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The Prophets · Old Testament

Isaiah 62

Isaiah 62: Zion renamed Hephzi-bah and her land Beulah

General context

A speaker vows not to hold his peace for Zion's sake or rest for Jerusalem's sake until her righteousness shines like brightness and her salvation like a burning lamp. The Gentiles will see her righteousness and kings her glory, and she will be called by a new name from the Lord's mouth. She will be a crown of glory and a royal diadem in the Lord's hand. She will no longer be called Forsaken nor her land Desolate; she will be called Hephzi-bah and her land Beulah, because the Lord delights in her and her land will be married. As a young man marries a virgin her sons will marry her, and as a bridegroom rejoices over the bride her God will rejoice over her. Watchmen are set on Jerusalem's walls who never keep silence day or night; those who make mention of the Lord are told to give him no rest until he makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. The Lord has sworn by his right hand that her corn will no more feed her enemies and strangers will not drink her wine; those who gathered it will eat it and drink it in the courts of his holiness. A command goes out to go through the gates, prepare the way, cast up the highway, gather out the stones and lift a standard. The Lord has proclaimed to the end of the world that the daughter of Zion should be told her salvation comes, with his reward with him and his work before him. Her people will be called The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord, and she will be called Sought out, A city not forsaken.

Cited passages: Isaiah 62:1, Isaiah 62:2, Isaiah 62:3, Isaiah 62:4, Isaiah 62:5, Isaiah 62:6, Isaiah 62:7, Isaiah 62:8, Isaiah 62:9, Isaiah 62:10, Isaiah 62:11, Isaiah 62:12

Isaiah 62 (KJV)

1For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

2And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.

3Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.

4Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.

5For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

6I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence,

7And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

8The Lord hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:

9But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the Lord; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness.

10Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.

11Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

12And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.

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Historical context

Zion and Jerusalem are named from the first verse, and the chapter is spoken to the city as a woman. The speaker of verse 1, who will not hold his peace, is not named, and the text does not mark whether it is the Lord or another voice; verse 6, I have set watchmen, is likewise unmarked, while verse 8 is explicitly the Lord's oath. The new names are given in the text itself, Hephzi-bah for the city and Beulah for the land, set against the old names Forsaken and Desolate; the chapter explains them only by saying the Lord delights in her and the land shall be married. The oath about corn and wine states that enemies and strangers have eaten and drunk what she laboured for, without saying who they were or when. The watchmen on the walls are set by the speaker and told never to be silent, and the chapter itself draws no contrast, though chapter 56 described watchmen who were blind and could not bark. No date, king or event is given, and the salvation announced to the daughter of Zion is proclaimed rather than narrated.

Cited passages: Isaiah 62:1, Isaiah 62:6, Isaiah 62:8, Isaiah 62:4, Isaiah 56:10, Isaiah 62:11

Literary context

The chapter is about names and about not being quiet. It opens with a refusal of silence, I will not hold my peace, I will not rest, and then installs watchmen who never hold their peace and tells the Lord's petitioners to give him no rest, so that the speaker's restlessness is passed on to the city and its intercessors. Naming is its main device: a new name is promised in verse 2, given in verse 4, and a further set of names closes the chapter, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord, Sought out, A city not forsaken, so that the last words undo the first old name, Forsaken. The marriage image is doubled, sons marrying their mother city and God rejoicing as a bridegroom, picking up the bridegroom and bride of the previous chapter's last verse. Light opens the chapter, brightness and a lamp that burneth. The commands of verse 10 are doubled for urgency, go through, go through, cast up, cast up, and recall the earlier order to prepare the way and remove the stumblingblock. The oath about corn and wine reverses labour lost to others into labour eaten by those who did it.

Cited passages: Isaiah 62:1, Isaiah 62:6, Isaiah 62:7, Isaiah 62:2, Isaiah 62:12, Isaiah 62:5, Isaiah 61:10, Isaiah 62:10, Isaiah 57:14, Isaiah 62:9

Key moments

  1. I will not hold my peace (Isaiah 62:1). A speaker vows not to rest until Zion's righteousness shines.
  2. A crown in the Lord's hand (Isaiah 62:3). Zion is promised to be a crown of glory and a royal diadem.
  3. Hephzi-bah and Beulah (Isaiah 62:4). Forsaken and Desolate are replaced by new names, given because the Lord delights in her and her land will be married.
  4. God rejoices as a bridegroom (Isaiah 62:5). Zion's sons will marry her and her God will rejoice over her.
  5. Watchmen who never keep silence (Isaiah 62:6). Watchmen on Jerusalem's walls are told to give the Lord no rest.
  6. Your corn no more for enemies (Isaiah 62:8). The Lord swears that those who gather the harvest will eat and drink it themselves.
  7. Sought out, a city not forsaken (Isaiah 62:12). The people are called holy and redeemed, and the city receives its final new name.

For reflection

The watchmen are told to give the Lord no rest until he keeps his promise to Jerusalem. What kind of relationship allows that sort of persistence, and how is it different from doubt?