Isaiah 54

Isaiah · Chapter 54

Isaiah 54:1

1Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.2Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;3For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.4Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.5For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.6For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.7For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.8In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.9For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.10For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.11O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.12And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.13And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.14In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.15Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.16Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.17No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
1Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.“Shout for joy, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth in song and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD.Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith Jehovah.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Where

Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
shout for joyרָנִּ֥יra-NIH7442B
to sing

רָנַן (ra.nan) 1) to cry out, shout for joy, give a ringing cry 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to give a ringing cry (in joy, exaltation, distress) 1a2) to cry aloud (in summons, exhortation of wisdom) 1b) (Piel) to give a ringing cry (in joy, exultation, praise 1c) (Pual) ringing cry, singing out (passive) 1d) (Hiphil) to cause to ring or sing out (for joy) 1e) (Hithpolel) rejoicing (participle) Also means: ran.nen (רַנֵּן "to sing" H7444)

O barren [woman]עֲקָרָ֖ה'a-ka-RAHH6135
barren

עָקָר (a.qar) barren, sterile

[who] notלֹ֣אlo'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

she has given birthיָלָ֑דָהya-LA-dahH3205
to beget

יָלַד (ya.lad) 1) to bear, bringforth, beget, gender, travail 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to bear, bring forth 1a1a) of child birth 1a1b) of distress (simile) 1a1c) of wicked (behaviour) 1a2) to beget 1b) (Niphal) to be born 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to cause or help to bring forth 1c2) to assist or tend as a midwife 1c3) midwife (participle) 1d) (Pual) to be born 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to beget (a child) 1e2) to bear (fig. -of wicked bringing forth iniquity) 1f) (Hophal) day of birth, birthday (infinitive) 1g) (Hithpael) to declare one's birth (pedigree)

break forthפִּצְחִ֨יpitz-CHIH6476
to break out

פָּצַח (pa.tsach) 1) to cause to break or burst forth, break forth with, break out 1a) (Qal) to break out, break forthwith 1b) (Piel) to break up

a shout of joyרִנָּ֤הri-NAHH7440
cry

רִנָּה (rin.nah) 1) ringing cry 1a) of entreaty, supplication 1b) in proclamation, joy, praise

and cry aloudוְצַהֲלִי֙ve-tza-ha-LIH6670A
to cry out

צָהַל (tsa.hal) 1) to neigh, cry shrilly 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to neigh (of men as stallions-fig.) 1a2) (Piel) to cry shrilly (in distress)

O [one who] notלֹא־lo'-H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

she has been in laborחָ֔לָהCHA-lahH2342INo entry
forכִּֽי־ki-H3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

[are] manyרַבִּ֧יםra-BIMH7227A
many

רַב (rav) adj 1) much, many, great 1a) much 1b) many 1c) abounding in 1d) more numerous than 1e) abundant, enough 1f) great 1g) strong 1h) greater than adv 1i) much, exceedingly

[the] children ofבְּֽנֵי־be-nei-H1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

a desolate [woman]שׁוֹמֵמָ֛הsho-me-MAHH8074G
be desolate: destroyed

שָׁמֵם (sha.mem) : destroyed/deserted 1) to be desolate, be appalled, stun, stupefy 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be desolated, be deflowered, be deserted, be appalled 1a2) to be appalled, be awestruck 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be desolated, be made desolate 1b2) to be appalled 1c) (Polel) 1c1) to be stunned 1c2) appalling, causing horror (participle) 1c2a) horror-causer, appaller (subst) 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to devastate, ravage, make desolated 1d2) to appal, show horror 1e) (Hophal) to lay desolate, be desolated 1f) (Hithpolel) 1f1) to cause to be desolate 1f2) to be appalled, be astounded …

more than [the] children ofמִבְּנֵ֥יmi-be-NEIH1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

a married [woman]בְעוּלָ֖הve-'u-LAHH1166I
rule: to rule

בָּעַל (ba.al) 1) to rule over, possess, own 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be lord over 1a2) to rule over 1b) (Niphal) to be ruled § 1) to marry, rule over, possess, own 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to marry, be lord (husband) over 1a2) to rule over 1b) (Niphal) to be married

he saysאָמַ֥ר'a-MARH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Yahwehיְהוָֽה׃YAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.