Isaiah 62 4

Isaiah 62:4 kjv

Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.

Isaiah 62:4 nkjv

You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; For the LORD delights in you, And your land shall be married.

Isaiah 62:4 niv

No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married.

Isaiah 62:4 esv

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 Married; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married.

Isaiah 62:4 nlt

Never again will you be called "The Forsaken City"
or "The Desolate Land."
Your new name will be "The City of God's Delight"
and "The Bride of God,"
for the LORD delights in you
and will claim you as his bride.

Isaiah 62 verses

Isaiah 62 4 Meaning

This verse declares a radical transformation for Jerusalem, or Zion, and its land. From being publicly known as "Deserted" (forsaken) and "Desolate" (laid waste), it will receive new, divinely-appointed names: "My Delight Is In Her" (Hephzibah) for the city and "Married" (Beulah) for the land. This change signifies a restoration from a state of shame and abandonment to one of profound intimacy, joy, and covenant union with God, as the LORD Himself will take delight in His people, establishing an unbreakable bond like a marriage.

Isaiah 62 4 Context

Isaiah chapter 62 is a fervent prayer and prophetic declaration concerning the full restoration and glory of Zion/Jerusalem. The preceding verses (62:1-3) emphasize God's unwavering commitment to vindicate Jerusalem until her righteousness shines brightly among the nations and she receives a new, glorious name, becoming a beautiful crown in the hand of God. The entire chapter burns with divine passion for the restoration of His people and their land, depicting God Himself as intensely focused on this goal, using imagery of a watchman, a bridegroom, and a redeemer. Verse 4 stands as the powerful centerpiece, starkly contrasting Zion's past disgrace with its guaranteed future honor, moving from a metaphor of abandonment to one of joyous marital union. This promise would have brought immense hope to the exiles in Babylon, longing for their devastated homeland to be restored and re-established as God's beloved dwelling place. Historically, Judah had indeed been left desolate after the Babylonian conquest, matching the descriptions "Deserted" and "Desolate."

Isaiah 62 4 Word analysis

• לֹא־יֵאָמֵר לָךְ עוֹד (lo'-ye'āmer lakh 'ōwd) - "You will no longer be called" / "It will no longer be said to you".
  • לֹא (lo'): "No," "not." A strong negative particle.
  • יֵאָמֵר (ye'āmer): "It will be said" or "one will call." A future passive form of אָמַר (ʾāmar, to say/call). It emphasizes that this public identification will cease.
  • לָךְ (lakh): "To you," "for you." Feminine singular pronoun, referring to Jerusalem/Zion.
  • עוֹד (ʿōwd): "Yet," "still," "anymore," "again." Marks the complete cessation of a past state.
  • This phrase collectively indicates a definitive and irreversible end to a former status and public perception.
• עֲזוּבָה (ʿăzuwbah) - "Deserted," "Forsaken."
  • Derived from the root עָזַב (ʿāzav), meaning "to leave," "forsake," "abandon."
  • Conveys the pain and shame of a city or person left without support or care, often like a divorcee or widow. This name highlights a deep feeling of neglect and abandonment by God and people.
• וּלְאַרְצֵךְ לֹא־יֵאָמֵר עוֹד (ûlə'artseḵ lo'-ye'āmer 'ōwd) - "Nor your land be called any longer"
  • וּלְאַרְצֵךְ (ûlə'artseḵ): "And to your land." The land itself also suffers from and participates in the perceived abandonment, as it lay barren during exile.
  • This phrase mirrors the one for "you" (Zion), extending the promise of restoration to the physical territory.
• שְׁמָמָה (šəmāmāh) - "Desolate," "Waste."
  • From the root שָׁמֵם (šamem), "to be desolated," "to be appalled."
  • Describes a land laid waste, uninhabited, barren, often due to judgment (Lev 26:34-35). It evokes images of ruin and emptiness.
• כִּי לָךְ יִקָּרֵא (kî lakh yiqqārēʾ) - "But you will be called" / "For you shall be called"
  • כִּי (kî): "For," "because," "but." Here functions adversatively, introducing the sharp contrast to the previous negative statements.
  • לָךְ (lakh): "To you." Again, feminine singular pronoun, referring to Zion.
  • יִקָּרֵא (yiqqārēʾ): "It shall be called" or "you shall be called." Future passive form of קָרָא (qārāʾ, to call, name). Indicates a divinely bestowed, active naming.
• חֶפְצִי־בָהּ (Ḥep̄tsī-vāh) - "My Delight Is In Her," or "Hephzibah."
  • חֶפְצִי (ḥep̄tsī): "My delight," "my desire," "my pleasure." From חֶפֶץ (ḥep̄ets), "delight," "desire," "pleasure," with a first-person singular possessive suffix.
  • בָּהּ (bāh): "In her," "on her." Third-person feminine singular suffix.
  • A name directly from God, signifying His personal and profound affection and satisfaction with Zion. It is a reversal of rejection. While an historical Queen Hephzibah (2 Kgs 21:1) exists, here it's a symbolic name directly expressing God's sentiment.
• וּלְאַרְצֵךְ בְּעוּלָה (ûlə'artseḵ bə'ûlāh) - "And your land Married."
  • וּלְאַרְצֵךְ (ûlə'artseḵ): "And to your land." Parallel to Zion, the land shares in this new status.
  • בְּעוּלָה (bə'ûlāh): "Married," "taken in possession," "possessed as a wife." A feminine past participle from the root בָּעַל (baʿal), meaning "to own," "possess," "marry," "be lord over."
  • This term profoundly describes the land as no longer barren or desolate, but fruitful and under the protective, loving ownership of a husband—God Himself—implying fertility and security within a covenant. This term implicitly asserts God's exclusive claim over the land, contrasting with ancient Near Eastern fertility cults associated with other 'baals' (masters/owners).
• כִּי־חָפֵץ יְהוָה בָּךְ (kî-ḥāp̄ēṣ YHWH bāḵ) - "For the LORD will take delight in you."
  • כִּי (kî): "For," "because." Introduces the divine reason and motivation for the renaming.
  • חָפֵץ (ḥāp̄ēṣ): "To delight in," "to desire." Here, a Qal perfect form used with future force, emphasizing God's established will and continuous delight.
  • יְהוָה (YHWH): The personal, covenant name of God (Yahweh), emphasizing His personal involvement.
  • בָּךְ (bāḵ): "In you." Again, feminine singular pronoun referring to Zion.
  • This phrase confirms that the name "Hephzibah" is a direct reflection of God's active, joyful affection.
• וְאַרְצֵךְ תִּבָּעֵל (wə'artseḵ tibbāʿēl) - "And your land will be married."
  • וְאַרְצֵךְ (wə'artseḵ): "And your land." Completes the parallelism for the land.
  • תִּבָּעֵל (tibbāʿēl): "It shall be married." A Niphal (passive) imperfect form of בָּעַל (baʿal), emphasizing that the land will be brought into this marital relationship.
  • This reinforces the "Beulah" name for the land, promising an active and blessed union, bringing fruitfulness and security as a wife under the protection of her husband.

Words-group analysis

• "You will no longer be called Deserted, nor your land be called Desolate": This powerful negative declaration wipes away the labels of shame, abandonment, and ruin that defined Zion during the period of exile and devastation. It signifies an end to public degradation and divine judgment, a complete severance from a painful past.
• "but you will be called My Delight Is In Her, and your land Married": This section introduces the new, divinely-bestowed identity. These names, "Hephzibah" and "Beulah," are expressions of profound love and commitment, changing Zion's public perception from scorned to cherished, and the land's status from barren wilderness to fruitful possession within a secure, intimate covenant.
• "for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married": This final clause provides the divine impetus and assurance. It grounds the new names and statuses in God's sovereign will and active engagement. God's own delight and His initiation of a "marriage" with His people and their land are the guaranteed realities that make the transformation possible and permanent. It moves from declarative names to the active cause behind them.

Isaiah 62 4 Bonus section

The structure of this verse is highly poetic, using a chiasm (ABBA pattern) where "you" (Zion) is paired with "your land" for both the old and new names, creating a strong parallelism that emphasizes the completeness of the restoration encompassing both the people and their physical dwelling. The imagery presents a dramatic before-and-after picture, serving as a powerful reassurance against the deepest fears of abandonment. The names "Hephzibah" and "Beulah" are more than just labels; they are prophetic statements of being. In biblical thought, a name reveals character, identity, and destiny. Here, the divine renaming is an act of creation, establishing a new reality rooted in God's love and sovereign will. This passage contains an implicit polemic against pagan beliefs, particularly fertility cults. By proclaiming that YHWH Himself will be the "Baʿal" (owner/husband) of the land, bringing fertility and joy through a covenant relationship, it directly counters the notion that the prosperity of the land depended on idol worship. It asserts YHWH's exclusive claim as the true source of life and blessing, the divine Husband who cares for His bride, Israel.

Isaiah 62 4 Commentary

Isaiah 62:4 is a magnificent declaration of God's unwavering commitment to His people, Zion, symbolized by Jerusalem. It pronounces a profound reversal of fortune, eradicating the past shame of being "Deserted" (ʿazuvah), like a forsaken woman, and "Desolate" (shĕmamah), like a barren wilderness. These names resonated deeply with Israel's experience during and after the Babylonian exile. In their place, God bestows names that speak of intimacy and restoration: "My Delight Is In Her" (Ḥep̄tsī-vāh), signifying God's personal affection and pleasure, and "Married" (Bĕ'ûlāh) for the land, implying fertility, security, and covenant ownership. This transformation is not based on human merit but on God's initiative ("For the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married"). The marriage metaphor beautifully conveys the deep, exclusive, and fruitful covenant relationship between God and His chosen people, promising an era of joy, honor, and prosperity where God's active presence ensures both the land's fruitfulness and the people's secure identity in Him. Practically, this reminds believers that God replaces past sorrows and feelings of abandonment with His joy, delight, and a secure relationship, embodying a future hope where all things are made new in Christ, the ultimate bridegroom.