Christian Standard Bible
Isaiah 51:3
3For the Lord will 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 will be found in her, thanksgiving and melodious song.
Isaiah 51:3 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For the Lord comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For the Lord will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody.
Context of Isaiah 51:3
1Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the quarry from which you were dug. 2Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave birth to you. When I called him, he was only one; I blessed him and made him many. For the Lord will 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 will be found in her, thanksgiving and melodious song. 4Pay attention to me, my people, and listen to me, my nation; for instruction will come from me, and my justice for a light to the nations. I will bring it about quickly. 5My righteousness is near, my salvation appears, and my arms will bring justice to the nations. The coasts and islands will put their hope in me, and they will look to my strength.
Read all of Isaiah 51Isaiah 51:3 word by word
כִּֽי־נִחַ֨ם יְהוָ֜ה צִיּ֗וֹן נִחַם֙ כָּל־חָרְבֹתֶ֔יהָ וַיָּ֤שֶׂם מִדְבָּרָהּ֙ כְּעֵ֔דֶן וְעַרְבָתָ֖הּ כְּגַן־יְהוָ֑ה שָׂשׂ֤וֹן וְשִׂמְחָה֙ יִמָּ֣צֵא בָ֔הּ תּוֹדָ֖ה וְק֥וֹל זִמְרָֽה׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- shall comfortנָחַםnâcham · to be sorry: comfortH5162
- Zionצִיּוֹןtsîyôn · ZionH6726
- all her waste placesחׇרְבָּהchorbâh · desolationH2723
- and he will makeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- her wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- like Edenעֵ֫דֶן‛êden · EdenH5731
- and her desertעֲרָבָה‛ărâbâh · plainH6160
- like the gardenגַּןgan · gardenH1588
- joyשָׂשׂוֹןώâώôn ώâώôn · rejoicingH8342
- and gladnessשִׂמְחָהώimchâh · joyH8057
- shall be foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- therein, thanksgivingתּוֹדָהtôdâh · thanksgivingH8426
- and the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
- of melodyזִמְרָהzimrâh · melodyH2172
Cross-references for Isaiah 51:3
- Isaiah 51:12I — I am the one who comforts you. Who are you that you should fear humans who die, or a son of man who is given up like grass?
- Isaiah 12:1On that day you will say: “I will give thanks to you, Lord, although you were angry with me. Your anger has turned away, and you have comforted me.
- Isaiah 40:1“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.
- Isaiah 49:13Shout for joy, you heavens! Earth, rejoice! Mountains break into joyful shouts! For the Lord has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
- Isaiah 54:6For the Lord has called you, like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit, a wife of one’s youth when she is rejected,” says your God.
- Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners;
- Isaiah 66:10Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her, all who love her. Rejoice greatly with her, all who mourn over her —
- Psalms 85:8I will listen to what God will say; surely the Lord will declare peace to his people, his faithful ones, and not let them go back to foolish ways.
- Jeremiah 31:12They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will be radiant with joy because of the Lord’s goodness, because of the grain, the new wine, the fresh oil, and because of the young of the flocks and herds. Their life will be like an irrigated garden, and they will no longer grow weak from hunger.
- Zephaniah 3:14Sing for joy, Daughter Zion; shout loudly, Israel! Be glad and celebrate with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!
- 2 Corinthians 1:3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.
- Isaiah 44:26who confirms the message of his servant and fulfills the counsel of his messengers; who says to Jerusalem, “She will be inhabited,” and to the cities of Judah, “They will be rebuilt,” and I will restore her ruins;
- Isaiah 49:8This is what the Lord says: I will answer you in a time of favor, and I will help you in the day of salvation. I will keep you, and I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land, to make them possess the desolate inheritances,
- Isaiah 52:9Be joyful, rejoice together, you ruins of Jerusalem! For the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem.
- Isaiah 61:4They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the former devastations; they will renew the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
- Psalms 102:13You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her — the appointed time has come.
Commentaries on Isaiah 51:3
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3For the Lord shall comfort Zion - On the word Zion,‘ see the notes at Isaiah 1:8. The meaning here is, that he would again restore it from its ruins. The argument is drawn from the statement in the previous verses. If God had raised up so great a nation from so humble all origin, he had power to restore the waste places of Judea to more than their former beauty and prosperity (see the notes at Isaiah 40:1). And he will make her wilderness - Judea is here…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Eden … the garden of the LORD: God’s salvation will one day reestablish conditions like those in which human beings first lived (see Genesis 2–3).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. For--See for the argument, see on Is 51:2. the garden of the Lord--restoration of the primeval paradise (Ge 2:8; Eze 28:13; Re 2:7). melody--Hebrew, "psalm." God's praises shall again be heard.Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 51:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 51
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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