The Meaning of Isaiah 51:3 Explained

Isaiah 51:3

KJV: For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

YLT: For Jehovah hath comforted Zion, He hath comforted all her wastes, And He setteth her wilderness as Eden, And her desert as a garden of Jehovah, Joy, yea, gladness is found in her, Confession, and the voice of song.

Darby: For Jehovah shall comfort Zion, he shall comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Jehovah: gladness and joy shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of song.

ASV: For Jehovah hath comforted Zion; he hath comforted all her waste places, and hath made her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Jehovah; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

Discover Isaiah 51:3

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Isaiah 51:3?

MEANING: What does Isaiah 51:3 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Isaiah 51:3 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Isaiah 51:3?

What is the context of Isaiah 51:3?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

What does Isaiah 51:3 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Even though the Babylonians would reduce the population of Jerusalem almost to zero, the God who gave Abraham numerous descendants could and would repopulate Zion (cf. Isaiah 49:20). He would comfort His people, personified as Zion, by doing this. He would reverse Zion"s fortunes, transforming her desert wilderness areas into another Eden.

"Like Eden is not simply a figure of beauty and plenty but also one of the absence of the divine curse consequent upon sin." ^[1]

God would turn her sorrow and wailing into joyful singing and thanksgiving. The implication is that as Abraham was strong in faith and believed God"s promises, so should the Israelites of Isaiah"s day (cf. Genesis 15:6).

"As Sarah gave birth to Isaac after a long period of barrenness, so Zion, a second Sarah, will be surrounded by a joyous multitude of children after a long period of desolation." ^[2]

Context Summary

Isaiah 51:1-11 - "awake, O Arm Of Jehovah!"

This chapter is extremely dramatic. We are conscious that we are nearing a revelation of unparalleled sublimity. As we hear the thrice Hearken in Isaiah 1:1-8, and the thrice Awake, Isaiah 51:9, which follows, we realize that we are traversing the entrance portico of a noble temple. When God says, Hearken, it is for us to ask Him to fulfill-Awake!

Recall the loneliness of Abraham. "He was but one!" Terah died, Lot dropped away, Hagar was thrust out, Isaac was laid on the altar, but the fire that burned in his heart only grew brighter. Do not despair if you are alone in your stand for God. One acorn, when the life of Nature touches it, may become parent to a forest. These exiled Jews hardly dared to hope that they could escape from their foes. The air was heavy with their revilings, but compare Isaiah 51:8 with Isaiah 50:9. With such assurances we may face a world in arms. The forces of evil are strong, but God is stronger. The clouds threaten, but the sun is shining. Don't forget the Lord thy Maker, thy Redeemer, thy Father! He cannot fail or forsake! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 51

¹ An exhortation after the pattern of Abraham, to trust in Christ
³ By reason of his comfortable promises,
⁴ Of his righteous salvation
⁷ And man's mortality
⁹ Christ by his sanctified arm defends his from the fear of man
¹⁷ He bewails the afflictions of Jerusalem
²¹ And promises deliverance

What do the individual words in Isaiah 51:3 mean?

For will comfort Yahweh Zion He will comfort all her waste places and He will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of Yahweh Joy and gladness will be found in it Thanksgiving and the voice of melody -

כִּֽי־ נִחַ֨ם יְהוָ֜ה צִיּ֗וֹן נִחַם֙ כָּל־ חָרְבֹתֶ֔יהָ וַיָּ֤שֶׂם מִדְבָּרָהּ֙ כְּעֵ֔דֶן וְעַרְבָתָ֖הּ כְּגַן־ יְהוָ֑ה שָׂשׂ֤וֹן וְשִׂמְחָה֙ יִמָּ֣צֵא בָ֔הּ תּוֹדָ֖ה וְק֥וֹל זִמְרָֽה ס

נִחַ֨ם	will comfort
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular Root: נָחַם Sense: to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted.
יְהוָ֜ה	Yahweh
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: יהוה Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צִיּ֗וֹן	Zion
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular Root: צִיּׄון Sense: another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books.
נִחַם֙	He will comfort
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular Root: נָחַם Sense: to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted.
חָרְבֹתֶ֔יהָ	her waste places
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person feminine singular Root: חָרְבָּה Sense: a place laid waste, ruin, waste, desolation.
וַיָּ֤שֶׂם	and He will make
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular Root: שׂוּמָה Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
מִדְבָּרָהּ֙	her wilderness
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular Root: מִדְבָּר Sense: wilderness.
כְּעֵ֔דֶן	like Eden
Parse: Preposition-k, Proper Noun, feminine singular Root: עֵדֶן Sense: the first habitat of man after the creation; site unknown.
וְעַרְבָתָ֖הּ	and her desert
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular Root: עֲרָבָה Sense: desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness.
כְּגַן־	like the garden
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, common singular construct Root: גַּן Sense: garden, enclosure.
יְהוָ֑ה	of Yahweh
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: יהוה Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
שָׂשׂ֤וֹן	Joy
Parse: Noun, masculine singular Root: שָׂשֹׂון Sense: gladness, joy, exultation, rejoicing.
וְשִׂמְחָה֙	and gladness
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular Root: שִׂמְחָה Sense: joy, mirth, gladness.
יִמָּ֣צֵא	will be found
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular Root: מָצָא Sense: to find, attain to.
בָ֔הּ	in it
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
תּוֹדָ֖ה	Thanksgiving
Parse: Noun, feminine singular Root: תֹּודָה Sense: confession, praise, thanksgiving.
וְק֥וֹל	and the voice
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct Root: קֹול Sense: voice, sound, noise.
זִמְרָֽה	of melody
Parse: Noun, feminine singular Root: זִמְרָה Sense: music, melody, song.
ס	-
Parse: Punctuation

What are the major concepts related to Isaiah 51:3?

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