Isaiah 66 14

Isaiah 66:14 kjv

And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.

Isaiah 66:14 nkjv

When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, And your bones shall flourish like grass; The hand of the LORD shall be known to His servants, And His indignation to His enemies.

Isaiah 66:14 niv

When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes.

Isaiah 66:14 esv

You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants, and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.

Isaiah 66:14 nlt

When you see these things, your heart will rejoice.
You will flourish like the grass!
Everyone will see the LORD's hand of blessing on his servants ?
and his anger against his enemies.

Isaiah 66 verses

Isaiah 66 14 meaning

Isaiah 66:14 encapsulates the culmination of God's redemptive plan, foreseeing a profound and comprehensive experience of divine blessing for His faithful people. Upon witnessing God's magnificent works of judgment and salvation, their inner being—their heart—will be filled with unparalleled joy. This spiritual rejuvenation will manifest in physical vitality, symbolized by "bones flourishing like the grass," signifying complete restoration, health, and renewed strength. Critically, this experience will confirm their intimate, experiential knowledge that the Lord's mighty hand powerfully protects and favors His devoted servants, while simultaneously pouring out His just wrath and indignation upon His adversaries. It speaks to a future of ultimate restoration, security, and the clear manifestation of divine justice.

Isaiah 66 14 Context

Isaiah chapter 66 is the climactic conclusion to the entire Book of Isaiah, delivering a powerful prophetic message about God's final judgment and ultimate restoration. It sets the stage for new heavens and a new earth, contrasting sharply between true worshippers and those who engage in external rituals without a humble and contrite spirit (Isa 66:1-4). The verses immediately preceding 66:14 describe the dramatic, instantaneous birth of a nation in Zion (v. 7-9), the comfort of Jerusalem for its mourning people (v. 10-11), and abundant provision likened to an overflowing river (v. 12-13). "This" in verse 14 refers to these magnificent acts of divine intervention—the coming of God to judge and to deliver. For the original audience, who had endured exile and hardship, these words promised an eschatological hope beyond imagination, a time when God's favor would be unmistakably clear to His faithful and His judgment swift against those who opposed Him and persecuted His servants. This passage contains an implicit polemic against those who trusted in human systems, rituals, or their own might, instead of humbling themselves before the sovereign Lord, setting the stage for ultimate divine vindication and retribution.

Isaiah 66 14 Word analysis

• When you see this (וּרְאִיתֶם֙ - ū-rə-’ī-ṯem)

  • רָאָה (ra’ah): "To see," implying not just physical perception but also understanding, comprehension, and experiential knowledge.
  • Significance: This seeing is an apprehension of God's works of salvation and judgment described in preceding verses. It denotes an undeniable divine revelation leading to a personal, transformational encounter with God's manifest power and justice.

• your heart (לִבְּכֶ֔ם - lib-bə-ḵem)

  • לֵב (lev): "Heart" in Hebrew signifies the totality of the inner being—intellect, emotions, will, and conscience. It's the core of a person.
  • Significance: The rejoicing is not superficial but deep, pervading the very center of one's being, representing profound joy and peace rooted in a fully engaged spirit.

• shall rejoice (וְשָׂשׂוּ֙ - wə-śā-śū)

  • שׂוּשׂ (sus): "To rejoice, be glad, exult." A strong word for profound happiness.
  • Significance: This joy is an overwhelming, active response to God's salvation and justice, indicating a spiritual buoyancy and freedom from former sorrow and oppression.

• your bones (וְעַצְמוֹתֵיכֶם֙ - wə-‘aṣ-mō-ṯê-ḵem)

  • עֲצָמוֹת (atzmot): "Bones," referring to the very framework or inner strength of the body; often symbolizes the whole person or their foundational vitality. In Hebrew thought, bones are closely associated with inner strength, despair, or renewal.
  • Significance: Far from merely physical, it implies a revitalization that penetrates to the deepest part of existence, signifying strength, health, and a return to fullness of life, overcoming weakness or spiritual dryness.

• shall flourish (תִפְרַ֙חְנָה֙ - tif-raḥ-nāh)

  • פָּרַח (parach): "To bud, blossom, shoot forth, break forth, flourish." Used for vigorous growth in nature.
  • Significance: This verb speaks of an explosion of life and vitality, indicating rapid, energetic, and evident renewal, contrasting with any former state of decay or dormancy.

• like the grass (כַּדֶּ֤שֶׁא - kad-de-še’)

  • דֶּשֶׁא (desha): "Grass, herbage, tender grass."
  • Significance: This simile emphasizes the sudden, abundant, and vibrant quality of the renewal, often seen after refreshing rain in a dry land, highlighting both the quickness and completeness of restoration.

