English Standard Version
Isaiah 54:1
1"Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married," says the Lord.
Isaiah 54:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.
- New International Version (NIV)“Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the Lord.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband,” says the Lord.
Context of Isaiah 54:1
"Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married," says the Lord. 2"Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. 3For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities.
Read all of Isaiah 54Isaiah 54:1 word by word
רָנִּ֥י עֲקָרָ֖ה לֹ֣א יָלָ֑דָה פִּצְחִ֨י רִנָּ֤ה וְצַהֲלִי֙ לֹא־חָ֔לָה כִּֽי־רַבִּ֧ים בְּֽנֵי־שׁוֹמֵמָ֛ה מִבְּנֵ֥י בְעוּלָ֖ה אָמַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Singרָנַןrânan · to singH7442
- O barrenעָקָר‛âqâr · barrenH6135
- didst not bearיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
- break forthפָּצַחpâtsach · to break outH6476
- into singingרִנָּהrinnâh · cryH7440
- and cry aloudצָהַלtsâhal · to cry outH6670
- didst not travail with childחוּלchûl chîyl · to twist: writh in painH2342
- for moreרַבrab · manyH7227
- the childrenבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of the desolateשָׁמֵםshâmêm · be desolate: destroyedH8074
- of the married wifeבָּעַלbâ‛al · rule: to marryH1166
- saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
Cross-references for Isaiah 54:1
- Isaiah 62:4You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married.
- Galatians 4:27For it is written, "Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband."
- Isaiah 42:10Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants.
- Isaiah 44:23Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it; shout, O depths of the earth; break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and will be glorified in Israel.
- Isaiah 49:13Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.
- Isaiah 55:12"For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
- Psalms 67:3Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
- Psalms 98:3He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
- Zephaniah 3:14Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
- Zechariah 9:9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
- Revelation 7:9After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
- 1 Samuel 2:5Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.
- Psalms 113:9He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!
- Hebrews 11:11By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.
Commentaries on Isaiah 54:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear "Shout for joy, O thou barren, that didst not bear" - The Church of God under the Old Testament, confined within the narrow bounds of the Jewish nation, and still more so in respect of the very small number of true believers, and which sometimes seemed to be deserted of God her husband, is the barren woman, that did not bear, and was desolate. She is exhorted to rejoice, and to express her joy in the strongest…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Sing, O barren - That is, shout for joy, lift up the voice of exultation and praise. The barren‘ here denotes the church of God under the Old Testament, confined within the narrow limits of the Jewish nation, and still more so in respect to the very small number of true believers, and which seemed sometimes to be deserted of God, her husband (Lowth). It is here represented under the image of a female who had been destitute of children, and who now has…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The increase of the church by the conversion of the Jews and Gentiles. (Is. 54:1-5) Its certain deliverance. (Is. 54:6-10) Its triumphant state is described. (Is. 54:11-17) Verses 1-5 Observe the low state of religion in the world, for a long time before Christianity was brought in. But by preaching the gospel, multitudes were converted from idols to the living God. This is matter of great rejoicing to the church. The bounds of the church were extended…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1In the ancient world, a woman who had not given birth after marriage would feel ashamed. Isaiah compares Jerusalem to a woman without children who celebrates when she finally has them (see Galatians 4:27).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-17Israel converted is compared to a wife (Is 54:5; Is 62:5) put away for unfaithfulness, but now forgiven and taken home again. The converted Gentiles are represented as a new progeny of the long-forsaken but now restored wife. The pre-eminence of the Hebrew Church as the mother Church of Christendom is the leading idea; the conversion of the Gentiles is mentioned only as part of her felicity [Horsley]. 1. Sing--for joy (Zep 3:14). barren--the Jewish Church…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 54:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 54
- 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries