Old Testament · Prophecy

Isaiah 54

Sing, O Barren One

The barren woman will have more children than the married one. God's covenant of peace will not be shaken — like His promise after Noah's flood.

King James Version BSB KJV

1Sing, O 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 the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.

2Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

3For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

4Fear 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 thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

5For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

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

7For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.

8In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

9For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

10For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.

11O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

12And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

13And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

14In 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.

15Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

16Behold, I have created the 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.

17No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

Understand This

Isaiah 54, explained

What Isaiah 54 is saying

The barren woman is told to shout for joy—her children will outnumber those of the married woman. God, the abandoned wife's husband, promises to gather her with everlasting compassion. As in Noah's day, He swears never to be angry with her again. Her walls will be jewels, her children will be taught by the Lord, and no weapon formed against her will prosper.

The background behind it

The barren woman imagery draws on the Sarah-Hagar and Hannah traditions. The Noah covenant parallel (vv. 9–10) anchors God's promise of restoration in His most unbreakable oath. The jeweled city imagery anticipates Revelation 21's New Jerusalem.

Themes running underneath

Covenant faithfulness overcomes the shame of exile and abandonment. God's mercy is described in the most intimate marital language—anger was momentary, but love is everlasting. The 'no weapon shall prosper' declaration is rooted in covenant security.

Why it still matters

If you feel barren, abandoned, or under attack, this chapter speaks directly to you. God's commitment is not conditional on your performance—it is as permanent as the covenant with Noah.

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Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.