TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Isaiah 65:17–25. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
If these promises were in part fulfilled when the Jews, after their return out of captivity, were settled in peace in their own land and brought as it were into a new world, yet they were to have their full accomplishment in the gospel church, militant first and at length triumphant. The Jerusalem that is from above is free and is the mother of us all. In the graces and comforts which believers have in and from Christ we are to look for this new heaven and new earth. It is in the gospel that old things have passed away and all things have become new, and by it that those who are in Christ are new creatures, Co2 5:17. It was a mighty and happy change that was described Isa 65:16, that the former troubles were forgotten; but here it rises much higher: even the former world shall be forgotten and shall no more come into mind. Those that were converted to the Christian faith were so transported with the comforts of it that all the comforts they were before acquainted with became as nothing to them; not only their foregoing griefs, but their foregoing joys, were lost and swallowed up in this. The glorified saints will therefore have forgotten this world, because they will be entirely taken up with the other: For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. See how inexhaustible the divine power is; the same God that created one heaven and earth can create another. See how entire the happiness of the saints is; it shall be all of a piece; with the new heavens God will create them (if they have occasion for it to make them happy) a new earth too. The world is yours if you be Christ's, Co1 3:22. When God is reconciled to us, which gives us a new heaven, the creatures too are reconciled to us, which gives us a new earth. The future glory of the saints will be so entirely different from what they ever knew before that it may well be called new heavens and a new earth, Pe2 3:13. Behold, I make all things new, Rev 21:5.
I.There shall be new joys. For,
1.All the church's friends, and all that belong to her, shall rejoice (Isa 65:18): You shall be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create. The new things which God creates in and by his gospel are and shall be matter of everlasting joy to all believers. My servants shall rejoice (Isa 65:13), at last they shall, though now they mourn. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.
2.The church shall be the matter of their joy, so pleasant, so prosperous, shall her condition be: I create Jerusalem a rejoicing and her people a joy. The church shall not only rejoice but be rejoiced in. Those that have sorrowed with the church shall rejoice with her.
3.The prosperity of the church shall be a rejoicing to God himself, who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servants (Isa 65:19): I will rejoice in Jerusalem's joy, and will joy in my people; for in all their affliction he was afflicted. God will not only rejoice in the church's well-doing, but will himself rejoice to do her good and rest in his love to her, Zep 3:17. What God rejoices in it becomes us to rejoice in.
4.There shall be no allay of this joy, nor any alteration of this happy condition of the church: The voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her. If this relate to any state of the church in this life, it means no more than that the former occasions of grief shall not return, but God's people shall long enjoy an uninterrupted tranquillity. But in heaven it shall have a full accomplishment, in respect both of the perfection and the perpetuity of the promised joy; there all tears shall be wiped away.
II.There shall be new life, Isa 65:20.
Untimely deaths by the sword or sickness shall be no more known as they have been, and by this means there shall be no more the voice of crying, Isa 65:19. When there shall be no more death there shall be no more sorrow, Rev 21:4. As death has reigned by sin, so life shall reign by righteousness, Rom 5:14, Rom 5:21.
1.Believers through Christ shall be satisfied with life, though it be ever so short on earth. If an infant end its days quickly, yet it shall not be reckoned to die untimely; for the shorter its life is the longer will its rest be. Though death reign over those that have not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, yet they, dying in the arms of Christ, the second Adam, and belonging to his kingdom, are not to be called infants of days, but even the child shall be reckoned to die a hundred years old, for he shall rise again at full age, shall rise to eternal life. Some understand it of children who in their childhood are so eminent for wisdom and grace, and by death nipped in the blossom, that they may be said to die a hundred years old. And, as for old men, it is promised that they shall fill their days with the fruits of righteousness, which they shall still bring forth in old age, to show that the Lord is upright, and then it is a good old age. An old man who is wise, and good, and useful, may truly be said to have filled his days. Old men who have their hearts upon the world have never filled their days, never have enough of this world, but would still continue longer in it. But that man dies old, and satur dierum - full of days, who, with Simeon, having seen God's salvation, desires now to depart in peace.
2.Unbelievers shall be unsatisfied and unhappy in life, though it be ever so long. The sinner, though he live to a hundred years old, shall be accursed. His living so long shall be no token to him of the divine favour and blessing, nor shall it be any shelter to him from the divine wrath and curse. The sentence he lies under will certainly be executed, and his long life is but a long reprieve; nay, it is itself a curse to him, for the longer he lives the more wrath he treasures up against the day of wrath and the more sins he will have to answer for. So that the matter is not great whether our lives on earth be long or short, but whether we live the lives of saints or the lives of sinners.
III.There shall be a new enjoyment of the comforts of life.
Whereas before it was very uncertain and precarious, their enemies inhabited the houses which they built and ate the fruit of the trees which they planted, now it shall be otherwise; they shall build houses and inhabit them, shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them, Isa 65:21, Isa 65:22. Their intimates that the labour of their hands shall be blessed and be made to prosper; they shall gain what they aimed at, and what they have gained shall be preserved and secured to them; they shall enjoy it comfortably, and nothing shall embitter it to them, and they shall live to enjoy it long. Strangers shall not break in upon them, to expel them, and plant themselves in their room, as sometimes they have done: My elect shall wear out, or long enjoy, the work of their hands; it is honestly got, and it will wear well; it is the work of their hands, which they themselves have laboured for, and it is most comfortable to enjoy that, and not to eat the bread of idleness, or bread of deceit. If we have a heart to enjoy it, that is the gift of God's grace (Ecc 3:13); and, if we live to enjoy it long, it is the gift of God's providence, for that is here promised: As the days of a tree are the days of my people; as the days of an oak (Isa 6:13), whose substance is in it, though it cast its leaves; though it be stripped every winter, it recovers itself again, and lasts many ages; as the days of the tree of life; so the Septuagint. Christ is to them the tree of life, and in him believers enjoy all those spiritual comforts which are typified by the abundance of temporal blessings here promised; and it shall not be in the power of their enemies to deprive them of these blessings or disturb them in the enjoyment of them.
IV.There shall be a new generation rising up in their stead to inherit and enjoy these blessings (Isa 65:23):
They shall not labour in vain, for they shall not only enjoy the work of their hands themselves, but they shall leave it with satisfaction to those that shall come after them, and not with such a melancholy prospect as Solomon did, Ecc 2:18, Ecc 2:19. They shall not beget and bring forth children for trouble; for they are themselves the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and there is a blessing entailed upon them by descent from their ancestors which their offspring with them shall partake of, and shall be, as well as they, the seed of the blessed of the Lord. They shall not bring forth for trouble; for,
1.God will make their children that rise up comforts to them; they shall have the joy of seeing them walk in the truth.
2.He will make the times that come after comfortable to their children. As they shall be good, so it shall be well with them; they shall not be brought forth to days of trouble; nor shall it ever be said, Blessed is the womb that bore not. In the gospel church Christ's name shall be borne up by a succession. A seed shall serve him (Psa 22:30), the seed of the blessed of the Lord.
V.There shall be a good correspondence between them and their God (Isa 65:24):
Even before they call, I will answer. God will anticipate their prayers with the blessings of his goodness. David did but say, I will confess, and God forgave, Psa 32:5. The father of the prodigal met him in his return. While they are yet speaking, before they have finished their prayer, I will give them the thing they pray for, or the assurances and earnests of it. These are high expressions of God's readiness to hear prayer; and this appears much more in the grace of the gospel than it did under the law; we owe the comfort of it to the mediation of Christ as our advocate with the Father and are obliged in gratitude to give a ready ear to God's calls.
VI.There shall be a good correspondence between them and their neighbours (Isa 65:25):
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, as they did in Noah's ark. God's people, though they are as sheep in the midst of wolves, shall be safe and unhurt; for God will not so much break the power and tie the hands of their enemies as formerly, but he will turn their hearts, will alter their dispositions by his grace. When Paul, who had been a persecutor of the disciples (and who, being of the tribe of Benjamin, ravened as a wolf, Gen 49:27) joined himself to them and became one of them, then the wolf and the lamb fed together. So also when the enmity between Jews and Gentiles was slain, all hostilities ceased, and they fed together as one sheepfold under Christ the great Shepherd, Joh 10:16. The enemies of the church ceased to do the mischief they had done, and its members ceased to be so quarrelsome with and injurious to one another as they had been, so that there was none either from without or from within to hurt or destroy, none to disturb it, much less to ruin it, in all the holy mountain; as was promised, Isa 11:9. For,
1.Men shall be changed: The lion shall no more be a beast of prey, as perhaps he never would have been if sin had not entered, but shall eat straw like the bullock, shall know his owner, and his master's crib, as the ox does. When those that lived by spoil and rapine, and coveted to enrich themselves, right or wrong, are brought by the grace of God to accommodate themselves to their condition, to live by honest labour, and to be content with such things as they have - when those that stole steal no more, but work with their hands the thing that is good - then this is fulfilled, that the lion shall eat straw like the bullock.
2.Satan shall be chained, the dragon bound; for dust shall be the serpent's meat again. That great enemy, when he has been let loose, has glutted and regaled himself with the precious blood of saints, who by his instigation have been persecuted, and with the precious souls of sinners, who by his instigation have become persecutors and have ruined themselves for ever; but now he shall be confined to dust, according to the sentence, On thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat, Gen 3:14. All the enemies of God's church, that are subtle and venomous as serpents, shall be conquered and subdued, and be made to lick the dust, Christ shall reign as Zion's King till all the enemies of his kingdom be made his footstool, and theirs too. In the holy mountain above, and there only, shall this promise have its full accomplishment, that there shall be none to hurt nor destroy.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
(Verse 19.) For behold, I am creating Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people as a joy; and I will rejoice in Jerusalem and delight in my people. Septuagint: For behold, I am making Jerusalem a rejoicing, and my people a gladness; and I will rejoice over Jerusalem and be glad over my people. You should rejoice and exult with everlasting joy in the creation of new heavens and a new earth, and not remember the former things. Let no remembrance of past sorrows arise in you; for I will not only create new heavens and a new earth, but also Jerusalem in rejoicing, and her people in joy. There is no doubt that the joy which was once exclusive to one nation is now a source of happiness for all nations. The rejoicing and joy over the city and the people of God will be so great that even I, their creator, will rejoice and be glad over Jerusalem and over my people who will eat, drink, and be joyful, and will rejoice in it, and those who are called by a new name.
Neither would it be congruous that in the city of Jerusalem and among the people of God, who will receive an eternal creation of exaltation and joy, there be heard any longer the voice of weeping and wailing, now that pain, sorrow and moaning have departed, for incompatible realities are surely unable to exist together.… In such a city, there is no difference in ages, as between the infant and the elderly, the young and the “old man who does not fulfill his days.” Instead, like children of the resurrection, all “attain to the perfect person, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” such that none will either lack or exceed the life span, nor will it be the case that some persons retain their strength while others fail with age and cease to be what they were. Everyone, moreover, will reach one hundred years of age, as did Abraham, who received the promise that he would have his son Isaac at one hundred. It is not necessary to recount the many praises of this particular number, lest our argument run too long. This alone will we say, that ten decades are squared and square forms possess strength.
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Summary
Isaiah 65:19 is a profound prophetic declaration envisioning a future epoch of unparalleled joy, peace, and the complete cessation of sorrow for God's redeemed people within a gloriously restored Jerusalem. This verse stands as a pivotal component of a larger eschatological vision detailing the "new heavens and new earth," portraying a divine renewal where the Creator Himself rejoices over His people, and all forms of lamentation and distress are permanently banished from their midst. It paints a vivid, hopeful picture of a world transformed by divine presence and blessing, where the very atmosphere is imbued with gladness rather than grief.
Context
Literary Context
Isaiah 65:19 is strategically placed within the latter section of the book of Isaiah, specifically chapters 60-66, which collectively articulate a magnificent vision of Israel's future glory and the ultimate restoration of Zion. This segment marks a dramatic shift from earlier prophecies of judgment and exile to a triumphant portrayal of God's redemptive work. Immediately preceding verse 19, verses 17-18 explicitly introduce the transformative concept of "new heavens and a new earth," emphasizing God's delight in creating Jerusalem as "a delight" and its inhabitants as "a joy." Consequently, verse 19 serves as an experiential elaboration on this new creation, detailing the profound joy and complete absence of sorrow that will characterize life within this divinely renewed order. It stands in stark contrast to the numerous laments and sufferings described throughout the earlier portions of the book, presenting a glorious culmination of God's overarching redemptive plan.
