Isaiah 51:3

For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

For the LORD {H3068} shall comfort {H5162} Zion {H6726}: he will comfort {H5162} all her waste places {H2723}; and he will make {H7760} her wilderness {H4057} like Eden {H5731}, and her desert {H6160} like the garden {H1588} of the LORD {H3068}; joy {H8342} and gladness {H8057} shall be found {H4672} therein, thanksgiving {H8426}, and the voice {H6963} of melody {H2172}.

For ADONAI will comfort Tziyon, will comfort all her ruined places, will make her desert like 'Eden, her 'Aravah like the garden of ADONAI. Joy and gladness will be there, thanksgiving and the sound of music.

For the LORD will comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; He will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and melodious song.

For Jehovah hath comforted Zion; he hath comforted all her waste places, and hath made her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Jehovah; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

Commentary

Isaiah 51:3 is a powerful promise of divine comfort and restoration, particularly directed towards Zion, which represents God's people and the city of Jerusalem. It paints a vivid picture of desolation being transformed into a paradise, filled with joy and praise.

Context

This verse is part of a section in Isaiah (chapters 40-55) often referred to as the "Book of Comfort" or "Second Isaiah." Following prophecies of judgment and the impending Babylonian exile, these chapters offer profound hope and assurance of God's faithfulness to His covenant people. Isaiah 51 specifically calls the remnant of Israel to remember God's past acts of deliverance and to look to Him for future salvation and comfort. The "waste places" refer to the devastation Jerusalem and Judah experienced, particularly during the exile, when the land lay desolate.

Key Themes

  • Divine Comfort and Restoration: The central message is that the LORD (Yahweh) Himself will bring comfort. This comfort is not merely sympathy but an active, transformative intervention that reverses suffering and desolation. It speaks to God's enduring commitment to His people, even after periods of discipline and distress.
  • Miraculous Transformation: The most striking imagery is the comparison of "wilderness" and "desert" to "Eden" and "the garden of the LORD." This signifies a complete and supernatural renewal. What was barren and lifeless will become fertile, beautiful, and abundant, echoing the original paradise God created. This transformation is a hallmark of God's redemptive work, turning sorrow into joy and desolation into flourishing life. For a similar prophetic vision of nature's transformation, consider Isaiah 35:1.
  • Abundant Joy and Praise: The outcome of this divine restoration is overflowing joy, gladness, thanksgiving, and the "voice of melody." This portrays a community fully restored, expressing its delight and gratitude through worship and song. It suggests that true comfort from God leads to a deep sense of peace and celebration. This anticipation of future joy is also highlighted in Isaiah 35:10.

Linguistic Insights

  • The Hebrew word for "comfort" (נָחַם, nacham) implies more than just consolation; it often carries the idea of relenting from judgment, feeling compassion, and bringing about a change of circumstances for the better. It's an active, redemptive comfort.
  • The reference to "Eden" (עֵדֶן, Eden) and "the garden of the LORD" directly links to the pristine paradise of Genesis 2:8. This imagery suggests a return to an ideal state of harmony, abundance, and fellowship with God, a reversal of the curse.

Practical Application

For believers today, Isaiah 51:3 offers profound hope and encouragement. It reminds us that God is actively involved in comforting His people, not just in times of national crisis but also in personal struggles and spiritual desolation. When we experience "waste places" in our lives—periods of grief, barrenness, or hopelessness—this verse assures us that the Lord has the power and desire to transform them. He can turn our mourning into dancing, our sorrow into joy, and our spiritual deserts into flourishing gardens. It calls us to trust in God's restorative power and to anticipate a future filled with His presence, joy, and thanksgiving, echoing the broader theme of comfort found in Isaiah 40:1.

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Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Isaiah 49:13

    ¶ Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

  • Isaiah 52:9

    Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.

  • Joel 2:3

    A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land [is] as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

  • Genesis 13:10

    ¶ And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it [was] well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, [even] as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

  • Jeremiah 31:25

    For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.

  • Jeremiah 33:11

    The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD [is] good; for his mercy [endureth] for ever: [and] of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.

  • Jeremiah 33:13

    In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth [them], saith the LORD.