Isaiah 49:18 kjv
Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.
Isaiah 49:18 nkjv
Lift up your eyes, look around and see; All these gather together and come to you. As I live," says the LORD, "You shall surely clothe yourselves with them all as an ornament, And bind them on you as a bride does.
Isaiah 49:18 niv
Lift up your eyes and look around; all your children gather and come to you. As surely as I live," declares the LORD, "you will wear them all as ornaments; you will put them on, like a bride.
Isaiah 49:18 esv
Lift up your eyes around and see; they all gather, they come to you. As I live, declares the LORD, you shall put them all on as an ornament; you shall bind them on as a bride does.
Isaiah 49:18 nlt
Look around you and see,
for all your children will come back to you.
As surely as I live," says the LORD,
"they will be like jewels or bridal ornaments for you to display.
Isaiah 49 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 49:18 | "Whom have I brought up for you?" you ask. "Look, they will all come to you; | Isaiah 49:19 |
| Isaiah 49:19 | your survivors whom you will throw to the nations, will become even more. | Isaiah 49:20-21 |
| Isaiah 49:20 | The children born in the wake of your loss and in your barren | Jeremiah 31:8, Ezekiel 36:12 |
| Isaiah 49:21 | Then you will say in your heart, “Who bore me these? I was | Galatians 4:27 |
| Psalm 107:3 | gathered them from the lands to the east and west, from north and south. | Psalm 113:9, Isaiah 25:6-7 |
| Isaiah 60:4 | "Lift up your eyes and look around; all these gathered | Isaiah 60:8, Zephaniah 3:19-20 |
| Isaiah 66:10 | Rejoice with Jerusalem, all you who love her; | Romans 11:17-24, Hebrews 12:22 |
| John 1:16 | For we all received from his fullness, and grace upon grace. | John 3:34, Colossians 1:19 |
| Romans 11:12 | Now if their stumbling has meant riches for the world, and their loss has | Romans 11:15 |
| Romans 11:15 | If their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their | Acts 3:21 |
| Revelation 7:9 | After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one | Revelation 7:4-8, Revelation 14:1 |
| Revelation 21:3 | And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God | Revelation 21:4, John 14:2-3 |
| Song of Sol 1:6 | My lover is mine and I am his; he grazes his flock among the lilies. | Hosea 2:14-16 |
| Jeremiah 30:17 | But I will restore you and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD, | Jeremiah 3:17, Jeremiah 31:8 |
| Ezekiel 37:22 | I will make them into one nation on the land, on the mountains of Israel. | John 11:52, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 |
| Joel 2:26 | You will still be eating when you are full, and praising the LORD your God, | Leviticus 26:10 |
| Acts 17:26 | From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole | Genesis 10:5, Genesis 11:1-9 |
| 1 Corinthians 15:45 | So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last | Genesis 2:7, Romans 5:12-14 |
| Galatians 3:28 | Neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and | Galatians 3:29, Colossians 3:11 |
| Revelation 22:2 | down the middle of the great street of the city. On either side of the | Ezekiel 47:12, Revelation 22:1 |
Isaiah 49 verses
Isaiah 49 18 Meaning
This verse paints a powerful picture of future restoration and flourishing for Zion, depicted as a formerly desolate place now being beautified and repopulated by a vast multitude. It signifies immense divine favor and a transformation from abandonment to abundance.
Isaiah 49 18 Context
Chapter 49 of Isaiah is a "Servant Song," focusing on the mission and future glory of the Servant of the Lord. Verses 14-26 specifically address Zion's (representing Israel or the redeemed community) feelings of abandonment and the Lord's promise of an abundant restoration. This particular verse (18) directly follows the Lord's reassurance that Zion will be re-established and her scattered people returned. The imagery shifts to Zion surveying the surprising increase and beauty of her population, brought from afar by God's power.
Isaiah 49 18 Word Analysis
"Whom": A relative pronoun, questioning the source.
"have I": Emphasis on the personal action of the Lord.
"brought": (Hebrew: olalti - "caused to ascend," "brought up," "nurtured"). Suggests nurturing or bringing up to a place of prominence.
"up": Implies elevation, perhaps from a low or desolate state.
"for": Indicates the recipient or beneficiary.
"you": Addresses Zion.
"ask": Expresses a questioning or wondering tone.
"Look": A command to observe, drawing attention to a remarkable sight.
"they": Refers to the people who will return.
"will": Future certainty.
"all": Totality, completeness.
"come": Arrival, return.
"to": Direction of movement.
"you": Zion again, the destination.
Groups of words:
- "Whom have I brought up for you? you ask": Captures Zion's disbelief and wonder at how her population, seemingly lost, could possibly be restored and even increased.
- "Look, they will all come to you": A confident pronouncement from God, commanding Zion to behold the undeniable evidence of His restorative power as people return to her.
Isaiah 49 18 Bonus Section
The theme of "bringing up" can also connote a fostering or nurturing, suggesting that God's restorative actions are akin to raising children. This verse can be seen as a prefiguration of Christ's ultimate work of gathering His church, a community made up of diverse nations, all brought into spiritual unity through Him (John 11:52, Galatians 3:28). The abundance implied contrasts sharply with the "barrenness" and desolation mentioned elsewhere in Isaiah, highlighting God’s ability to create life from nothing.
Isaiah 49 18 Commentary
The Lord anticipates Zion's astonishment at her own revival. After experiencing exile and loss, the people of Zion might wonder how such a return and increase are even possible. God directs Zion's gaze to the undeniable reality: her people are returning, and from distant places, they gather unto her. This is not due to Zion's own efforts but solely through the Lord's direct intervention and provision. The multitude gathering signifies not just the return of the scattered exiles but also a future ingathering of Gentiles into the community of faith, a concept expanded upon in the New Testament. The verse underscores God's faithfulness and His power to overcome devastation, filling empty spaces with life and His people. It’s a promise of unexpected abundance and complete restoration, reflecting God's ultimate plan for His people.