Isaiah 61:3-11

3 To ¹grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The ²oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called ³oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

4 Then they will ⁴rebuild the ancient ruins, They will raise up the former devastations; And they will repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations.

5 ⁵Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks, And foreigners * will be your farmers and your vinedressers.

6 But you will be called the ⁶priests of the LORD; You will be spoken of as ⁷ministers of our God. You will eat the ⁸wealth of nations, And in their riches you will boast.

7 Instead of your ⁹shame you will have a ¹⁰double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, ¹¹Everlasting joy will be theirs.

8 For I, the LORD, ¹²love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; And I will faithfully give them their recompense And make an ¹³everlasting covenant with them.

9 Then their offspring will be known among the nations, And their descendants in the midst of the peoples. All who see them will recognize them Because they are the ¹⁴offspring whom the LORD has blessed.

10 I will ¹⁵rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in ¹⁶my God; For He has ¹⁷clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And ¹⁸as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the ¹⁹earth brings forth its sprouts, And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, So the Lord GOD will ²⁰cause ²¹righteousness and praise To spring up before all the nations.

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Isaiah 61:3-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 61

In this chapter both Christ and the church are introduced speaking, in their turns. It begins with the words of Christ, describing his work and office; his qualifications for it; the several parts and branches of it; and the ends to be answered by it; Isa 61:1-3, the reparation of the church; the feeding it by strangers; its being a holy priesthood; its enjoying the riches of the Gentiles; its having honour and joy, instead of shame and confusion; its prosperity in the work of the Lord, and the continuance of its spiritual offspring among the Gentiles, are prophesied of in Isa 61:4-9, and then the church is represented as rejoicing in the Lord, on account of her being clothed with his righteousness, so ornamental to her, Isa 61:10 and the chapter is concluded with a promise of her righteousness and glory appearing before all the nations of the world; of which the following chapter is an illustrious prophecy, Isa 61:11.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible