Isaiah 66:8

Isaiah 66:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
• New International Version (NIV)Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children.

Context of Isaiah 66:8

6What is all the commotion in the city? What is that terrible noise from the Temple? It is the voice of the Lord taking vengeance against his enemies. 7“Before the birth pains even begin, Jerusalem gives birth to a son. Who has ever seen anything as strange as this? Who ever heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a single day? Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment? But by the time Jerusalem’s birth pains begin, her children will be born. 9Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth and then not deliver it?” asks the Lord. “No! I would never keep this nation from being born,” says your God. 10“Rejoice with Jerusalem! Be glad with her, all you who love her and all you who mourn for her.

Isaiah 66:8 word by word

מִֽי־שָׁמַ֣ע כָּזֹ֗את מִ֤י רָאָה֙ כָּאֵ֔לֶּה הֲי֤וּחַל אֶ֙רֶץ֙ בְּי֣וֹם אֶחָ֔ד אִם־יִוָּ֥לֵֽד גּ֖וֹי פַּ֣עַם אֶחָ֑ת כִּֽי־חָ֛לָה גַּם־יָלְדָ֥ה צִיּ֖וֹן אֶת־בָּנֶֽיהָ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Who hath heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• such a thing? who hath seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• such things? Shall the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• be made to bring forthחוּלchûl chîyl · to twist: writh in painH2342
• in oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• shall a nationגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• be bornיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
• at onceפַּ֫עַםpa‛am pa‛ămâh · beatH6471
• for as soon asגַּםgam · alsoH1571
• Zionצִיּוֹןtsîyôn · ZionH6726
• her childrenבֵּןbên · son: childH1121

Cross-references for Isaiah 66:8

• Isaiah 64:4For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!
• 1 Corinthians 2:9That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”
• Isaiah 49:20The generations born in exile will return and say, ‘We need more room! It’s crowded here!’
• Acts 2:41Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.
• Acts 4:4But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000.
• Acts 21:20After hearing this, they praised God. And then they said, “You know, dear brother, how many thousands of Jews have also believed, and they all follow the law of Moses very seriously.
• Romans 15:18Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them.

Commentaries on Isaiah 66:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Who hath seen "And who hath seen" - Twenty MSS., (four ancient), of Kennicott's, and twenty-nine of De Rossi's, and two ancient of my own, and the two oldest editions, with two others, have ומי umi, adding the conjunction ו vau ; and so read all the ancient versions. And who hath seen?Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Who hath heard such a thing? - Of a birth so sudden. Usually in childbirth there are the pains of protracted parturition. The earth brings forth its productions gradually and slowly. Nations rise by degrees, and are long in coming to maturity. But here is such an event as if the earth should in a day be covered with a luxurious vegetation, or as if a nation should spring at once into being. The increase in the church would be as great and wonderful as if…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-14Verses 5-14 The prophet turns to those that trembled at God's word, to comfort and encourage them. The Lord will appear, to the joy of the humble believer, and to the confusion of hypocrites and persecutors. When the Spirit was poured out, and the gospel went forth from Zion, multitudes were converted in a little time. The word of God, especially his promises, and ordinances, are the consolations of the church. The true happiness of all Christians is…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8Can a country be born in a day or a nation be delivered in an instant?: Zion is pictured as a woman giving birth to many children. This image shows that the city will quickly grow in population (see Isaiah 49:19–20; 54:1–3; compare 1:8–9).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. earth--rather, to suit the parallelism, "is a country (put for the people in it) brought forth in one day?" [Lowth]. In English Version it means, The earth brings forth its productions gradually, not in one day (Mr 4:28). at once--In this case, contrary to the usual growth of the nations by degrees, Israel starts into maturity at once. for--rather, "is a nation born at once, that Zion has, so soon as she travailed, brought forth?" [Maurer].Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 66:8

• Church
• Gentiles
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning

In the dictionaries

• Draw
• Extend
• Throne
• Bring
• Hezekiah (2)
• Isaiah

Commentaries on Isaiah 66

• 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
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings