIAH xxvi. 3-4. There is an obvious parallel between these verses and the two preceding ones. The safety which was there set forth as the result of dwelling in the strong city is here presented as the consequence of trust. The emblem of the fortified place passes into that of the Rock of Ages. There is the further resemblance
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Desire of the Soul in Spiritual Darkness
"Tis midnight on the mountains' brown, The cold round moon shines deeply down; Blue roll the waters, blue the sky Spreads like an ocean hung on high, Bespangled with those isles of light, So wildly, spiritually bright; Who ever gazed upon them shining, And turning to earth without repining, Nor wish'd for wings to flee away, And mix with their eternal ray." Even with the most irreligious person, a man farthest from spiritual thought, it seems that there is some power in the grandeur and stillness
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 1: 1855

The Song of a City, and the Pearl of Peace
This song of a city may, however, belong to us as much as to the men of Judah, and we may throw into it a deeper sense of which they were not aware. We were once unguarded from spiritual evil, and we spent our days in constant fear; but the Lord has found for us a city of defence, a castle of refuge. We have a burgess-ship in the new Jerusalem which is the mother of us all; and within that strong city we dwell securely. Let us sing this morning, "We have a strong city." The man that hath come into
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 31: 1885

A Sermon on Isaiah xxvi. By John Knox.
[In the Prospectus of our Publication it was stated, that one discourse, at least, would be given in each number. A strict adherence to this arrangement, however, it is found, would exclude from our pages some of the most talented discourses of our early Divines; and it is therefore deemed expedient to depart from it as occasion may require. The following Sermon will occupy two numbers, and we hope, that from its intrinsic value, its historical interest, and the illustrious name of its author, it
John Knox—The Pulpit Of The Reformation, Nos. 1, 2 and 3.

O, this is Blessing, this is Rest --
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed in Thee: because he trusteth in Thee." -- Isaiah 26:3. O, this is blessing, this is rest -- Unto Thine arms, O Lord, I flee: I hide me in Thy faithful breast, And pour out all my soul to Thee. There is a host dissuading me, -- But, all their voices far above, I hear Thy words -- "O taste and see The comfort of a Savior's love." And, hushing every adverse sound, Songs of defence my soul surround, As if all saints encamped about One trusting
Miss A. L. Waring—Hymns and Meditations

Sleeping and Waking
C. P. C. Is. xxvi. 19 We slept--a sleep of death, and yet of dreams, Fair dreams that pass, and sad dreams that abide, Where yearneth to the sound of distant streams The soul unsatisfied. We woke--but oh for speech of that fair land Wherein the soul awaketh, to declare The wonders that no heart can understand, That hath not entered there. For there the light that is not sun nor moon, That glows as morning, and as eve is sweet, And hath the glory of eternal noon, Doth guide the joyful feet. And
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others

From his Return from Russia to his Last Journey.
1853-1858. John Yeardley had scarcely returned to England before war was declared with Russia. The confirmation he received from this lamentable event, that his journey had been made at the opportune time, filled his heart with gratitude. The work he had been able to do had been small, but he had the satisfaction of knowing that it had been accomplished at the only juncture in which it would have been practicable. The year 1853, he writes, closed with many mercies to a poor unworthy servant. I consider
John Yeardley—Memoir and Diary of John Yeardley, Minister of the Gospel

I Fear, I Say, Greatly for Thee, Lest...
39. I fear, I say, greatly for thee, lest, when thou boastest that thou wilt follow the Lamb wheresoever He shall have gone, thou be unable by reason of swelling pride to follow Him through strait ways. It is good for thee, O virgin soul, that thus, as thou art a virgin, thus altogether keeping in thy heart that thou hast been born again, keeping in thy flesh that thou hast been born, thou yet conceive of the fear of the Lord, and give birth to the spirit of salvation. [2142] "Fear," indeed, "there
St. Augustine—Of Holy Virginity.

Pleading
We shall consider our text, then, as one of the productions of a great master in spiritual matters, and we will study it, praying all the while that God will help us to pray after the like fashion. In our text we have the soul of a successful pleader under four aspects: we view, first, the soul confessing: "I am poor and needy." You have next, the soul pleading, for he makes a plea out of his poor condition, and adds, "Make haste unto me, O God!" You see, thirdly, a soul in it's urgency, for he cries,
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871

