Isaiah 49 13

Isaiah 49:13 kjv

Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

Isaiah 49:13 nkjv

Sing, 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 49:13 niv

Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

Isaiah 49:13 esv

Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.

Isaiah 49:13 nlt

Sing 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 49 verses

Isaiah 49 13 meaning

Isaiah 49:13 is a majestic call for the entire creation—heavens, earth, and mountains—to burst forth in overwhelming joy and song. This profound cosmic celebration is warranted by God's definitive and compassionate acts: He has brought comfort to His suffering people and will demonstrate deep, heartfelt compassion toward those who have endured affliction. It proclaims God's unfailing faithfulness and redemptive purpose for Israel.

Isaiah 49 13 Context

Isaiah 49:13 is situated in the second part of the Book of Isaiah, often referred to as "Deutero-Isaiah" (chapters 40-55), a section largely focused on God's future deliverance and comfort for Israel during and after the Babylonian exile (around the 6th century BC). Chapter 49, specifically, is the second "Servant Song," which speaks of God's chosen Servant (often understood as Israel, then as an individual, and ultimately messianic). The preceding verses detail the Servant's mission to restore Israel and be a light to the nations (Isa 49:1-12), promising the regathering of the scattered people and abundant provision during their return. The people, however, harbored feelings of abandonment, as directly stated in the verse immediately following (Isa 49:14), "The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me." Therefore, verse 13 serves as a powerful, anticipatory declaration of God's unfailing compassion and comfort, countering their despair with a universal call to rejoice in God's impending redemptive acts.

Isaiah 49 13 Word analysis

• Sing for joy (רָנּוּ, rannu): An imperative, commanding a loud, exuberant, and public expression of joy. It signifies an uninhibited, almost musical outburst of praise.

• O heavens: Personifies the celestial realm, inviting it to join the celebration, emphasizing the cosmic significance of God's redemptive actions. God's glory is declared through the heavens.

• Exult (גִּילִי, gili): Also an imperative, meaning to spin, leap, or tremble for joy, implying an ecstatic, joyful movement. It adds another layer of vibrant jubilation to the command.

• O earth: Personifies the entire terrestrial sphere, signaling that God's work of salvation affects all creation, not just humanity.

• Break forth into singing (פִּצְחוּ רִנָּה, pitzḥu rinnah): An idiom literally meaning "to burst out with a ringing cry" or "to launch into a shout of joy." It denotes a sudden, powerful, and overwhelming release of celebratory sound.

• O mountains: Personifies the natural world's prominent features, inviting even the steadfast mountains to visibly and audibly express joy, further expanding the scope of the cosmic rejoicing.

• For the LORD (כִּי יְהוָה, ki YHVH): "For" introduces the reason for the command to rejoice, while "YHVH" emphasizes God's personal covenant name, indicating the God who is intimately involved with His people.

• Has comforted (נִחַם, niḥam): In its intensive Piel form, denotes a powerful, effective act of consoling or regretting. Here, it is God's active, effective consolation of His suffering people, portraying a settled, accomplished action from His perspective, even if the full manifestation is yet future.

• His people: Refers specifically to Israel, God's chosen covenant nation, who are currently in affliction but destined for restoration.

• Will have compassion (יְרַחֵם, yerachem): Derived from the root רַחַם (racham), related to the Hebrew word for "womb." It denotes a deep, tender, often maternal love and pity, a visceral emotional response of mercy. It's a powerful assurance of future mercy.

• His afflicted (עֲנִיָּו, aniyav): Those who are humble, poor, oppressed, or suffering. In context, these are the exiled and downtrodden people of Israel, underscoring their vulnerability and God's tender care for them.

• "Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth into singing, O mountains!": This triplicate command to different parts of creation amplifies the call for universal rejoicing. It underscores the immense scale and impact of God's forthcoming acts of comfort and salvation. This is a common motif in Hebrew poetry to express the grandeur and cosmic reach of divine actions. The repeated exhortation shows that God's work transcends human understanding and brings joy even to inanimate objects.

• "For the LORD has comforted His people and will have compassion on His afflicted.": This section provides the divine rationale for the cosmic joy. It shifts from commands to declarations, articulating two interconnected actions of YHVH: past comfort (from God's eternal perspective) and future compassion. This dual aspect emphasizes both the certainty of God's previous promises and the active, ongoing nature of His deep care. The two verbs highlight God's unchanging nature: He both acts definitively and continuously feels deeply for His own.

Isaiah 49 13 Bonus section

The personification of creation is not merely poetic flourish but reflects a theological conviction that creation itself is intrinsically connected to humanity's fate and participates in God's redemptive history. When God's covenant people are afflicted, creation mourns (Isa 24:4); when they are redeemed, creation rejoices. This idea lays the groundwork for later biblical understanding of the new heavens and new earth, where creation will be fully liberated from its bondage to decay (Rom 8:19-22). The magnitude of the "comfort" (niḥam) promised here suggests a transformation far beyond mere physical return; it hints at deep spiritual and relational restoration. This deep care shown by God ("will have compassion," yerachem) speaks to the profound emotional core of God's being, showing His covenant faithfulness is rooted in absolute love and tender mercy, powerfully contrasting any notion of a distant or indifferent deity.

Isaiah 49 13 Commentary

Isaiah 49:13 is a resounding declaration of hope and God's unwavering faithfulness. It powerfully confronts the despair of God's exiled people by inviting all creation to celebrate. The cosmic scale of the rejoicing—heavens, earth, mountains—illustrates that God's plan for Israel's comfort and compassion is not merely a human event but a universe-affirming act. The repeated imperatives for joy emphasize that this is no ordinary relief, but a magnificent redemption worthy of the greatest celebration. The use of "has comforted" (perfect tense) and "will have compassion" (imperfect tense) points to both the divine certainty and ongoing nature of God's loving-kindness. He has decisively acted and will continue to show profound, almost maternal, care for His suffering people. This verse prefigures the joy of Christ's redemption, which brings comfort and compassion to all who are afflicted by sin and death, a truth that indeed causes all of creation to anticipate the full renewal (Rom 8:19-22). It serves as an enduring reminder that God’s steadfast love is stronger than any despair.