Isaiah 14 3

Isaiah 14:3 kjv

And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,

Isaiah 14:3 nkjv

It shall come to pass in the day the LORD gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve,

Isaiah 14:3 niv

On the day the LORD gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you,

Isaiah 14:3 esv

When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve,

Isaiah 14:3 nlt

In that wonderful day when the LORD gives his people rest from sorrow and fear, from slavery and chains,

Isaiah 14 verses

Isaiah 14 3 meaning

Isaiah 14:3 promises a future day when the Lord Himself will bring complete rest to His people, Israel, liberating them from their deeply entrenched sorrow, incessant agitation and turmoil, and the oppressive, forced servitude they endured. This rest is an act of divine intervention, ending a period of intense suffering imposed by foreign powers.

Isaiah 14 3 Context

Isaiah chapter 14:3 is found within a broader prophetic oracle concerning the fall of Babylon (chapters 13-14), which transitions into a glorious future for Israel. Chapters 13:1-14:23 vividly depict the destruction of Babylon, portraying its king as a Lucifer-like figure brought down to Sheol (Isa 14:4-21). This prophecy functions as a "taunt against the king of Babylon." Before detailing Babylon's demise, Isaiah 14:1-2 provides the hopeful preamble: the Lord will have compassion on Jacob, restore Israel to their own land, and foreign nations will join them, eventually becoming their servants. Verse 3 directly follows this promise of restoration, focusing on the quality of life Israel will experience after this divine intervention. The "hard service" refers to the oppression and exile Israel endured, particularly under empires like Assyria and Babylon. The passage therefore moves from a vision of the oppressor's judgment to the oppressed people's triumphant relief, anchored in God's faithfulness to His covenant promises.

Isaiah 14 3 Word analysis

• And it shall come to pass:

  • וְהָיָה (v'haya): "And it will be." A common prophetic opening signaling an event decreed by God. It emphasizes certainty and a future unfolding in divine providence.

• in the day that:

  • בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא (bayom hahu'): "In that day." This phrase frequently points to a significant, decisive moment of divine action, often with eschatological (end-times) implications in prophecy. It denotes a specific, appointed time in God's redemptive plan.

• the Lord:

  • יְהוָה (YHWH): The sacred, covenantal name of God. It signifies God's self-existence, His eternal faithfulness, and His commitment to His covenant people, Israel. He is the ultimate sovereign and deliverer.

• shall give thee rest:

  • הָנִיחַ לָךְ (hanîach lach): "He will cause you to rest," or "he will give you rest." Derived from the root נוּחַ (nuach), meaning "to rest, settle down, be quiet." This is a Hiphil verb, indicating God actively granting or causing rest. It's a comprehensive state of tranquility, security, and peace, both physical and spiritual.
  • לָךְ (lach): "to you" (feminine singular), referring to the collective entity of Israel, often personified as a female in prophetic literature (e.g., "daughter of Zion").

• from thy sorrow:

  • מֵעָצְבֵּךְ (me'atsbech): "From your sorrow," "from your pain." The Hebrew עֹצֶב ('otseb) denotes pain, grief, toil, or misery. It captures the deep emotional and physical suffering endured under oppression.

• and from thy trouble:

  • וּמֵרָגְזֵךְ (u'merogzeckh): "And from your turmoil," "from your agitation." The Hebrew רֹגֶז (roghez) refers to trembling, agitation, disquiet, or anger/fury. It signifies a state of inner unrest, fear, and disturbance caused by a hostile environment.

• and from the hard service:

  • וּמִן הָעֲבֹדָה הַקָּשָׁה (u'min ha'avodah haqashah): "And from the service, the hard/harsh one."
    • עֲבֹדָה ('avodah): "Service, work, labor." In the context of foreign domination, it specifically means enforced labor or servitude, slavery.
    • קָשָׁה (qashah): "Hard, severe, harsh, cruel." This adjective intensifies the nature of the labor, indicating it was difficult, burdensome, and oppressive.

• wherein thou wast made to serve:

  • אֲשֶׁר עֻבַּד בָּךְ ('asher 'ubbad bakh): "That was made to serve by you" or "with which you were enslaved." The verb עֻבַּד ('ubbad) is the Pual stem of עָבַד ('avad), "to serve." The Pual is passive intensive, meaning "you were caused to serve" or "you were enslaved," highlighting the involuntary and forceful nature of the service imposed upon Israel.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "The Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy trouble": This group highlights the divine agency and the comprehensive nature of the spiritual and emotional relief. It covers both the external pressures (sorrow/pain) and the internal effects (turmoil/agitation). Only YHWH can bring this multifaceted peace.
  • "and from the hard service wherein thou wast made to serve": This group focuses on the external, physical oppression and its severity. The repetition and intensification ("hard service... wast made to serve") underscore the depth of the bondage and the injustice of forced labor. It connects directly to historical experiences like Egyptian and Babylonian slavery.

Isaiah 14 3 Bonus section

The promise of "rest" (nuach) in Isaiah 14:3 resonates deeply with Old Testament themes, harkening back to God's original intention for rest (Sabbath) and His promise of rest in the Promised Land after the arduous journey through the wilderness (Deut 12:10). This rest is therefore not just relief from suffering but a return to a state of blessing and divine order. Furthermore, the repeated מֵ (me, "from") prepositions "from thy sorrow," "from thy trouble," and "from the hard service" emphasize a complete and thorough separation from all oppressive elements, indicating an absolute deliverance, not merely a temporary respite. This ultimate "rest" foreshadows the New Covenant promise where believers find spiritual rest in Jesus (Matt 11:28-30), which is foundational to enduring true freedom from sin's bondage and ultimately entering into God's eternal Sabbath rest.

Isaiah 14 3 Commentary

Isaiah 14:3 is a poignant promise embedded in a grand prophecy of God's sovereign control over nations and His unwavering commitment to His people. Following the severe judgment against Babylon, this verse pivots to the profound grace awaiting Israel. The Lord YHWH, acting directly, pledges to provide multifaceted "rest" – a spiritual, emotional, and physical cessation from all forms of oppression. This isn't merely a pause, but a divinely ordained, comprehensive peace (Shalom). The three specified evils—sorrow, trouble, and hard service—collectively encapsulate the totality of suffering under gentile domination. "Sorrow" and "trouble" point to internal anguish and external unrest, while "hard service" explicitly references forced labor and political enslavement. The passive voice "wherein thou wast made to serve" emphasizes Israel's helpless condition under foreign powers and contrasts it with God's powerful active intervention. This promise points beyond mere historical return from exile to an ultimate, lasting restoration, ultimately fulfilled in the spiritual liberation found in Christ and the eternal rest promised to believers in God's renewed creation. It underscores that true liberation and lasting rest originate from God alone.