Historical & Cultural Context
The prophecies contained within Isaiah, particularly those concerning restoration, were originally delivered to a people who had either endured or were anticipating the profound trauma of exile and significant national suffering. The historical backdrop includes periods of devastating Assyrian and Babylonian dominance, which culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem and its sacred temple. In this context, the promise of a restored Jerusalem where "the voice of weeping shall be no more heard" would have resonated deeply with a people intimately acquainted with lament, national grief, and personal sorrow. The concept of God Himself "rejoicing" over His people represented a radical departure from the perception of a God who had allowed their suffering, instead emphasizing a renewed, intimate, and eternally joyful covenant relationship. The phrases "voice of weeping" and "voice of crying" were common expressions of distress in ancient Near Eastern cultures, frequently associated with famine, warfare, death, and social injustice, making their complete and permanent absence a powerful symbol of ultimate peace, security, and divine blessing.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes woven throughout the book of Isaiah. Firstly, it profoundly underscores the theme of Divine Sovereignty and Initiative in Restoration. God's declaration, "I will rejoice... and joy," emphatically highlights that this future state is entirely His doing, a testament to His unwavering faithfulness and omnipotent power to bring about His perfect purposes. Secondly, it illuminates the theme of Radical Transformation and New Creation. The complete eradication of weeping and crying signifies a total reversal of the fallen world's conditions, aligning seamlessly with the broader vision of new heavens and a new earth. This transformation is not merely external or superficial but deeply impacts the emotional, spiritual, and existential well-being of the people. Thirdly, it speaks powerfully to the theme of God's Joy in His People and Their Secure Dwelling. The divine joy expressed over Jerusalem and its inhabitants is foundational, ensuring a permanent state of peace and delight, where the very causes of sorrow are eradicated, echoing the glorious promise that God will swallow up death forever and wipe away tears.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word (H1523) signifies a vibrant, often exuberant joy, implying a dynamic motion like spinning around or leaping for gladness. When applied to God, it conveys His profound, active delight and exultation over His restored creation and people. It suggests a joyous, celebratory expression of His redemptive work, indicating not a passive contentment but an overflowing, expressive gladness that is deeply personal and active.
Derived from the root H1065, meaning "to weep," this term denotes the act of shedding tears, lamentation, or profound sorrow. Its usage here, in conjunction with "crying," emphasizes the complete and utter cessation of all forms of grief, mourning, and distress—ranging from audible lament to silent, internal tears. It points to a world where the very causes of sorrow are removed.
This word (H2201) refers to a shriek, an outcry, or a desperate cry for help, often indicative of intense distress, acute pain, or an urgent plea for intervention. Its absolute absence in the new creation signifies that there will be no more situations warranting such desperate cries, pointing to a state of absolute security, profound peace, and complete freedom from oppression, suffering, or any form of distress.
Verse Breakdown
"And I will rejoice in Jerusalem"
This opening clause powerfully reveals God's personal, active, and profound delight in His restored city. It signifies that Jerusalem, in its divinely renewed and perfected state, will be a source of immense joy for God Himself, reflecting His supreme pleasure in His dwelling place and the glorious fulfillment of His redemptive purposes for His creation.
"and joy in my people"
This expands God's boundless joy from the restored city to its inhabitants, His covenant people. It highlights the intimate, personal, and reciprocal relationship between God and His redeemed humanity, emphasizing that their well-being, their faithfulness, and their very presence bring Him immeasurable gladness. This divine joy is the foundational wellspring for the peace and gladness that will be experienced by the people.
"and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her"
This is a powerful, definitive declaration of the permanent and absolute eradication of sorrow. "The voice of weeping" refers to all audible expressions of grief, lamentation, and mourning. Its complete absence signifies that the root causes of such profound sorrow—including death, suffering, injustice, and the pervasive effects of sin—will be entirely and irrevocably removed from the restored Jerusalem.
"nor the voice of crying"
This clause reinforces and intensifies the preceding declaration, using a term that often denotes a desperate outcry, a shriek of pain, or an urgent cry for help. The complete and utter silence of such cries underscores the absolute security, profound peace, and total freedom from distress that will characterize the new creation. There will be no need for pleas for relief because all sources of pain, oppression, and suffering will have vanished forever.
