New King James Version
Isaiah 54:1
1“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.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"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.
- 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, 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. 2“Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes. 3For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited.
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 longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; For the Lord delights in you, And your land shall be married.
- Galatians 4:27For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.”
- Isaiah 42:10Sing to the Lord a new song, And His praise from the ends of the earth, You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, You coastlands and you inhabitants of them!
- Isaiah 44:23Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, And glorified Himself in Israel.
- Isaiah 49:13Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted.
- Isaiah 55:12“For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, 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 mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
- Zephaniah 3:14Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
- Zechariah 9:9“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.
- Revelation 7:9After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
- 1 Samuel 2:5Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, And she who has many children has become feeble.
- Psalms 113:9He grants the barren woman a home, Like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!
- Hebrews 11:11By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries