Isaías 54

¹ Sing, OAfter he has declared the death of Christ, he speaks to the Church, because it would feel the fruit of the same, and calls her barren, because in the captivity she was a widow without hope to have any children.barren, thou [that] didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou [that] didst not travail with child: for more [are] the children of theThe Church in this her affliction and captivity will bring forth more children, than when she was free, or this may be spoken by admiration, considering the great number that would come from her. Her deliverance under Cyrus was as her childhood, and therefore this was accomplished when she came of age, which was under the gospel.desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.

² Signifying that for the great number of children that God would give her, she would seem to lack room to lodge them.Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them extend the curtains of thy habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

³ For thou shalt increase on the right hande and on the left, and thy seede shall possesse the Gentiles, and dwell in the desolate cities.

⁴ Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thyThe afflictions which you suffered at the beginning.youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thyWhen you were refused for your sins, (Isa_50:1).widowhood any more.

⁵ For thyThat regenerated you by his Holy Spirit.Maker [is] thy husband; the LORD of hosts [is] his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the wholeHis glory will shine through the whole world, which seemed before to be shut up in Judea.earth shall he be called.

⁶ For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and aAs a wife who was forsaken in your youth.wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

⁷ For a litle while haue I forsaken thee, but with great compassion will I gather thee.

⁸ For a moment, in mine anger, I hid my face from thee for a litle season, but with euerlasting mercy haue I had compassion on thee, sayth the Lord thy redeemer.

⁹ For this [is as] theAs sure as the promise that I made to Noah, that the waters would no longer overflow the earth.waters of Noah to me: for [as] I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more overflow the earth; so have I sworn that I will not be angry with thee, nor rebuke thee.

¹⁰ For the mountaines shall remoue and the hilles shall fall downe: but my mercy shall not depart from thee, neither shall the couenant of my peace fall away, saith the Lord, that hath compassion on thee.

¹¹ O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, [and] not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones withBy this he declares the excellent estate of the Church under Christ.fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

¹² And I will make thy windowes of emeraudes, and thy gates shining stones, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

¹³ And all thy children [shall be]By the hearing of his word and inward moving of his spirit.taught from the LORD; and great [shall be] the peace of thy children.

¹⁴ InIn stability and sureness, so that it will stand forever.righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

¹⁵ Behold, they shall surely assemble, [but] not byAnd therefore will not prevail.me: whoever shall assembleMeaning, the domestic enemies of the Church, as are the hypocrites.against thee shall fall for thy sake.

¹⁶ Behold, I have created theSignifying by this that man can do nothing, but so far as God gives power: for seeing that all are his creatures, he must govern and guide them.smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

¹⁷ But all the weapons that are made against thee, shall not prosper: and euery tongue that shall rise against thee in iudgement, thou shalt condemne. This is the heritage of the Lords seruants, and their righteousnesse is of me, sayth the Lorde.