Isaiah 22:13

But look, there is joy and gladness, butchering of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Isaiah addresses the people of Jerusalem during a time of national crisis, contrasting God’s command to mourn with the city’s defiant celebration. The prophet confronts those who have abandoned repentance for hedonistic revelry.

The words — The term וְ/הִנֵּ֣ה (ve./hi.Neh) functions as a stark "behold," while שָׂשׂ֣וֹן (sa.Son) and וְ/שִׂמְחָ֗ה (ve./sim.Chah) denote the specific joy and gladness the people pursue. These words anchor the text’s declaration that the people actively chose revelry over mourning.

The thread — This defiant slogan reappears in Isaiah 56:12, Luke 17:26, and 1 Corinthians 15:32, where similar postures of worldly comfort or despair are recorded. Each reference tracks the recurring biblical pattern of substituting temporal pleasure for eternal accountability.

Why it lands — The verse demands a clear-eyed assessment of whether present comforts are masking spiritual death. It asks the reader to reject self-deception and align daily choices with the reality of divine judgment.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְהִנֵּ֣ה׀ve./hi.Nehand/ there!שָׂשׂ֣וֹןsa.Sonjoy וְשִׂמְחָ֗הve./sim.Chahand/ gladness הָרֹ֤ג׀ha.Rogthey are killing בָּקָר֙ba.Karcattle וְשָׁחֹ֣טve./sha.Chotand/ they are slaughtering צֹ֔אןTzonsheep אָכֹ֥ל'a.Kholthey are eating בָּשָׂ֖רba.Sarmeat וְשָׁת֣וֹתve./sha.Totand/ they are drinking יָ֑יִןYa.yinwine אָכ֣וֹל'a.Kholwe will eat וְשָׁת֔וֹve./sha.Toand/ we will drink כִּ֥יkifor מָחָ֖רma.Chartomorrow נָמֽוּת׃na.Mutwe will die

King James Version

And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.

Cross-references

Isaiah 56:12 “Come, let me get the wine, let us imbibe the strong drink, and tomorrow will be like today, only far better!”
Luke 17:26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man:
1 Corinthians 15:32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for human motives, what did I gain? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
James 5:5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter.
Isaiah 5:12 At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.
Isaiah 5:22 Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and champions in mixing strong drink,
Isaiah 21:4 My heart falters; fear makes me tremble. The twilight I desired has turned to horror.
Amos 6:3 You dismiss the day of calamity and bring near a reign of violence.
Isaiah 28:7 These also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priests and prophets reel from strong drink and are befuddled by wine. They stumble because of strong drink, muddled in their visions and stumbling in their judgments.