Isaiah 61:4

Isaiah 61:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
• New International Version (NIV)They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.
• English Standard Version (ESV)They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations.

Context of Isaiah 61:4

2He has sent me to say, ‘This is the year when the Lord will be kind to his people.’ It is the time when our God will punish our enemies. He has sent me to comfort people who are weeping because they are sad. 3In that way, the people in Zion who are sad will become strong again. They will not put ashes on their heads any more. Instead, they will wear beautiful hats. Instead of weeping, they will have olive oil to show their joy. They will not feel upset, but they will sing happy songs to praise God. People will call them ‘Strong trees that show God's righteousness’. They will be like trees that the Lord himself has planted to show how great he is. God's people will build again their towns that became heaps of stones a long time ago. Once again, they will live in the cities that have been empty for so long. 5The Lord says to his people, ‘Foreign people will take care of your sheep for you. They will work on your farms, and they will take care of your vines. 6People will call you “The Lord's priests who are servants of our God”. You will enjoy valuable things from other nations. You will boast about all the riches that you receive from them.

Isaiah 61:4 word by word

וּבָנוּ֙ חָרְב֣וֹת עוֹלָ֔ם שֹׁמְמ֥וֹת רִֽאשֹׁנִ֖ים יְקוֹמֵ֑מוּ וְחִדְּשׁוּ֙ עָ֣רֵי חֹ֔רֶב שֹׁמְמ֖וֹת דּ֥וֹר וָדֽוֹר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And they shall buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• the oldעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: antiquityH5769
• wastesחׇרְבָּהchorbâh · desolationH2723
• they shall raise upקוּםqûm · to arise: establishH6965
• the formerרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · first: previousH7223
• desolationsשָׁמֵםshâmêm · be desolate: destroyedH8074
• and they shall repairחָדַשׁchâdash · to renewH2318
• the wasteחֹ֫רֶבchôreb · desolationH2721
• citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• of manyדּוֹרdôr dôr · generationH1755

Cross-references for Isaiah 61:4

• Isaiah 49:6‘As my servant, I have a greater job for you to do. It will not only be to make Jacob's tribes strong again. It will not only be to bring back Israel's people that I have kept safe. It will also be your job to bring light to the other nations. You will show people all over the world that I have the power to save them.’
• Isaiah 58:12You will build again the cities which became heaps of stones a long time ago. You will build your houses on the old foundations. People will call you, “Builders who mend the walls and the streets with their houses.”
• Ezekiel 36:23Now I will show them that my name is great and holy. You brought shame to my name. But I will help you so that the nations can see that I am great. When I do that, they will know that I am the Lord. That is what I, the Almighty Lord, say.
• Amos 9:14I will bring the people of Israel, my people, back to their own land. Enemies destroyed their cities, but now my people will build them again. They will live safely in them. My people will plant vines. They will drink wine from their grapes. They will eat the fruit from trees that they have planted in their gardens.

Commentaries on Isaiah 61:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4"And they that spring from thee" - A word is lost here likewise. After ובנו ubanu, "they shall build," add ממך mimmecha, they that spring from thee. Four MSS. have it so, (two of them ancient), and one of mine has it in the margin, and it is confirmed by Isaiah 58:12, where the sentence is the very same, this word being here added. Kimchi makes the same remark: "the word ממך mimmecha is omitted here; but is found in Isaiah 58:12." The desolations of many…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4And they shall build the old wastes - (See the notes at Isaiah 58:12).Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-9Verses 4-9 Promises are here made to the Jews returned out of captivity, which extend to all those who, through grace, are delivered out of spiritual thraldom. An unholy soul is like a city that is broken down, and has no walls, like a house in ruins; but by the power of Christ's gospel and grace, it is fitted to be a habitation of God, through the Spirit. When, by the grace of God, we attain to holy indifference as to the affairs of this world; when…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. old wastes--Jerusalem and the cities of Judah which long lay in ruins (see on Is 58:12).Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 61:4

• Church
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning

In the dictionaries

• Beauty
• Joyful
• Preach
• Proclaim
• Raise
• Abstinence
• Builder
• Citizenship
• Ethics
• Isaiah

Commentaries on Isaiah 61

• 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