The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place [is] too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.
The children {H1121} which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost {H7923} the other, shall say {H559} again in thine ears {H241}, The place {H4725} is too strait {H6862} for me: give {H5066} place {H4725} to me that I may dwell {H3427}.
The day will come when the children born when you were mourning will say to you, "This place is too cramped for me! Give me room, so I can live!"
Yet the children of your bereavement will say in your hearing, ‘This place is too small for us; make room for us to live here.’
The children of thy bereavement shall yet say in thine ears, The place is too strait for me; give place to me that I may dwell.
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Isaiah 60:4
Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at [thy] side. -
Hosea 1:10
Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, [that] in the place where it was said unto them, Ye [are] not my people, [there] it shall be said unto them, [Ye are] the sons of the living God. -
Galatians 4:26
But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. -
Galatians 4:28
Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. -
Joshua 17:14
¶ And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me [but] one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I [am] a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto? -
Joshua 17:16
And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, [both they] who [are] of Bethshean and her towns, and [they] who [are] of the valley of Jezreel. -
Matthew 3:9
And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
Isaiah 49:20 speaks of a future time when the desolate land (representing Jerusalem or the people of Israel) will be so filled with returning inhabitants that the place becomes too small for them. It paints a picture of overwhelming restoration and fruitfulness after a period of severe loss and barrenness. The children born or gathered after the period of devastation will declare that the territory is too narrow, needing more space to dwell.
Context
This verse is part of a section in Isaiah 49 where the prophet describes the Servant of the Lord and the subsequent restoration of Israel. The preceding verses (Isaiah 49:14-19) address Zion (Jerusalem), who felt forgotten and forsaken by God. God reassures her of His unwavering love and promises that her desolate ruins will be rebuilt and populated. Verse 20 continues this theme, illustrating the dramatic reversal of fortune from emptiness to overflowing abundance. The "children which thou shalt have" refer to those who return from exile or are gathered to the restored land, contrasting with the "other" children lost during judgment and captivity. This follows the promise that the desolate places will be too strait by reason of the inhabitants.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The key phrase "too strait" translates the Hebrew word tsar (צַר), which means narrow, confined, or restricted. It is often used to describe distress or difficulty, but here it literally refers to physical space being inadequate. The declaration "give place to me that I may dwell" (תֵּן־לִי מָקֹום וְאֵשֵׁב - tēn-lî māqôm wə’ēšēḇ) is a direct request for more room, vividly illustrating the extent of the repopulation.
Practical Application
For believers today, this verse can serve as a powerful metaphor for spiritual growth and expansion. It speaks to God's ability to bring life and fruitfulness out of seemingly dead or desolate circumstances, whether in individual lives, communities, or the global church. Just as God promised to repopulate Zion, He continues to gather people to Himself, expanding His kingdom. It encourages faith that God's plans for blessing and growth will ultimately overcome periods of struggle or decline, reminding us of His faithfulness to build His church.