God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 51:3
3So the Lord will comfort Zion. He will comfort all those who live among its ruins. He will make its desert like Eden. He will make its wilderness like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.
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 people who pursue what is right and 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 ancestor, and to Sarah, from whom you are descended. When I called Abraham, he was childless. I blessed him and gave him many descendants. So the Lord will comfort Zion. He will comfort all those who live among its ruins. He will make its desert like Eden. He will make its wilderness like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving and the sound of singing. 4Pay attention to me, my people. Open your ears to hear me, my nation. My teachings will go out from me. My justice will become a light for the people. 5My righteousness is near. My salvation is on the way. I will bring justice to people. The coastlands put their hope in me, and they wait eagerly for me.
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 alone am the one who comforts you. Why, then, are you afraid of mortals, who must die, of humans, who are like grass?
- Isaiah 12:1At that time you will say, “I will praise you, O Lord. Although you had been angry with me, you turned your anger away from me, and you comforted me.
- Isaiah 40:1“Comfort my people! Comfort them!” says your God.
- Isaiah 49:13Sing with joy, you heavens! Rejoice, you earth! Break into shouts of joy, you mountains! The Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on his humble people.
- Isaiah 54:6“The Lord has called you as if you were a wife who was abandoned and in grief, a wife who married young and was rejected,” says your God.
- Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Almighty Lord is with me because the Lord has anointed me to deliver good news to humble people. He has sent me to heal those who are brokenhearted, to announce that captives will be set free and prisoners will be released.
- Isaiah 66:10All who love Jerusalem, be happy and rejoice with her. All who mourn for her, be glad with her.
- Psalms 85:8I want to hear what God the Lord says, because he promises peace to his people, to his godly ones. But they must not go back to their stupidity.
- Jeremiah 31:12They will come and shout for joy on top of Mount Zion. They will stream to it to enjoy the Lord’s blessings: fresh grain, new wine, and olive oil, lambs and calves. Their lives will be like well-watered gardens, and they will never suffer again.
- Zephaniah 3:14Sing happily, people of Zion! Shout loudly, Israel! Celebrate and rejoice with all your heart, people of Jerusalem.
- 2 Corinthians 1:3Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He is the Father who is compassionate and the God who gives comfort.
- Isaiah 44:26He confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the plan of his messengers. He says about Jerusalem, “It will be inhabited.” He says about the cities of Judah, “They will be rebuilt.” He says about their ruins, “I will restore them.”
- Isaiah 49:8This is what the Lord says: In the time of favor I will answer you. In the day of salvation I will help you. I will protect you. I will appoint you as my promise to the people. You will restore the land. You will make them inherit the desolate inheritance.
- Isaiah 52:9Break out into shouts of joy, ruins of Jerusalem. The Lord will comfort his people. He will reclaim Jerusalem.
- Isaiah 61:4They will rebuild the ancient ruins. They will restore the places destroyed long ago. They will renew the ruined cities, the places destroyed generations ago.
- Psalms 102:13You will rise and have compassion on Zion, because it is time to grant a favor to it. Indeed, 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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