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Isaiah 64:10

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Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Thy holy {H6944} cities {H5892} are a wilderness {H4057}, Zion {H6726} is a wilderness {H4057}, Jerusalem {H3389} a desolation {H8077}.

Your holy cities have become a desert, Tziyon a desert, Yerushalayim a ruin.

Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wasteland and Jerusalem a desolation.

Thy holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Commentary

Context of Isaiah 64:10

Isaiah 64:10 is part of a profound prayer of confession and lament found in Isaiah chapters 63 and 64. This section reflects the deep anguish of the people of Israel, likely during or anticipating the devastating Babylonian exile and the destruction of Jerusalem and its holy Temple. The prophet, speaking on behalf of the nation, acknowledges God's righteous judgment upon His people due to their persistent sin and rebellion. This verse paints a stark picture of the consequences of their unfaithfulness, contrasting the once-glorious capital with its current state of ruin.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Divine Judgment and Desolation: The most striking theme is the severe judgment of God, leading to utter desolation. The repetition of "wilderness" and "desolation" emphasizes the completeness of the destruction of the holy cities.
  • Lament and Confession: The verse is a cry of sorrow and an admission of guilt. It's part of a larger prayer where the people are not blaming God but acknowledging their own role in bringing about this catastrophe.
  • Loss of Sacredness: "Thy holy cities" becoming a "wilderness" signifies a profound loss of the divine presence and blessing that once characterized these places. Zion, the spiritual heart, is reduced to a barren landscape, a stark reminder of God's withdrawal due to covenant unfaithfulness.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew words used in this verse convey a powerful sense of emptiness and ruin:

  • The word for "wilderness" (*midbar*) typically refers to an uninhabited, uncultivated region. Here, it vividly describes the emptiness and lack of life in formerly vibrant, populated, and sacred places like Zion and Jerusalem.
  • "Desolation" (*sh'mamah*) is a strong term indicating utter ruin, waste, and abandonment. It suggests that Jerusalem has been laid waste, left uninhabited, and is in a state of complete disrepair. This term is often used in prophetic books to describe the outcome of divine wrath, as seen in Jeremiah 25:11 concerning the seventy years of Babylonian captivity.

Practical Application and Reflection

Isaiah 64:10 serves as a somber reminder of the consequences of straying from God's path. For believers today, it highlights:

  • The Seriousness of Sin: God is holy, and sin has real, often devastating, consequences, both individually and corporately. The desolation of Jerusalem illustrates this truth powerfully.
  • The Call to Repentance: Even in the midst of desolation, this prayer is a cry for God's mercy and restoration, showing that acknowledging sin is the first step towards reconciliation and renewed favor.
  • God's Justice and Faithfulness: While a difficult truth, the desolation is a fulfillment of covenant warnings (Deuteronomy 28:15ff), demonstrating God's faithfulness to His word, both in judgment and ultimately in promised restoration for Zion.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash (May 20, 2025) using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

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 1:7 (5 votes)

    Your country [is] desolate, your cities [are] burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and [it is] desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

  • Luke 21:24 (3 votes)

    And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

  • Lamentations 2:4 (2 votes)

    He hath bent his bow like an enemy: he stood with his right hand as an adversary, and slew all [that were] pleasant to the eye in the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion: he poured out his fury like fire.

  • Lamentations 2:8 (2 votes)

    The LORD hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: therefore he made the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together.

  • 2 Kings 25:9 (2 votes)

    And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great [man's] house burnt he with fire.

  • Lamentations 5:18 (2 votes)

    Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.

  • Psalms 79:1 (2 votes)

    ¶ A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.