Isaiah 66:9 kjv
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.
Isaiah 66:9 nkjv
Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?" says the LORD. "Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?" says your God.
Isaiah 66:9 niv
Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?" says your God.
Isaiah 66:9 esv
Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?" says the LORD; "shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?" says your God.
Isaiah 66:9 nlt
Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth
and then not deliver it?" asks the LORD.
"No! I would never keep this nation from being born,"
says your God.
Isaiah 66 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 66:9 | Shall I bring to birth and not cause to bring forth? says the LORD; shall I who cause bringing forth shut the womb? says your God. | Origin Verse |
| Genesis 18:14 | Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son. | God's power over barrenness |
| Genesis 17:6 | I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. | Promise of offspring |
| Jeremiah 31:9 | they shall come with weeping and with pleas for favor, I will lead them, by streams of water that I will cause to flow; I will lead them in a straight way in which they will not stumble, for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. | God as Father, leading His people |
| Jeremiah 30:18-19 | Thus says the LORD: Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob, and I will have mercy on his dwelling places; and the city shall be rebuilt on its mound, and the palace shall be inhabited as it was before. Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving, and the voices of those celebrating. I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will give them honor, and they shall not be small. | Restoration of God's people |
| Ezekiel 36:36 | Then the nations around that are left will know that I the LORD have built the ruined places and planted in the wasteland. I the LORD have rebuilt it and established it. | God rebuilding the land |
| Hosea 11:1 | When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. | God's fatherly love |
| John 1:12-13 | But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. | Spiritual birth |
| Romans 11:16 | If the root is holy, so are the branches. | Continuation of God's people |
| Galatians 3:29 | And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. | Heirs of promise |
| 1 Corinthians 1:9 | God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. | God's faithfulness |
| Hebrews 6:17-18 | So when God desired to show more conclusively to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. | God's immutable counsel |
| Revelation 21:5 | And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." | Making all things new |
| Psalm 127:3 | Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. | Children as God's gift |
| Jeremiah 3:15 | Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. | Provision of shepherds |
| Matthew 13:44 | "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then, in his joy, he sells all that he has and buys that field. | Value of God's promises |
| John 4:14 | but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. | Eternal provision |
| Acts 15:16-17 | Afterward I will return and rebuild the dwelling of David that is fallen. I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up, that the rest of man may seek the Lord, and all the nations who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old. | Rebuilding David's dwelling |
| 1 Samuel 1:19 | and they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD and returned to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. | God remembering/granting |
| Romans 8:22 | For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. | Creation's travail |
Isaiah 66 verses
Isaiah 66 9 Meaning
This verse declares God's assured promise that He will not fail or forsake His people but will bring forth new life and sustenance, implying a future restoration and flourishing after a period of trial or absence.
Isaiah 66 9 Context
Isaiah 66 is the final chapter of the book of Isaiah, bringing closure to prophecies of judgment and offering a vision of ultimate restoration and the new heavens and new earth. Verse 9 stands within this broader eschatological context. It speaks to the ultimate sovereignty and creative power of God, reassuring His people that just as He brought creation into being, He will surely bring about the promised future and continuation of His people, even after periods that might seem like a barren or dormant state. The chapter culminates in a powerful depiction of God's glory, the eternal worship of His people, and a stark contrast between the redeemed and the unredeemed.
Isaiah 66 9 Word Analysis
- הֵנֵה (heneh) - Behold, Lo, See. An interjection to draw attention, indicating something significant or about to be revealed. It sets a tone of revelation and emphasis.
- הֲיַבִּיאתִ“ (havyabot') - Shall I bring forth. From the root בּוֹא (bo), meaning "to come" or "to bring." Here, in the causative hiphil stem, it signifies "to cause to come forth," often associated with birth or creation.
- וְלֹא־ (welō') - And not. A conjunction with a negation, linking the act of bringing forth with a negative outcome.
- אַגָּרִ“ (agar) - To shut, to prevent from coming forth. The verb גּוּר (gur) means to dwell or sojourn, but in this specific verbal form and context, it refers to the act of closing or sealing. In the hiphil stem, it signifies causing to shut or close. It strongly implies closing the womb.
- אָמַר (amar) - says, declared. Used here to attribute the statement to God.
- יְהוָ“ (YHWH) - The LORD. The covenant name of God.
- אִם־ (im) - If, whether. Introduces a conditional or rhetorical question.
- ־מְבִ“ (mevi') - causing to bring forth. Similar to "havyabot'," from the root בּוֹא (bo), in the hiphil stem, meaning to cause to bring forth or cause to enter.
- לִידֹ “ (lido) - to birth, to cause birth. Refers to the act of parturition, of giving birth.
- אֱלֹ “ (elo) - God. Elohim, another Hebrew name for God, often used in a plural or majestic sense, or when emphasizing His power.
- קִ“ (qi) - your. A possessive pronoun referring to God's relationship with His people.
- אֶת־ (et) - Direct object marker.
- רֶחֶ“ (rehem) - womb. The organ of pregnancy and birth.
Words Group Analysis
- "Shall I bring to birth and not cause to bring forth?": This is a rhetorical question. The emphasis is on the inconsistency and impossibility of God initiating a creative or reproductive process and then failing to complete it. It highlights the faithfulness of God in His purposes.
- "shall I who cause bringing forth shut the womb?": This amplifies the previous question, pointing directly to God's known role as the One who opens wombs and enables birth (e.g., Sarah, Hannah, Elizabeth). To shut the womb after opening it would be a contradiction of His character and past actions. The term "shut the womb" (אַגָּרִ“ or לַחֲסֹם - not in this specific verse but its semantic equivalent) implies sterility, barrenness, or a cessation of God’s generative work.
Isaiah 66 9 Bonus Section
The imagery of God shutting the womb, or a barren womb, is contrasted with His power to open it. This theme recurs throughout the Scriptures, from the patriarchs (Isaac, Jacob, Joseph) to the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus. It emphasizes God’s miraculous power and His sovereignty over life itself. This specific verse, within the grand finale of Isaiah, speaks of a future renewal where God’s generative power is fully expressed in the perpetual flourishing of His redeemed community in the new creation. It's not just about biological birth but also spiritual rebirth and the continuation of God's redemptive plan. The rhetorical nature of the question underscores an absolute divine certainty that defies logical contradiction or doubt from the human perspective.
Isaiah 66 9 Commentary
This verse powerfully asserts God's unwavering commitment to His purposes and His people. It uses the analogy of a mother’s childbirth to express the certainty of God’s promised future. God’s bringing forth into existence implies a necessary continuation and completion. He is not a God who starts a process only to abandon it. He is the One who actively causes life to spring forth. Therefore, the question implies that God will certainly bring to fruition what He has initiated for His people. It is a reassurance against despair, suggesting that even in times of apparent barrenness or pause, God’s creative and redemptive work will continue. The chapter ends by reinforcing the enduring covenant and the creation of a new heaven and a new earth, where God's presence and blessing are eternal.