Isaiah 32:15

15 Until the ¹Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a ²fertile field, And the fertile field is considered as a forest.

Isaiah 32:15 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 32:15

Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high
That is, Jerusalem shall lie in ruins until this time comes; which therefore cannot be understood of the effusion of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, which, as it was before the destruction of the city by the Romans, so the desolation it was brought to by the Chaldeans did not last so long; but must be interpreted of a pouring forth of the Spirit in his gifts and graces yet to come, which will bring on the fulness of the Gentiles, and the conversion of the Jews, and till that time comes Jerusalem will continue in a ruinous condition; the sense is the same with that of ( Luke 21:24 ) "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled". The Targum of the place is,

``until refreshing comes to us from the face of him, whose Shechinah, or Majesty, is in the highest heavens;''

with which may be compared ( Acts 3:19 ) : and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be
counted for a forest;
this will be the consequence, fruit, and effect of the effusion of the Spirit in the latter day; that such parts of the world as were like a wilderness, barren and unfruitful, producing nothing but the briers and thorns of impiety, infidelity, superstition, and idolatry, should now become like a fruitful field; the Gospel being now preached everywhere, multitudes of souls converted, churches raised and formed, and these filled with such as were laden with the fruits of righteousness; and such places where the Gospel had been preached and professed, and where churches had been planted, and there were some good degree of fruitfulness in word and works, now should be abundantly more fruitful, and the professors of religion more numerous, and look more like a forest, for number of trees, than a field. Kimchi says this whole paragraph shall be accomplished in the days of the Messiah.

Isaiah 32:15 In-Context

13 For the land of my people in which thorns and briars shall come up; Yea, for all the joyful houses and for the jubilant city.

14 Because the palace has been abandoned, the populated city forsaken. Hill and watch-tower have become caves forever , A delight for wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks;

15 Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fertile field, And the fertile field is considered as a forest.

16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness And righteousness will abide in the fertile field.

17 And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever .

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 11:2; Isaiah 44:3; Isaiah 59:21; Ezekiel 39:29; Joel 2:28
• 2. Psalms 107:35; Isaiah 29:17; Isaiah 35:1, 2