Isaiah 54:1 kjv
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 desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
Isaiah 54:1 nkjv
"Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman," says the LORD.
Isaiah 54:1 niv
"Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband," says the LORD.
Isaiah 54:1 esv
"Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married," says the LORD.
Isaiah 54:1 nlt
"Sing, O childless woman,
you who have never given birth!
Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem,
you who have never been in labor.
For the desolate woman now has more children
than the woman who lives with her husband,"
says the LORD.
Isaiah 54 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 54:1 | "Sing, O barren, you who have not borne! Break forth and cry aloud, you who have not travailed with child, for the desolate has more children than she who has a husband," declared the LORD. | Future expansion and increase |
| Gal 4:27 | "For it is written, 'Rejoice, O barren one, who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who have not travailed with child, for the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband.'" | Fulfillment in the spiritual family |
| John 1:12 | "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God," | Adoption into God's family |
| Rom 9:8 | "This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring." | Spiritual lineage over physical |
| Rom 11:11 | "So then I ask, did they stumble so as to fall? By no means! But through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous." | Gentile inclusion |
| Gal 4:31 | "So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman." | Freedom in Christ |
| Eph 2:12 | "remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world." | Gentiles without Christ |
| Eph 3:6 | "this mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel." | Unity in Christ |
| Heb 12:22 | "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering," | Heavenly Jerusalem |
| Rev 7:9 | "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands," | Multitude from all nations |
| Rev 21:2-4 | "And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them, and He will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.'" | New Jerusalem, cessation of sorrow |
| Isa 1:1 | "The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah." | Historical context setting |
| Isa 62:4-5 | "You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight is in Her, and your land Marriage; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married. As a young man marries a young woman, so shall your builders marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you." | God's delight in His people |
| Psa 22:30-31 | "Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation. They will come andDay 27 of January declare his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it!" | Future generations |
| Isa 54:3 | "For you shall extend to the right and to the left, and your offspring shall possess the nations and shall make desolate cities their inheritance." | Territorial expansion |
| Rom 4:18 | "In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of a multitude of nations, as he had been told, so will your offspring be." | Faith of Abraham |
| Jer 31:10 | "Hear this, O nations, the word of the LORD; declare it in the coastlands far away; say, 'He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd does his flock.'" | Gathering the scattered |
| Zeph 3:14 | "Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice with all the might of your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!" | Exhortation to rejoice |
| Zech 2:10 | "Shout and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I am coming to dwell in your midst, declares the LORD." | God's imminent presence |
Isaiah 54 verses
Isaiah 54 1 Meaning
The verse signifies an outburst of joy and expansion for the barren woman, symbolizing Israel's future restoration and flourishing after a period of desolation. It marks a transition from suffering to prosperity.
Isaiah 54 1 Context
Chapter 54 of Isaiah continues the prophetic message of hope and restoration for Jerusalem and its people, following the previous chapters that described their suffering and exile. This particular verse speaks of a dramatic and unexpected reversal of fortune. It addresses Jerusalem, personified as a barren woman who had been unable to conceive and bear children, indicating a time of deep sorrow and apparent fruitlessness. The prophet’s words promise an end to this desolation, with a future of immense growth and prosperity. The historical backdrop is the post-exilic period, when the returned exiles faced rebuilding challenges and were a minority in the land. However, the prophecy extends beyond a literal national restoration, encompassing a spiritual expansion of God’s people.
Isaiah 54 1 Word analysis
- Sing (rān-nî - רָנִּי): Imperative form of rānán (רָנַן). Root meaning is to cry out, often with joy or exultation. Here, it is a command to express intense, celebratory joy. This is not a quiet happiness, but an overflowing, vocal expression of praise. It signifies a complete turnaround from silence and sorrow to jubilant announcement. The prophetic voice calls for an immediate and active embrace of this future deliverance.
- O barren (‘iq-qə-rô-t hā-’î): The feminine singular form of ‘ā-qar (‘āqar - עָקַר), meaning to be barren, unfruitful. It refers to a woman who cannot conceive or has lost her children. In this context, it personifies Jerusalem, which, after the destruction and exile, appeared devoid of children and incapable of reproduction. It highlights a state of extreme loss and inability to bring forth new life.
- you who have not borne (‘a-šer ‘al-yē-lā-d ēt ‘al-): Literally "who not borne." This emphasizes the past inability to produce offspring, underscoring the depth of her affliction and the miracle of the coming change. It reiterates the concept of barrenness, marking the severity of her previous condition.
