Old Testament · Prophecy

Isaiah 61

Good News to the Poor

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me — to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted. Jesus read these words in Nazareth and said: today, this is fulfilled.

King James Version BSB KJV

1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

3To 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.

4And 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.

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

6But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

7For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.

8For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

9And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.

10I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

11For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

Understand This

Isaiah 61, explained

What Isaiah 61 is saying

The Spirit of the Lord anoints the speaker to preach good news to the poor, bind the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to captives, and announce the year of the Lord's favor. Mourning will be exchanged for gladness, ashes for a crown of beauty. The devastated cities will be rebuilt, and God's people will be called 'priests of the Lord.'

The background behind it

Jesus read this passage in the Nazareth synagogue (Luke 4:18–21) and declared it fulfilled 'today.' The 'year of the Lord's favor' draws on the Jubilee legislation of Leviticus 25, when debts were cancelled, slaves freed, and land restored.

Themes running underneath

Anointed proclamation brings transformation. The good news is not information but liberation—it actually changes circumstances. The beauty-for-ashes exchange captures the essence of redemptive reversal.

Why it still matters

This chapter defines the mission of the anointed: bringing good news, healing, and freedom. Every follower of Christ inherits this calling.

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Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.