The Meaning of Isaiah 44:26 Explained

Isaiah 44:26

KJV: That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:

YLT: Confirming the word of His servant, The counsel of His messengers it perfecteth, Who is saying of Jerusalem, She is inhabited, And of cities of Judah, They shall be built, and her wastes I raise up,

Darby: that confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built up, and I will raise up their ruins;

ASV: that confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith of Jerusalem, She shall be inhabited; and of the cities of Judah, They shall be built, and I will raise up the waste places thereof;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

That confirmeth  the word  of his servant,  and performeth  the counsel  of his messengers;  that saith  to Jerusalem,  Thou shalt be inhabited;  and to the cities  of Judah,  Ye shall be built,  and I will raise up  the decayed places  thereof: 

What does Isaiah 44:26 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Conversely, Yahweh could bring the predictions that He had revealed to His servant Isaiah (cf. Isaiah 20:3), and His messengers the prophets, to pass. Here he predicted that Jerusalem and the cities of Judah would be rebuilt, after their destruction by the Babylonians.

Context Summary

Isaiah 44:21-28 - The Promise Of Redemption
What divine comfort there is in these gracious words! Notwithstanding all their wanderings and sins, the Chosen People were Jehovah's elect race. Nothing could make Him forget them; He had redeemed them with the saving strength of His right hand. He could never forget them, but He would forget their sins. Their transgressions had melted into the blue azure of His love. If sought for, they could not be found. Nature was asked to be one great orchestra of praise. And notice that our redemption brings more glory to Jehovah than our undoing would.
In Isaiah 45:1-25 the people are assured that they would return from captivity, to rebuild Jerusalem and reinhabit the cities of Judah. They probably expected that their return would be marked by miracles as marvelous as those through which their fathers emerged from Egyptian bondage. But God never repeats Himself; and His purposes would work out through a heathen monarch, Cyrus, whom God was preparing as the executor of His purpose, Isaiah 44:28. "Deep in unfathomable mines of never-failing skill, He treasures up His bright designs, and works His sovereign will." [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 44

1  God comforts the church with his promises
7  The vanity of idols
9  And folly of idol makers
21  He exhorts to praise God for his redemption and omnipotence

What do the individual words in Isaiah 44:26 mean?

who confirms the word of His servant and the counsel of His messengers performs who says to Jerusalem You shall be inhabited and to the cities of Judah You shall be built and her waste places I will raise up
מֵקִים֙ דְּבַ֣ר עַבְדּ֔וֹ וַעֲצַ֥ת מַלְאָכָ֖יו יַשְׁלִ֑ים הָאֹמֵ֨ר לִירוּשָׁלִַ֜ם תּוּשָׁ֗ב וּלְעָרֵ֤י יְהוּדָה֙ תִּבָּנֶ֔ינָה וְחָרְבוֹתֶ֖יהָ אֲקוֹמֵֽם

מֵקִים֙  who  confirms 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
דְּבַ֣ר  the  word 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
עַבְדּ֔וֹ  of  His  servant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
וַעֲצַ֥ת  and  the  counsel 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עֵצָה 
Sense: counsel, advice, purpose.
מַלְאָכָ֖יו  of  His  messengers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
יַשְׁלִ֑ים  performs 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלֵם  
Sense: .
הָאֹמֵ֨ר  who  says 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לִירוּשָׁלִַ֜ם  to  Jerusalem 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
תּוּשָׁ֗ב  You  shall  be  inhabited 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
וּלְעָרֵ֤י  and  to  the  cities 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
יְהוּדָה֙  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
תִּבָּנֶ֔ינָה  You  shall  be  built 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
וְחָרְבוֹתֶ֖יהָ  and  her  waste  places 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: חָרְבָּה  
Sense: a place laid waste, ruin, waste, desolation.
אֲקוֹמֵֽם  I  will  raise  up 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.