Literary Devices
Isaiah 65:19 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message of ultimate restoration and joy with profound impact. Personification is strikingly evident in the phrases "the voice of weeping" and "the voice of crying," which attribute human characteristics and agency (a "voice") to abstract concepts of sorrow and distress. This technique makes their promised absence more vivid, tangible, and emotionally impactful. The deliberate repetition of "voice of" followed by two distinct yet complementary forms of lamentation ("weeping" and "crying") serves as a potent form of emphasis, underscoring the absolute, comprehensive, and exhaustive eradication of all conceivable forms of sorrow and distress. This parallelism creates a sense of totality, ensuring that no facet of grief is left untouched by God's glorious promise. Furthermore, the verse functions as a profound prophecy, painting a vivid and compelling picture of a future reality that stands in stark, hopeful contrast to the present human experience of suffering, thereby offering immense comfort, solace, and enduring hope. The imagery itself is highly symbolic, with "Jerusalem" representing not merely a physical city, but the spiritual dwelling place of God's people in perfect, unbroken communion with Him.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Isaiah 65:19 offers a profound and breathtaking glimpse into God's ultimate eschatological vision, where His boundless delight in His creation and His people culminates in a state of perfect, unadulterated joy and the permanent, absolute absence of all sorrow. This glorious vision is deeply rooted in God's unchanging character as a loving, merciful, and redemptive God who actively works to reverse the devastating effects of sin and bring about complete, holistic restoration. The divine joy expressed here is the very wellspring of the profound peace and overflowing gladness that will flood the new creation, demonstrating unequivocally that true blessedness and ultimate flourishing flow directly from God's active presence and His delight in His covenant relationship with humanity. It powerfully underscores the biblical truth that God's ultimate purpose is not merely to alleviate suffering, but to establish a realm where sorrow cannot even exist, replaced by an overflowing, divine gladness that is eternal and complete.
Reflection and Application
Isaiah 65:19 stands as an enduring beacon of hope, serving as a powerful reminder that our current struggles, tears, and laments are not the final word in God's grand narrative. It paints a glorious, compelling picture of a future where God's personal joy in His people is fully realized, and all forms of sorrow are permanently and irrevocably banished. This profound prophetic vision encourages believers to persevere with unwavering faith through present trials and tribulations, knowing with certainty that a time is coming when every tear will be wiped away by the hand of God Himself. It invites us to live with a robust eternal perspective, allowing the magnificent promise of ultimate joy and peace to profoundly shape our present hope and provide deep comfort to our hearts in moments of grief, loss, or despair. This verse also issues a compelling call to action, prompting us to consider how our lives, even now, can reflect and embody this future reality by actively seeking to cultivate joy, foster peace, and diligently alleviate suffering in our communities, thereby anticipating and participating in the full manifestation of God's coming kingdom.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of God "rejoicing" in Jerusalem and His people?
The significance of God's rejoicing is profoundly theological, indicating that the ultimate state of restoration is not merely a cessation of suffering, but an active, vibrant, and joyful communion between God and His redeemed creation. God's rejoicing signifies His profound delight, immense pleasure, and ultimate satisfaction in His restored people and the city He has established. It underscores that the new creation is a place of divine pleasure and active, indwelling presence, where God Himself finds eternal joy in His relationship with His people, making His joy the foundational source and wellspring of all other joys. This divine joy is a powerful affirmation of His unwavering love and faithfulness, demonstrating that His redemptive work culminates in a state of mutual delight, as also seen in Zephaniah 3:17.
Does this verse imply a literal, physical Jerusalem, or is it symbolic?
While the prophecy explicitly uses the literal name "Jerusalem," the broader context of "new heavens and a new earth" (Isaiah 65:17) strongly suggests a transformation that transcends the purely physical or geographical. Many biblical scholars understand this "Jerusalem" to represent the spiritual dwelling place of God's people, a divinely renewed community, or a heavenly city, rather than strictly the earthly geographical location. It powerfully symbolizes the culmination of God's redemptive plan, where His glorious presence fully resides among His people in perfect peace and unblemished joy, entirely free from the imperfections and limitations of the old creation. The New Testament often picks up on this profound theme, portraying a "new Jerusalem" that descends from heaven, as vividly described in Revelation 21:2.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Isaiah 65:19 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ and the new covenant He inaugurated. The glorious promise of God rejoicing in His people and the complete, permanent eradication of weeping and crying is realized through Christ's atoning sacrifice and His establishment of the Kingdom of God. Jesus, as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, voluntarily bore the ultimate sorrow, suffering, and separation on the cross, thereby becoming the very means by which sin—the foundational root cause of all human weeping and crying—is decisively overcome. His triumphant resurrection guarantees the coming new creation where death itself is irrevocably swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54). Through saving faith in Christ, believers are already made new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), experiencing a foretaste of the divine joy and profound peace promised in Isaiah. The ultimate, full realization, however, awaits Christ's glorious second coming, when He will establish the new heavens and new earth in perfection. In that glorious age, God will truly dwell among His people, and indeed, He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain. Thus, the divine joy and the absolute absence of lamentation prophesied in Isaiah are fully actualized and eternally secured in the person and finished work of Christ, who brings about the ultimate restoration and perfect communion between God and humanity.