The Barren Woman Sings for Joy
Study note
This chapter follows directly from the Suffering Servant's sacrifice. Because of what the Servant accomplished, Zion, who was like a childless woman, will now have more children than a married woman. She is told to enlarge her tent because she will expand in every direction. Her descendants will spread among the nations and rebuild ruined cities. God tells her not to be afraid, because the shame of her younger days and the sorrow of being like a widow are over. Her Maker is her husband, the Lord of Armies, and her Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth.
1 "Sing out loud, you woman who never had a child! Shout for happiness, you who never went through labor pains! Because the abandoned woman is going to have more children than the married woman," 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 the LORD.
2 "Make your tent bigger! Stretch out the curtains of your home as wide as they will go. Do not hold back! Make your ropes longer and pound your stakes in deeper." Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;
3 "You are going to spread out to the right and to the left. Your descendants will take over nations and fill up cities that were sitting empty." For 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.
4 "Don't be afraid — you will not be embarrassed. Do not feel disgraced — you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your younger days, and the sorrow of being alone will fade from your memory." Fear 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.
5 "Because the one who made you is your husband. The Lord who commands all armies is his name. Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. He is known as the God of the entire earth." For 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.
God's Everlasting Love
Study note
God compares Israel to a wife who was rejected for a brief time but is now called back with deep compassion. His anger lasted only a moment, but his mercy and kindness will last forever. God makes a comparison to the time of Noah, when he swore that the flood waters would never again cover the earth. In the same way, he now swears never again to be angry with his people or rebuke them. Mountains may crumble and hills may disappear, but God's faithful love and his covenant of peace will never be taken away. This is one of the most powerful and comforting promises in all of Scripture.
6 The Lord is calling you back. You are like a wife who was left behind and deeply hurt. You are like a young bride who was turned away, says your God. For 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.
7 "I turned away from you for just a brief moment, but with overwhelming compassion I am bringing you back." For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
8 "In a flash of anger I hid my face from you for an instant. But with love that lasts forever, I will show you mercy," says the Lord, the one who buys you back. In 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.
9 "For me, this is like the time of Noah. Just as I promised that floodwaters would never cover the earth again, I now promise that I will never again be angry with you or scold you." For 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.
10 "Mountains may crumble. Hills may vanish. But my loyal love for you will never be shaken. My promise of peace will never be pulled away." The Lord says this. He has deep care for you. For 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.
A City Built with Precious Stones
Study note
God speaks tenderly to Jerusalem, calling her storm-tossed and not yet comforted. He promises to rebuild her with beautiful jewels: foundations of sapphires, towers of rubies, gates of sparkling gems, and walls of precious stones. All her children will be taught by the Lord and will have great peace. She will be established through righteousness, far from tyranny and terror. If anyone attacks her, it will not be God's doing, and the attacker will fall. The chapter closes with one of the most quoted promises in the Bible: no weapon made to be used against God's people will succeed, and every accusing voice will be proved wrong. This is the inheritance of those who serve the Lord.
11 "You storm-battered city, tossed around and never comforted — I am going to rebuild you with dazzling jewels. I will lay your foundations with sapphires." O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.
12 "I will make your towers out of rubies, your gates out of sparkling gemstones, and your walls out of precious stones." And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
13 "Every one of your children will be taught by the Lord himself, and they will enjoy wonderful peace." And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
14 "You will be built on a foundation of doing right. Cruelty will be far from you, so you will have nothing to dread. Terror will not come anywhere near you." In 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.
15 "If anyone picks a fight with you, it will not be my doing. Whoever attacks you will fall because of you." Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.
16 "Look — I am the one who made the blacksmith who fans coals into a roaring fire and hammers out a weapon. And I am the one who made the destroyer whose job is to tear things apart." Behold, 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.
17 "No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me," says the Lord. No 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.