New Living Translation
Isaiah 54:1
1“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.
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 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.
Context of Isaiah 54:1
“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. 2“Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense! 3For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined 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 62:4Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City” or “The Desolate Land.” Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight” and “The Bride of God,” for the Lord delights in you and will claim you as his bride.
- Galatians 4:27As Isaiah said, “Rejoice, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into a joyful shout, you who have never been in labor! For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband!”
- Isaiah 42:10Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing his praises from the ends of the earth! Sing, all you who sail the seas, all you who live in distant coastlands.
- Isaiah 44:23Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done this wondrous thing. Shout for joy, O depths of the earth! Break into song, O mountains and forests and every tree! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob and is glorified in Israel.
- Isaiah 49:13Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering.
- Isaiah 55:12You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!
- Psalms 67:3May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you.
- Psalms 98:3He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel. The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
- Zephaniah 3:14Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
- Zechariah 9:9Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.
- Revelation 7:9After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands.
- 1 Samuel 2:5Those who were well fed are now starving, and those who were starving are now full. The childless woman now has seven children, and the woman with many children wastes away.
- Psalms 113:9He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother. Praise the Lord!
- Hebrews 11:11It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise.
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
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