"For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus Hath Made Me Free from the Law of Sin and Death. "
Rom. viii. 2.--"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." You know there are two principal things in the preceding verse,--the privilege of a Christian, and the property or character of a Christian. He is one that never enters into condemnation; He that believeth shall not perish, John iii. 15. And then he is one that walks not after the flesh, though he be in the flesh, but in a more elevate way above men, after the guiding and leading
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Nature of Spiritual Hunger
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness Matthew 5:6 We are now come to the fourth step of blessedness: Blessed are they that hunger'. The words fall into two parts: a duty implied; a promise annexed. A duty implied: Blessed are they that hunger'. Spiritual hunger is a blessed hunger. What is meant by hunger? Hunger is put for desire (Isaiah 26:9). Spiritual hunger is the rational appetite whereby the soul pants after that which it apprehends most suitable and proportional
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Out of Sectarian Confusion
I was still a Methodist. The Methodist did not license women to preach; but when the preachers found out that God was using me in the salvation of souls and that I was not especially interested in building up any certain denomination, I had an abundance of calls. God had already begun talking to my brother Jeremiah about the sin of division, and he was beginning to see the evils of sectarianism. The winter after I was healed, he had attended the Jacksonville, Illinois, holiness convention, and had
Mary Cole—Trials and Triumphs of Faith

His Journey to South Russia.
1853. The call which John Yeardley had received to visit the German colonies in South Russia, and which had lain for a long time dormant, now revived. A friend who had watched with regret his unsuccessful attempts on former journeys to enter that jealous country, and who augured from the political changes which had taken place that permission might probably now be obtained, brought the subject again under his notice. The admonition was timely and effectual. After carefully pondering the matter--with,
John Yeardley—Memoir and Diary of John Yeardley, Minister of the Gospel

Of the Last Resurrection.
1. For invincible perseverance in our calling, it is necessary to be animated with the blessed hope of our Savior's final advent. 2. The perfect happiness reserved for the elect at the final resurrection unknown to philosophers. 3. The truth and necessity of this doctrine of a final resurrection. To confirm our belief in it we have, 1. The example of Christ; and, 2. The omnipotence of God. There is an inseparable connection between us and our risen Savior. The bodies of the elect must be conformed
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Heart's Desire Given to Help Mission Work in China.
"Sept. 30 [1869].--From Yorkshire L50.--Received also One Thousand Pounds to-day for the Lord's work in China. About this donation it is especially to be noticed, that for months it had been my earnest desire to do more than ever for Mission Work in China, and I had already taken steps to carry out this desire, when this donation of One Thousand Pounds came to hand. This precious answer to prayer for means should be a particular encouragement to all who are engaged in the Lord's work, and who may
George Müller—Answers to Prayer

The Love of the Holy Spirit in Us.
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not."--Matt. xxvii. 37. The Scripture teaches not only that the Holy Spirit dwells in us, and with Him Love, but also that He sheds abroad that Love in our hearts. This shedding abroad does not refer to the coming of the Holy Spirit's Person, for a person can not be shed abroad. He comes, takes possession, and dwells in us; but that which is shed abroad
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

"But if the Spirit of Him that Raised up Jesus from the Dead Dwell in You, He that Raised up Christ from the Dead, Shall Also
Rom. viii. 11.--"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." As there is a twofold death,--the death of the soul, and the death of the body--so there is a double resurrection, the resurrection of the soul from the power of sin, and the resurrection of the body from the grave. As the first death is that which is spiritual, then that which is bodily, so
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Love
The rule of obedience being the moral law, comprehended in the Ten Commandments, the next question is: What is the sum of the Ten Commandments? The sum of the Ten Commandments is, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind, and our neighbour as ourselves. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.' Deut 6: 5. The duty called for is love, yea, the strength of love, with all
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Another Shorter Evening Prayer.
O eternal God and heavenly Father, if I were not taught and assured by the promises of thy gospel, and the examples of Peter, Mary Magdalene, the publican, the prodigal child, and many other penitent sinners, that thou art so full of compassion, and so ready to forgive the greatest sinners, who are heaviest laden with sin, at what time soever they return unto thee with penitent hearts, lamenting their sins, and imploring thy grace, I should despair for mine own sins, and be utterly discouraged from
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Iranian Conquest
Drawn by Boudier, from the engraving in Coste and Flandin. The vignette, drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a statuette in terra-cotta, found in Southern Russia, represents a young Scythian. The Iranian religions--Cyrus in Lydia and at Babylon: Cambyses in Egypt --Darius and the organisation of the empire. The Median empire is the least known of all those which held sway for a time over the destinies of a portion of Western Asia. The reason of this is not to be ascribed to the shortness of its duration:
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9

Links
Isaiah 26:16 NIV
Isaiah 26:16 NLT
Isaiah 26:16 ESV
Isaiah 26:16 NASB
Isaiah 26:16 KJV

Isaiah 26:16 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Isaiah 26:15
Top of Page
Top of Page