Isaiah 49:17

17 Your builders outdo your destroyers, and those who laid you waste go away from you.

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 woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.
16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.
17 Your builders outdo your destroyers, and those who laid you waste go away from you.
18 Lift up your eyes all around and see; they all gather, they come to you. As I live, says the Lord, you shall put all of them on like an ornament, and like a bride you shall bind them on.
19 Surely your waste and your desolate places and your devastated land— surely now you will be too crowded for your inhabitants, and those who swallowed you up will be far away.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Or [Your children come swiftly; your destroyers]
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.