• and you shall know (וִידַעְתֶּ֕ם - wī-ḏa‘-tem)

  • יָדַע (yada‘): "To know, understand, discern," carrying the nuance of knowing through experience, not just intellectually.
  • Significance: This knowledge is not theoretical but profoundly experiential and confirmative, gained through witnessing God's powerful actions, thereby deepening their faith and trust.

• that the hand of the Lord (כִּֽי־יַד־יְהוָה֙ - kî-yaḏ-YHWH)

  • יָד (yad): "Hand," a powerful idiom for power, strength, authority, intervention, and active presence.
  • יְהוָה (YHWH): The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal, self-existent nature and His faithfulness to His promises.
  • Significance: It affirms God's sovereign and protective agency, that it is undeniably His mighty power actively working on behalf of His people.

• is with His servants (אֶת־עֲבָדָ֔יו - ’eṯ-‘aḇā-ḏāw)

  • עֶבֶד (eved): "Servant," implying those who are faithful, devoted, and obedient to God, those who serve Him.
  • Significance: God's hand is specifically for His covenant people, assuring them of His personal favor, protection, and loyal commitment.

• and His indignation (וְזַ֥עְמ֖וֹ - wə-za‘-mō)

  • זַעַם (za‘am): "Indignation, rage, fury." A strong term denoting righteous divine anger against evil.
  • Significance: It emphasizes God's active, strong displeasure and just wrath directed at those who stand against Him and His purposes, portraying His character as a righteous judge.

• is against His enemies (אֶת־אֹיְבָֽיו - ’eṯ-’ō-yə-ḇāw)

  • אוֹיֵב (oyev): "Enemy, foe."
  • Significance: Clearly delineates between those whom God favors (servants) and those against whom He directs His righteous anger, ensuring ultimate justice and the complete defeat of all opposition to His kingdom.

Words-Group Analysis

• "When you see this, your heart shall rejoice": This phrase ties immediate, direct observation of God's deeds (the judgments and salvation) to a deeply internal and emotional response of gladness. It's a spontaneous, Spirit-wrought joy that fills the entire being of those who recognize God's work.
• "your bones shall flourish like the grass": This is a powerful metaphor for comprehensive renewal. "Bones" represent foundational strength and vitality. "Flourish like grass" depicts rapid, lush, and unmistakable restoration, overcoming spiritual or physical weakness and barrenness. It suggests new vigor and health for a people previously desolate.
• "and you shall know that the hand of the Lord is with His servants": The phrase "you shall know" is experiential knowledge. "The hand of the Lord" signifies divine power, protection, and favor. This group of words assures God's faithful that they will unequivocally perceive and understand His active, benevolent intervention and powerful presence, demonstrating His unwavering commitment to them.
• "and His indignation is against His enemies": This sharp contrast defines the ultimate judgment. It’s a declarative statement of divine justice, ensuring that God's righteous anger is not capricious but precisely directed against those who oppose His will, thus vindicating His chosen ones and settling all accounts. The same hand that protects servants punishes enemies.

Isaiah 66 14 Bonus section

The profound physical and spiritual renewal described in "your bones shall flourish like the grass" serves as a type and shadow for the New Testament's teaching on spiritual regeneration (2 Cor 5:17, new creation in Christ) and the future physical resurrection body (Phil 3:21, transformed to be like Christ's glorious body). This restoration for God's servants is a foretaste of the complete flourishing experienced in the new heavens and new earth, where there will be no more sorrow or pain. Furthermore, the explicit division between God's "servants" and "enemies" reinforces the concept of ultimate divine discernment and the final separation of the righteous from the wicked, which is a consistent theme across both testaments, culminating in the final judgment described in Revelation. This verse, therefore, bridges the prophetic expectations of ancient Israel with the realized and future hopes of the Christian church, finding its ultimate fulfillment in the full establishment of God's kingdom.

Isaiah 66 14 Commentary

Isaiah 66:14 provides a powerful eschatological vision for the faithful. The initial sight of God's promised actions— His justice displayed and His salvation brought forth—ignites a joy that penetrates the deepest part of the believer's being. This is not a superficial happiness but a profound, spiritual delight that rejuvenates and empowers. The vivid imagery of "bones flourishing like the grass" goes beyond mere physical well-being; it speaks to a total revitalization, a resurrection-like renewal from any prior state of spiritual or physical languor, much like the dry bones in Ezekiel's vision (Eze 37) received new life. This renewal assures believers of God's unwavering favor and powerful intervention. Critically, this verse underscores the dual aspect of God's nature: the protective, providential "hand of the Lord" active for "His servants," juxtaposed with "His indignation" poured out "against His enemies." This declaration brings comfort and security to the faithful, knowing their Lord is not only merciful but also perfectly just. It culminates Isaiah's message of a sovereign God who definitively distinguishes between those who humbly serve Him and those who resist, bringing ultimate vindication for one and righteous judgment for the other in the unfolding of His new creation.