Bible/Isaiah/61

Isaiah 61:4

61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

KJV

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They will rebuild the old ruins. They will raise up the places long devastated. They will repair the ruined cities, that have been devastated for many generations.

And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

61:5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

What does Isaiah 61:4 mean?

Isaiah 61:4 is a verse in the book of Isaiah, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include בָּנָה (bânâh), עוֹלָם (ʻôwlâm), חׇרְבָּה (chorbâh).

Hebrew interlinear

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And
they
shall
buildבָּנָהbânâh/baw-naw'/H1129to build (literally and figuratively)
the
oldעוֹלָםʻôwlâm/o-lawm'/H5769properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) always
wastes,חׇרְבָּהchorbâh/khor-baw'/H2723properly, drought, i.e. (by implication) a desolation
they
shall
raise
upקוּםqûwm/koom/H6965to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)
the
formerרִאשׁוֹןriʼshôwn/ree-shone'/H7223first, in place, time or rank (as adjective or noun)
desolations,שָׁמֵםshâmêm/shaw-mame'/H8074to stun (or intransitively, grow numb), i.e. devastate or (figuratively) stupefy (both usually in a passive sense)
and
they
shall
repairחָדַשׁchâdash/khaw-dash'/H2318to be new; causatively, to rebuild
the
wasteחֹרֶבchôreb/kho'-reb/H2721drought or desolation
cities,עִירʻîyr/eer/H5892a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)
the
desolationsשָׁמֵםshâmêm/shaw-mame'/H8074to stun (or intransitively, grow numb), i.e. devastate or (figuratively) stupefy (both usually in a passive sense)
of
manyדּוֹרdôwr/dore/H1755properly, a revolution of time, i.e. an age or generation; also a dwelling
generations.דּוֹרdôwr/dore/H1755properly, a revolution of time, i.e. an age or generation; also a dwelling

Topics

Jews, the

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Isaiah 61:4.

Ezekiel 29:10

Behold, therefore I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia. utterly: Heb. wastes of waste from: or, from Migdol to Syene Syene: Heb. Seveneh

Genesis 17:19

And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

Genesis 17:7

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

Isaiah 49:19

For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.

Jeremiah 49:13

For I have sworn by myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.

Leviticus 26:31

And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours.

Frequently asked questions

What does Isaiah 61:4 say?

Isaiah 61:4 (King James Version) reads: "And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations."

Is Isaiah 61:4 in the Old or New Testament?

Isaiah 61:4 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Isaiah.

Reflect

As you read Isaiah 61:4, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

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