- Break forth (hiz-dâ-qî): The Hiphil (causative) imperative form of zā-qaq (זָקַק), meaning to press through, to squeeze out, or to surge forth. It implies an active bursting out, a forceful and unrestrained eruption of life and sound. This is more dynamic than merely "singing." It conveys a sense of being unable to contain the joy and an uncontainable proliferation.
- and cry aloud (wə-şî-‘î): The Hiphil (causative) imperative form of şā-‘á (צָעַק), meaning to cry out, shout, or cry aloud. This amplifies the expression of joy, indicating a loud and uninhibited vocalization of praise and celebration, similar to a childbirth cry, but now one of overwhelming relief and abundance.
- you who have not travailed with child (‘iq-qə-râh yə-dî-‘û-rîm ‘al-): Again, the root ‘ā-qar (עָקַר) emphasizing barrenness, and yə-dî-‘û-rîm (יְדִיעוּרִים), from yā-laḏ (יָלַד) meaning to give birth, with the implication of labor pains or the process of childbirth. This phrase specifically highlights the absence of the typical pains and joys associated with pregnancy and birth. The promise is that she will experience a fulfillment so profound it bypasses the conventional pains.
- for the desolate (kî-yir-bû): "Because" or "for." This introduces the reason for the rejoicing. The Hebrew word used here (yirbû) is from the root râ-bâ (רָבָה), meaning "to increase" or "to become numerous." Some interpretations suggest a possible scribal emendation or a rare usage where yirbû might relate to a "brokenness" or "increase in multitude" as a consequence of breaking. However, the traditional and most accepted reading in many scholarly texts and translations emphasizes the increase of children for the desolate one. The KJV and NIV, for instance, reflect this "increase." The thought is that she who was desolate will have more children.
- has more children than she who has a husband (mi-ba-‘á-lat bā-‘á-la-h): This directly contrasts her future abundance with the current state of one who is married and, presumably, has children. The implication is that even a woman in a normal marital state with children will be surpassed by the barren woman’s new fruitfulness. It is a radical inversion of circumstances, highlighting the supernatural magnitude of the promised blessing. The "husband" can represent God's presence and covenant with His people.
Group of words analysis:The entire verse paints a vivid picture of unexpected and overwhelming expansion. The sequence of commands "Sing," "Break forth," and "cry aloud" creates a crescendo of joyous expression. The repeated emphasis on past barrenness ("who have not borne," "who have not travailed") starkly contrasts with the future state where "the desolate has more children than she who has a husband." This juxtaposition emphasizes the miraculous nature of the prophecy. The central idea is a transformation from extreme lack to overflowing abundance.
Isaiah 54 1 Bonus Section
The imagery of the barren woman giving birth to many children is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, often signifying God's faithfulness and ability to overcome natural limitations (e.g., Sarah in Genesis 18:9-14, Hannah in 1 Samuel 1-2). Isaiah 54:1 echoes this, but elevates it to a national and ultimately spiritual level. The fulfillment in the New Testament (Galatians 4:27) links this barrenness and subsequent fruitfulness directly to Abraham's faith, contrasting those under the Law (representing slavery) with those under grace (representing freedom and spiritual offspring). This verse's emphasis on uncontainable joy and breaking forth can also be seen as a foreshadowing of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which enabled believers to boldly proclaim the Gospel. The "husband" can also be interpreted as God's covenant presence. When Israel experienced periods of divine absence or judgment, they were akin to a woman whose husband had left her. The verse promises a renewed, deeply intimate relationship where God's delight in His people is manifest in their extraordinary growth.
Isaiah 54 1 Commentary
This verse is a powerful declaration of God's redemptive power to transform suffering into joy and desolation into proliferation. For the original audience, it offered a prophetic glimpse of Zion's restoration after the Babylonian exile, an end to her perceived helplessness and emptiness. The barren woman is a metaphor for Jerusalem or the people of God in their state of vulnerability and national infertility. The promise is not just a return to population levels, but a far greater expansion, surpassing those who have seemingly been blessed with a more stable existence. This concept finds its ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament, where the Church, comprising believers from all nations, is spiritual Zion, having far more "children" through faith than the physical descendants of Abraham could have imagined. The joy expressed is a prophetic anticipation of spiritual rebirth and eternal dwelling with God.