Isaiah 52:1 kjv
Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
Isaiah 52:1 nkjv
Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean Shall no longer come to you.
Isaiah 52:1 niv
Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.
Isaiah 52:1 esv
Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean.
Isaiah 52:1 nlt
Wake up, wake up, O Zion!
Clothe yourself with strength.
Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem,
for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer.
Isaiah 52 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 51:17, 22 | behold, have taken the cup of staggering from your hand | Comfort for Jerusalem |
| Isa 47:1, 2 | come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon | Humiliation of Babylon |
| Jer 50:38; 51:7 | Babylon is fallen, is fallen... she has drunk of my wrath | Judgment on Babylon |
| Isa 49:20 | your children… shall say again in your hearing: “The place is too cramped for me..." | Restoration of Zion |
| Isa 52:2, 7 | shake yourself from the dust; rise, sit enthroned... How beautiful upon the mountains... | Coming of Messianic herald |
| Psa 45:13 | the king's daughter is all glorious within; her raiment is embroidered with gold. | Royal psalms, Messianic |
| Zech 3:4-5 | Then he said to those who stood before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him..." | Cleansing and restoration |
| Zech 8:3 | Jerusalem shall be called the city of truth, and the mountain of the LORD... | Future glory of Jerusalem |
| Zech 2:4-5 | run and tell that young man: ... I will be a wall of fire all around it... | Divine protection for Jerusalem |
| Rom 13:11-12 | putting on Christ, shaking off the night and putting on the armor of light | Call to spiritual preparedness |
| Eph 4:24 | put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness. | New identity in Christ |
| 1 Thess 5:6 | let us not sleep as others do, but let us stay awake and sober. | Watchfulness and sobriety |
| Rev 14:4-5 | These are those who have not defiled themselves... They are virgins... | Purity of the redeemed |
| Rev 21:2, 27 | I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem... Nothing unclean will ever enter it. | Purity of the New Jerusalem |
| 1 Cor 6:19-20 | you are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. | Body as God's temple |
| Gal 3:28 | there is neither Jew nor Greek... you are all one in Christ Jesus. | Unity in Christ |
| Rev 3:4-5 | You have a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments... | Faithfulness and purity |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct. | Call to holiness |
Isaiah 52 verses
Isaiah 52 1 Meaning
Awake, awake, clothe yourself with strength, Zion! Put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, city of holiness. No longer will the uncircumcised or unclean enter your gates.
Isaiah 52 1 Context
Isaiah 52:1 is a call to the people of Zion (representing Jerusalem and God's covenant people) to prepare for a new era of deliverance and restoration. Following descriptions of Babylonian exile and suffering, this verse heralds an end to oppression and shame. It anticipates a time when the city and its people will be restored, purified, and regally adorned, signifying a renewed relationship with God and a position of honor among nations. This chapter marks a transition from judgment to redemption, setting the stage for the glorious coming of the Messiah, who brings ultimate liberation.
Isaiah 52 1 Word Analysis
Word by word analysis
- Awake, awake:
- Hebrew: "Uri, Uri" (אוּרִי, אוּרִי - u·ri, u·ri).
- Meaning: To "wake up," "arise," "rouse oneself." It's a double imperative, emphasizing urgency and a complete rousing from spiritual slumber, despair, or inactivity.
- Clothe yourself:
- Hebrew: "Libshi" (לִבְשִׁי - lib·shi).
- Meaning: "Put on" or "dress yourself." It implies adorning oneself, not just in physical attire but also in spiritual readiness and character.
- Strength:
- Hebrew: "Uriz" (עֻזֵּךְ - uz·zeḵ).
- Meaning: "Your strength," "your might," "your power." It refers to the inherent power and ability derived from God.
- Zion:
- Hebrew: "Tziyon" (צִיּוֹן - tsiy·yōn).
- Meaning: Zion, often referring to Jerusalem or, more broadly, the people of God and the place of God's presence.
- Put on:
- Hebrew: "Malbiyshi" (מַלְבִּישִׁי - mal·bi·shi).
- Meaning: Another imperative, "dress yourself" or "clothe yourself." Reinforces the action of adorning.
