Christian Standard Bible
Isaiah 52:8
8The voices of your watchmen — they lift up their voices, shouting for joy together; for every eye will see when the Lord returns to Zion.
Isaiah 52:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.
- New International Version (NIV)Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the Lord returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, With their voices they shall sing together; For they shall see eye to eye When the Lord brings back Zion.
Context of Isaiah 52:8
6Therefore my people will know my name; therefore they will know on that day that I am he who says, ‘Here I am.’” 7How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the herald, who proclaims peace, who brings news of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” The voices of your watchmen — they lift up their voices, shouting for joy together; for every eye will see when the Lord returns to Zion. 9Be joyful, rejoice together, you ruins of Jerusalem! For the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10The Lord has displayed his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.
Read all of Isaiah 52Isaiah 52:8 word by word
ק֥וֹל צֹפַ֛יִךְ נָ֥שְׂאוּ ק֖וֹל יַחְדָּ֣ו יְרַנֵּ֑נוּ כִּ֣י עַ֤יִן בְּעַ֙יִן֙ יִרְא֔וּ בְּשׁ֥וּב יְהוָ֖ה צִיּֽוֹן׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thy watchmenצָפָהtsâphâh · to watchH6822
- shall lift upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: loudH5375
- the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
- togetherיָחְדָּוyachad · togetherH3162
- shall they singרָנַןrânan · to singH7442
- for they shall seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- eyeעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
- when the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- shall bring againשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- Zionצִיּוֹןtsîyôn · ZionH6726
Cross-references for Isaiah 52:8
- Isaiah 56:10Israel’s watchmen are blind, all of them, they know nothing; all of them are mute dogs, they cannot bark; they dream, lie down, and love to sleep.
- Isaiah 62:6Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen on your walls; they will never be silent, day or night. There is no rest for you, who remind the Lord.
- Jeremiah 6:17I appointed watchmen over you and said, “Listen for the sound of the ram’s horn.” But they protested, “We won’t listen!”
- Jeremiah 31:6For there will be a day when watchmen will call out in the hill country of Ephraim, “Come, let’s go up to Zion, to the Lord our God!”
- Ezekiel 3:17“Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the house of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, give them a warning from me.
- Ezekiel 33:7“As for you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, give them a warning from me.
- Hebrews 13:17Obey your leaders and submit to them, since they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
- Isaiah 24:14They raise their voices, they sing out; they proclaim in the west the majesty of the Lord.
- Isaiah 40:9Zion, herald of good news, go up on a high mountain. Jerusalem, herald of good news, raise your voice loudly. Raise it, do not be afraid! Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!”
- Isaiah 58:1“Cry out loudly, don’t hold back! Raise your voice like a ram’s horn. Tell my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins.
- Isaiah 12:4and on that day you will say, “Give thanks to the Lord; proclaim his name! Make his works known among the peoples. Declare that his name is exalted.
- Isaiah 26:1On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city. Salvation is established as walls and ramparts.
- Isaiah 27:2On that day sing about a desirable vineyard:
- Isaiah 35:10and the ransomed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
- Isaiah 48:20Leave Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans! Declare with a shout of joy, proclaim this, let it go out to the end of the earth; announce, “The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob!”
- Jeremiah 33:11a sound of joy and gladness, the voice of the groom and the bride, and the voice of those saying, Give thanks to the Lord of Armies, for the Lord is good; his faithful love endures forever as they bring thanksgiving sacrifices to the temple of the Lord. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as in former times, says the Lord.
Commentaries on Isaiah 52:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Thy watchmen lift up the voice "All thy watchmen lift up their voice" - There is a difficulty in the construction of this place which, I think, none of the ancient versions or modern interpreters have cleared up satisfactorily. Rendered word for word it stands thus: "The voice of thy watchmen: they lift up their voice." The sense of the first member, considered as elliptical, is variously supplied by various expositors; by none, as it seems to me, in any…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Thy watchmen - This language is taken from the custom of placing watchmen on the walls of a city, or on elevated towers, who could see if an enemy approached, and who of course would be the first to discern a messenger at a distance who was coming to announce good news. The idea is, that there would be as great joy at the announcement of the return of the exiles, as if they who were stationed on the wall should see the long-expected herald on the distant…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8The watchmen were those seeking news of Zion's redemption. the LORD returns to Zion: The sin of those who lived in the city had driven God away.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. watchmen--set on towers separated by intervals to give the earliest notice of the approach of any messenger with tidings (compare Is 21:6-8). The Hebrew is more forcible than English Version, "The voice of thy watchmen" (exclamatory as in So 2:8). "They lift up their voice! together they sing." eye to eye--that is, close at hand, and so clearly [Gesenius]; Nu 14:14, "face to face"; Nu 12:8, "mouth to mouth." Compare 1Co 13:12; Re 22:4, of which…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 52:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 52
- 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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