The Meaning of Isaiah 61:2 Explained

Isaiah 61:2

KJV: To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

YLT: To proclaim the year of the good pleasure of Jehovah, And the day of vengeance of our God, To comfort all mourners.

Darby: to proclaim the acceptable year of Jehovah, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

ASV: to proclaim the year of Jehovah's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

To proclaim  the acceptable  year  of the LORD,  and the day  of vengeance  of our God;  to comfort  all that mourn; 

What does Isaiah 61:2 Mean?

Study Notes

acceptable year of the Lord
Observe that Jesus suspended the reading of this passage in the synagogue at Nazareth Luke 4:16-21 at the comma in the middle of Isaiah 61:2 . The first advent, therefore, opened the day of grace, "the acceptable year of Jehovah," but does not fulfil the day of vengeance. That will be taken up when Messiah returns 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 Cf.; Isaiah 34:8 ; Isaiah 35:4-10 . The last verse, taken with the 4th, gives the historic connection: the vengeance precedes the regathering of Israel, and synchronizes with the day of the Lord.; Isaiah 2:10-22 ; Revelation 19:11-21 ; Isaiah 63:1-6 .

Verse Meaning

Third, proclaiming good news means He would bring, for God, a year of favor and a day of vengeance. God"s favor would last much longer than His vengeance. A prolonged time of blessing is in view, followed by a short time of punishment for oppressors.
When Jesus Christ read this passage in the Nazareth synagogue and claimed that He fulfilled it, He stopped reading after "the favorable year of Yahweh" and did not read "and the day of vengeance of our God" ( Luke 4:18-19). He meant that He was the Anointed One of whom Isaiah spoke, and that He had come to bring salvation. The day of salvation had begun (cf. Isaiah 49:8; 2 Corinthians 6:2). However, the day of vengeance would not begin until much later, specifically at the end of the Tribulation when He will return (cf. Isaiah 34:8; Isaiah 35:4; Isaiah 63:4; Daniel 7:21; Daniel 7:24-27; Micah 5:15; 1 Peter 1:11; Revelation 12:13-17; Revelation 19:15-20). [1]
Fourth, announcing good news means the Anointed One would comfort those who mourn because they believe their sins have doomed them (cf. ch12; Isaiah 40:1-2; Isaiah 49:13; Matthew 5:3-4). God would accept them in spite of their sin because of the Servant"s work.

Context Summary

Isaiah 61:1-11 - "the Acceptable Year Of The Lord"
Messiah's mission, Isaiah 61:1-3. At Nazareth our Lord applied these words to Himself. Let us care for the outcasts as He did; but to do so, we need to be anointed with the Holy Spirit, who rested so mightily on Him. The acceptable year is clearly that of Leviticus 25:8-13. Our Lord, when quoting this, stopped at the comma, Isaiah 61:2, because the day of vengeance is not yet. See Luke 4:19. Mark that it is only for a day! God not only delivers, but anoints and crowns.
Messiah's kingdom, Isaiah 61:4-9. In days yet future, the ruined cities of Palestine shall be restored. In a spiritual sense, we also may appropriate this promise. When we receive the Pentecostal gift, we also witness the restoration of the wastes, which our sins have caused in our own lives and in the lives of others. Let us clasp to our hearts Isaiah 61:7-9.
Messiah's joy, Isaiah 61:10-11. Jesus is the true bridegroom of the soul; and we may appropriate our side of these happy words. Note this combination of imputed and imparted righteousness. The one is put on as a garment, Isaiah 61:10; the other blossoms out from within, Isaiah 61:11. Oh, that from our lives God would cause righteousness and praise to spring forth! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 61

1  The office of Christ
4  The forwardness
7  And blessing of the faithful

What do the individual words in Isaiah 61:2 mean?

To proclaim the year acceptable of Yahweh and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all morners
לִקְרֹ֤א שְׁנַת־ רָצוֹן֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה וְי֥וֹם נָקָ֖ם לֵאלֹהֵ֑ינוּ לְנַחֵ֖ם כָּל־ אֲבֵלִֽים

לִקְרֹ֤א  To  proclaim 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
שְׁנַת־  the  year 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
רָצוֹן֙  acceptable 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רָצֹון  
Sense: pleasure, delight, favour, goodwill, acceptance, will.
לַֽיהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְי֥וֹם  and  the  day 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
נָקָ֖ם  of  vengeance 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָקָם  
Sense: vengeance.
לֵאלֹהֵ֑ינוּ  of  our  God 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
לְנַחֵ֖ם  to  comfort 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: נָחַם  
Sense: to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted.
אֲבֵלִֽים  morners 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: אָבֵל  
Sense: mourning.