Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 12 is a brief THANKSGIVING-PSALM (only 6 verses) closing the first major-section of-Isaiah (chapters 1–12). The chapter celebrates-the-promised-deliverance with two-songs-of-thanksgiving (vv. 1–3 and vv. 4–6). Verse 2 — 'God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid' — is the chapter's-key. Verse 3's 'with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation' is one of the OT's signature joy-and-water images.
Notable Variants
12:2 'God is my salvation' (Yah-yeshu'ah) — the divine-name plus salvation-noun anticipates Yeshua/Jesus name-meaning; 12:3 'wells of salvation' joy-imagery; 12:6 'great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel' — divine-presence among people.
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 12 = LXX Isaiah 12. 6 verses. THANKSGIVING-PSALM closing chapters 1–12.
On that day you will say: "I give thanks to you, LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger has turned away, and you have comforted me."
'You will say in that day: I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me' tracks MT. ANGER-TURNED-AWAY / COMFORT — restoration-theology.
"Look — God is my salvation! I will trust and will not be afraid, for the LORD God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation."
'Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation' tracks MT. 'GOD-IS-MY-SALVATION' (yah-yeshu'ah). The Hebrew yeshu'ah is the noun-form behind the name YESHUA / JESUS. The verse-anticipates Christ-as-the-personal-embodiment of-salvation. Matthew 1:21's 'you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins' Christologically-completes. The 'strength and song' phrasing // Exodus 15:2, Psalm 118:14 — the salvation-song refrain across-Scripture.
You will draw water with joy from the wells of salvation.
'With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation' tracks MT. WELLS-OF-SALVATION (ma'ayanei ha-yeshu'ah). The plural-wells imagery for divine-saving-resources. John 4:14 ('the water that I will give will become in him a SPRING OF WATER welling up to eternal life') Christologically-extends — the wells-of-salvation become-a-spring-within-the-believer through-Christ. John 7:37–38 ('let the one who is thirsty come to me and drink') extends. Jewish-Sukkot tradition pours-water with-this-verse.
On that day you will say: "Give thanks to the LORD! Call on his name! Make his deeds known among the peoples! Proclaim that his name is exalted!"
'And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted' tracks MT. PROCLAIM-AMONG-PEOPLES — missional-call. // 1 Chronicles 16:8.
"Sing to the LORD, for he has done gloriously! Let this be made known in all the earth!"
'Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth' tracks MT. KNOWN-IN-ALL-THE-EARTH — universal-witness.
"Shout aloud and sing for joy, inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel!"
'Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel' tracks MT. GREAT-IN-YOUR-MIDST. Divine-immanence-in-Zion. John 1:14 ('the Word became flesh and dwelt among us') Christologically-fulfills the Holy-One-in-our-midst theology.