Isaiah 49:17

17 Your builders are faster than your wreckers. The demolition crews are gone for good.

Isaiah 49:17 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 49:17

Thy children shall make haste
Regenerate persons, young converts, such as are born again of incorruptible seed by the word; these shall flock to the church, as doves to the windows;
join themselves to her, and submit to Gospel ordinances, and make haste, and delay not, to keep the Lord's commandments;
which is no small pleasure, joy, and comfort to the church of God. Some render it, "thy builders" F13 "shall make haste"; Gospel ministers, who are wise masterbuilders under Christ; these shall come with all readiness and cheerfulness, and build in the temple, the church of God, and rebuild her walls, and repair her breaches: thy destroyers and they that made thee waste, shall go forth of thee;
tyrants and persecutors of the church shall cease, and be no more; and false teachers, that corrupt the minds of men, subvert their faith, and destroy their souls, as antichrist and his ministers, shall be drove out of the church, and destroyed by Christ, the Head of it; see ( Revelation 11:18 ) ( 1 John 2:19 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F13 (Kynb) "structores vel aedificatores tui", Munster, Montanus, Calvin, Tigurine version.

Isaiah 49:17 In-Context

15 "Can a mother forget the infant at her breast, walk away from the baby she bore? But even if mothers forget, I'd never forget you - never.
16 Look, I've written your names on the backs of my hands. The walls you're rebuilding are never out of my sight.
17 Your builders are faster than your wreckers. The demolition crews are gone for good.
18 Look up, look around, look well! See them all gathering, coming to you? As sure as I am the living God" - God's Decree - "you're going to put them on like so much jewelry, you're going to use them to dress up like a bride.
19 "And your ruined land? Your devastated, decimated land? Filled with more people than you know what to do with! And your barbarian enemies, a fading memory.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.