Isaiah 49:20 kjv
The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.
Isaiah 49:20 nkjv
The children you will have, After you have lost the others, Will say again in your ears, 'The place is too small for me; Give me a place where I may dwell.'
Isaiah 49:20 niv
The children born during your bereavement will yet say in your hearing, 'This place is too small for us; give us more space to live in.'
Isaiah 49:20 esv
The children of your bereavement will yet say in your ears: 'The place is too narrow for me; make room for me to dwell in.'
Isaiah 49:20 nlt
The generations born in exile will return and say,
'We need more room! It's crowded here!'
Isaiah 49 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 49:20 | The children borne of thee shall yet say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me; give me place to dwell in. | Isaiah 49:20 |
| Isa 54:2-3 | Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. | Isaiah 54:2-3 (Fulfillment) |
| Gal 4:27 | For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. | Galatians 4:27 (Echoes the sentiment) |
| John 3:8 | The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. | John 3:8 (Spiritual Birth) |
| Rom 8:15-17 | For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ... | Romans 8:15-17 (Children of God) |
| Acts 4:12 | Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. | Acts 4:12 (Salvation focus) |
| Eph 3:8 | Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; | Ephesians 3:8 (Inclusion of Gentiles) |
| Heb 12:22-24 | But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. | Hebrews 12:22-24 (Heavenly Assembly) |
| Rev 21:2-5 | And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. | Revelation 21:2-5 (New Jerusalem) |
| Psalm 145:3 | Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. | Psalm 145:3 (Unsearchable greatness) |
| Isaiah 54:1 | 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 barren than the children of her which hath a husband, saith the LORD. | Isaiah 54:1 (Prophetic context) |
| Isaiah 60:4 | Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all those are gathered, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. | Isaiah 60:4 (Gathering of peoples) |
| Zechariah 8:3-5 | Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. | Zechariah 8:3-5 (Restoration) |
| Luke 1:52-53 | He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. | Luke 1:52-53 (Divine exaltation) |
| Jeremiah 31:8-9 | Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that is given in child-birth with them: a great company shall return thither. They shall go and weep, and with their pleasings will I lead them: I will lead them beside the rivers of water in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. | Jeremiah 31:8-9 (Gathering & Fatherhood) |
| Song of Solomon 4:7 | Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. | Song of Solomon 4:7 (Beauty of the beloved) |
| Romans 11:11-13 | I say then, Did they stumble that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: | Romans 11:11-13 (Gentiles inclusion) |
| 1 Corinthians 1:27 | But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; | 1 Corinthians 1:27 (God's ways) |
| 1 Corinthians 6:17 | But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. | 1 Corinthians 6:17 (Union with Christ) |
| John 1:12 | But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: | John 1:12 (Receiving Christ) |
Isaiah 49 verses
Isaiah 49 20 Meaning
The children born from future expansion and inheritance will say in your ears, "The place is too cramped for me; make room for me to live."
Isaiah 49 20 Context
Isaiah 49 is a pivotal chapter of the Servant Songs. It begins with the Servant recounting his mission, calling to Israel. However, it then pivots to the Servant's perceived failure and exile. Yet, the chapter swiftly shifts to a message of hope and future restoration. This particular verse, Isaiah 49:20, falls within the section addressing Zion directly. After the profound declaration of God's intention to restore and enlarge Zion, symbolized by barrenness overcome and nations brought in, this verse captures the future experience of Zion's people. The immediate context is God's promise to rebuild Zion and its cities, leading to an overflow of inhabitants who will remark on the past cramped conditions compared to the present abundance.
Isaiah 49 20 Word Analysis
וְעוֹד (we'ʿōd): "And yet," or "And again." This conjunction emphasizes a continuation or a new phase. It suggests that despite past experiences, a new reality is dawning.
נוֹלַדְתְּ (nōládét): "you are born" (feminine singular). This refers to Zion being brought forth or multiplied.
בָּנַיִךְ (bānáẏiḵ): "your children" (masculine plural, but can include daughters contextually).
יֹאמְרוּ (yō’mərū): "they will say" (third person masculine plural imperfect). The people will speak.
עוֹד (ʿōd): "again" or "still." Reinforces the idea of future speech.
בְּאָזְנַיִךְ (bə’óz’naẏiḵ): "in your ears." This indicates direct communication to Zion.
צַר לִי (tsar-lí): "I am constrained" or "I am cramped" or "it is too narrow for me." This expresses a feeling of being confined. The distress implies a growing population and the need for more space.
הָב לִי מָקוֹם (hav-láy maqōm): "Give me place" or "Give me room." This is a plea for expansion. The imperative "Hava" (give) shows a strong demand or request.
Group Analysis: The phrase "The place is too cramped for me; make room for me to live" (צַר לִי הָב לִי מָקוֹם) vividly paints a picture of unprecedented growth and prosperity. It signifies that the restored and expanded community will be so numerous that their current spaces will feel insufficient, a testament to God's blessing and multiplication. This expression moves from a state of perceived lack and constriction to an expectation of abundance and provision, driven by divine enablement.
Isaiah 49 20 Bonus Section
The prophecy here looks forward to a time of unparalleled growth and prosperity for Zion. In a historical context, this would have spoken to the return from Babylonian exile and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. However, its deeper fulfillment is seen in the Messianic era and the spread of the Gospel. The "children" spoken of can be understood not only as physical descendants but also as converts brought into God's kingdom from all nations, as Isaiah 54 and Galatians 4 suggest. The joy and overflow indicated are mirrored in the New Testament’s depiction of the Church as a rapidly expanding family of God, where believers are constantly entering the fold, filling new spaces both geographically and spiritually. This expansion signifies God's faithfulness and the boundless nature of His salvific plan.
Isaiah 49 20 Commentary
This verse describes the overwhelming influx of people into a restored Zion. The initial barrenness of Zion, as portrayed earlier in Isaiah, will be so thoroughly overcome that the subsequent generations will literally outgrow their surroundings. They will cry out for more space, not in complaint, but as a statement of joy and evidence of God's fruitful blessing. This isn't about physical walls being too small but rather the profound spiritual and demographic expansion prophesied. It reflects God's power to transform the desolate into the populous and to fulfill His promises of an abundant inheritance, a theme picked up and spiritualized in the New Testament concerning the growth of the Church.