Isaiah 49 20

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 verses

Isaiah 49 20 meaning

Isaiah 49:20 speaks prophetically of a dramatic and joyous reversal of fortune for Zion, often personified as a mother or city. After a period of intense suffering, desolation, and loss, feeling utterly "bereaved" of her children (the scattered exiles of Israel), she will witness their astounding return and multiplication. The numbers of her offspring will be so great that her dwelling place, once vast and empty, will become insufficient. The returning children will exclaim that "the place is too strait for me," indicating a delightful problem of overcrowding and a need for expansion to accommodate the abundance of God's restored people.

Isaiah 49 20 Context

Isaiah 49 is a crucial part of what is often called the "Servant Songs" (chapters 40-55), a section focusing on God's chosen Servant and His redemptive plan for Israel and the nations. In chapter 49, the Servant of the Lord is commissioned not only to bring back the scattered exiles of Israel but also to be "a light to the nations" (Isa 49:6). Following this commissioning, God turns His attention to Zion, the devastated Jerusalem.

Previous verses (Isa 49:14-16) portray Zion lamenting that the Lord has "forgotten" and "forsaken" her. God passionately refutes this, declaring that He could never forget Zion, as she is inscribed on the palms of His hands, and her walls are constantly before Him. He promises that her destroyers will depart, and her children will return to rebuild her ruins.

Verse 20 comes as the climactic realization of this promise of restoration and re-population. It vividly illustrates the joyous "problem" of overwhelming numbers that will characterize the returning community, underscoring the completeness of God's redemptive work, turning deepest sorrow into unparalleled joy and fruitfulness, contrary to the feelings of desolation she previously experienced.

Isaiah 49 20 Word analysis

• The children: Hebrew: יְלָדֶ֛יךְ (yeladeik). This directly refers to "your children," indicating Zion's offspring, representing the people of Israel who had been exiled and dispersed. Their return signifies the reversal of the desolation and perceived barrenness.

• of whom thou wast bereaved: Hebrew: שִׁכְּל֣וּךְ (shikk'lûk). Derived from shakal, meaning "to be childless, miscarry, bereave." This Piel verb emphasizes Zion's profound sense of loss and being stripped of her offspring due to war, destruction, and exile. It highlights the depth of sorrow from which God promises a miraculous reversal.

• shall yet say: Hebrew: יֹאמְר֕וּ (yo'meru), "they will say." This denotes a future, definite event, a prophecy of their return and joyful declaration. The "yet" (עוֹד, od) intensifies the certainty and surprising nature of this future event.

• in thine ears: Hebrew: בְּאָזְנַ֖יִךְ (be'oznayik). This imagery signifies a direct, personal, and audible address to Zion. It underscores the intimacy and tangibility of this promised restoration, that Zion will personally experience and hear this joyous news.

• The place is too strait for me: Hebrew: צַ֥ר לִּ֖י הַמָּק֑וֹם (tzar li hammaqom), "narrow/tight for me, the place." The word tzar means narrow, confined, or distressed. Here, it denotes physical restriction due to overpopulation, transforming a word often associated with distress into an expression of overflowing blessing and abundance.

• give place to me that I may dwell: Hebrew: גְּשָׁה־לִּ֖י וְאֵשֵֽׁבָה (gesha-li v'esheva), "approach for me and I may sit/dwell." This is a request for expansion, implying the necessity to grow beyond current boundaries to accommodate the burgeoning population. Gesha carries the sense of drawing near or making room.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "The children of whom thou wast bereaved shall yet say": This phrase captures the essence of God's restorative power, bringing life and voice back to those mourned as lost. The bereaved mother will hear her own children speak again, overturning the previous state of desolation.
  • "The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell": This whole expression beautifully articulates the positive dilemma of immense growth. It's not a complaint of discomfort but a joyous demand for expansion, signaling God's abundant blessing.

Isaiah 49 20 Bonus section

• The imagery of Zion as a mother is crucial throughout Isaiah, particularly in chapters 40-66. This personification deepens the emotional impact of both her perceived loss and her ultimate joy, connecting intimately with universal experiences of motherhood, family, and heritage.
• This prophetic word finds echoes in the concept of "the Jerusalem above" (Gal 4:26), which represents the spiritual community of believers, a "mother" whose children are far more numerous than those of the old covenant, demanding a vast spiritual dwelling place.
• The tension between God's promise and current desolate reality is a key theme throughout Isaiah. This verse provides the triumphant resolution to that tension, reassuring God's people that the current hardships are temporary, and a future of overflowing blessing awaits.
• The desire for more "place" ("maqom") is not for physical conquest or land accumulation in an aggressive sense, but for a secure and spacious dwelling for a vast family, emphasizing internal growth and settlement.
• The unexpectedness of the multitude, those whom Zion never expected to see again, highlights the miraculous nature of God's restoration. She doesn't just get some children back; she gets an overwhelming abundance, far beyond what she could have imagined.

Isaiah 49 20 Commentary

Isaiah 49:20 is a powerful testament to God's capacity for profound reversal and abundant restoration. It paints a vivid picture of Zion, once a barren widow mourning her lost children due to exile and destruction, now finding herself overwhelmed by their joyful return and vast numbers. Her previous lament of being forgotten by God is shattered by the audible proof of her children's overwhelming presence, to the point where they demand more space. This prophecy speaks not just to the physical return from Babylonian captivity, but foreshadows the spiritual expansion of God's people throughout history. It points to the exponential growth of the Church, both Jew and Gentile, in the New Testament era, where spiritual children continuously join Zion, needing new spiritual "boundaries" and "spaces" to accommodate them all. The verse signifies that God's restoration is not just enough, but an overflow, transforming former desolation into a problem of glorious abundance, testifying to His faithfulness and unstoppable kingdom.