The Meaning of Isaiah 65:23 Explained

Isaiah 65:23

KJV: They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

YLT: They labour not for a vain thing, Nor do they bring forth for trouble, For the seed of the blessed of Jehovah are they, And their offspring with them.

Darby: They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for terror; for they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them.

ASV: They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for calamity; for they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They shall not labour  in vain,  nor bring forth  for trouble;  for they [are] the seed  of the blessed  of the LORD,  and their offspring  with them. 

What does Isaiah 65:23 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Life will not be futile or frustrating, labor will amount to something, and children will be born for productive lives rather than for tragedy. This is true in one sense for the Christian now (cf. Romans 8:28; 1 Corinthians 15:58), but it will be true in a larger sense for all the redeemed in the future. Isaiah identified three generations of the blessed of the Lord in this glorious future state. This reflects the truth that the basic unit of society is the male and female couple, not the individual (cf. Genesis 2:18; Genesis 2:23-24).

Context Summary

Isaiah 65:13-25 - A New Earth For God's Servants
Notice the wide difference that religion makes to the soul. The children of God are secured against the evils which visit all others. They eat; they drink; they rejoice; they sing; they are called by another name, Isaiah 65:13-15.
Behold a new creation, Isaiah 65:17-25! The present dispensation is ended. Jerusalem, restored to her former glory, sings for very joy; and her rejoicing sends a thrill of joy through the nature of God. Long years of life and security of tenure are granted again to man. The red rapine of the forest is ended, for creation is emancipated from its bondage and participates in the glorious liberty of the sons of God. Peace shall reign in the forest glades, never again to abdicate her throne, Isaiah 65:25. But, best of all, there shall be such unity between man and God that prayer will be anticipated, and the pleading soul shall be conscious of the listening ear of God. Hasten, O day of days, for which creation groans, and the saints groan with inexpressible desire! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 65

1  The calling of the Gentiles,
2  and the rejection of the Jews, for their incredulity, idolatry, and hypocrisy
8  A remnant shall be saved
11  Judgments on the wicked, and blessings on the godly
17  The blessed state of the new Jerusalem

What do the individual words in Isaiah 65:23 mean?

Not they shall labor in vain nor bring forth children for trouble for the descendants of the blessed of Yahweh they [shall be] and their offspring with them
לֹ֤א יִֽיגְעוּ֙ לָרִ֔יק וְלֹ֥א יֵלְד֖וּ לַבֶּהָלָ֑ה כִּ֣י זֶ֜רַע בְּרוּכֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ הֵ֔מָּה וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶ֖ם אִתָּֽם

יִֽיגְעוּ֙  they  shall  labor 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָגַע  
Sense: to toil, labour, grow weary, be weary.
לָרִ֔יק  in  vain 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רִיק  
Sense: emptiness, vanity, empty, idle, vain.
וְלֹ֥א  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יֵלְד֖וּ  bring  forth  children 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
לַבֶּהָלָ֑ה  for  trouble 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֶּהָלָה  
Sense: dismay, sudden terror or ruin, alarm.
זֶ֜רַע  the  descendants 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
בְּרוּכֵ֤י  of  the  blessed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural construct
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
יְהוָה֙  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
הֵ֔מָּה  they  [shall  be] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶ֖ם  and  their  offspring 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: צֶאֱצָאִים  
Sense: offspring, produce, issue.
אִתָּֽם  with  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.