- Beautiful:
- Hebrew: "Paar" (פְּאֵר - peh·ʾēr).
- Meaning: "Glory," "ornament," "splendor," "beauty." Refers to magnificent and dazzling adornment.
- Garments:
- Hebrew: "Badeikha" (בִּגְדֵיִךְ - big·de·yiḵ).
- Meaning: "Your garments," "your clothes." Specifically implies festive, celebratory, or holy apparel.
- Jerusalem:
- Hebrew: "Yruhshlaim" (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם - ye·ru·sha·la·yim).
- Meaning: Jerusalem, the holy city.
- City of:
- Hebrew: "Ir" (עִיר - ir).
- Meaning: City.
- Holiness:
- Hebrew: "Haqodesh" (הַקֹּדֶשׁ - ha·qo·desh).
- Meaning: "Holiness," "sanctity." Implies purity and being set apart for God.
- No longer:
- Hebrew: "Lo ya·vod" (לֹא יוֹבֹד - lō yō·voḏ).
- Meaning: "Will not again enter" or "shall not return to enter."
- The uncircumcised:
- Hebrew: "Hemulath" (הֲמֻלּוֹת - ha·mu·lōṯ).
- Meaning: Uncircumcised. A reference to Gentiles, but in a spiritual sense, those who are estranged from God or not part of His covenant community, or those ritually impure.
- Or the unclean:
- Hebrew: "Vělamahkhūl" (וְלַמָּכוּל - wě·lam·mā·ḵūl).
- Meaning: Or the unclean. Refers to ritual impurity or those spiritually defiled.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- Awake, awake, Zion! The repeated command to "arise" signifies a dramatic shift from a state of dormant hope or national humiliation to active revival and glory. Zion is called to fully embrace its divine identity and calling.
- Clothe yourself with strength, Zion! This calls for Zion to put on a new identity of divine power and resilience, not dependent on human might, but on God's enabling power.
- Put on your beautiful garments, O city of holiness, Jerusalem! This emphasizes the renewed splendor and purity of Jerusalem. The "beautiful garments" are symbolic of its restored glory, divine favor, and sanctification, marking it as holy once more.
- No longer will the uncircumcised or unclean enter your gates. This declares an end to impurity and foreign domination that defiled Jerusalem. It signifies a restored covenant community, safe from external defilement and internal sin. It speaks of absolute security and holiness in God's presence.
Isaiah 52 1 Bonus Section
The concept of "clothing oneself" with strength and beauty is metaphorical, referring to the adoption of a new status and character. In ancient Near Eastern culture, garments were significant markers of status, royalty, and religious purity. Putting on specific garments could signify a transition into a new role or state. This verse echoes prophecies of a redeemed and purified remnant returning from exile, and it finds its ultimate fulfillment in the spiritual rebirth and glorification of the Church, the new Jerusalem, in Christ. The purity required of the city's gates contrasts with the impure practices and impurity of pagan nations and those who oppose God's people. The uncircumcised symbolize the Gentile nations as outsiders to God's covenant but, in this context, also signify any element that remains impure and excluded from God's ultimate redeemed community. The call to awaken is a consistent theme in prophecy, urging believers to rouse themselves to a spiritual and active faith, especially when anticipating God's redemptive acts.
Isaiah 52 1 Commentary
Isaiah 52:1 is a pivotal verse, initiating a powerful prophetic proclamation of Zion's future vindication. It is an urgent call for the people of God, represented by Zion and Jerusalem, to awaken from any spiritual complacency or the depths of despair following exile. The imperative to "clothe yourself with strength" and "put on your beautiful garments" signifies not just physical restoration but a spiritual transformation and re-adornment. This speaks of dignity, beauty, and divine authority restored. The removal of the "uncircumcised or unclean" from the city's gates is a powerful statement about purity, security, and the exclusivity of God's holy dwelling place in the future, implying a sanctified community. This imagery foreshadows the ultimate redemption and purity that comes through Jesus Christ, who purifies His church and establishes His perfect kingdom. The verse conveys hope, transformation, and the restoration of God’s people to a place of honor and holiness.