Isaiah 54:12

12 I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.

Isaiah 54:12 in Other Translations

12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

12 I will make your pinnacles of agate, your gates of carbuncles, and all your wall of precious stones.

12 I will make your towers of sparkling rubies, your gates of shining gems, and your walls of precious stones.

12 construct your towers with rubies, Your gates with jewels, and all your walls with precious stones.

12 I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling stones, and all your walls of precious stones.

Isaiah 54:12 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 54:12

And I will make thy windows of agates
Some sort of which stones, Pliny ^F24 says, were valued for their clearness like glass; but the stone which bears this name with us is not clear and lucid enough to make windows of. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it, "of jasper", a stone more fit for that purpose; and it is interpreted of the jasper in the Talmud ^F25; so "the light" of the New Jerusalem is said to be like unto the "jasper stone", ( Revelation 21:11 ) . Some take the crystal to be meant, which suits well with windows; the word ^F26 for which has its name from the sun, because by means of them the rays and light of the sun are let into a house, and illuminate it; these in a figurative sense may design the ministers of the Gospel, who are the lights of the world, especially of the church; and the word and ordinances administered by them, by means of which the light of spiritual knowledge, joy, and comfort, is let into the churches, and into the souls of men, from Christ, the sun of righteousness. The phrase signifies, that in the latter day their ministrations should be very clear and bright, and be greatly owned, and be very successful: "and thy gates of carbuncles"; precious stones so called from their fiery flaming colour. The gates of the New Jerusalem are said to be so many pearls, ( Revelation 21:21 ) which there, as here, signify the entrance into the church of God, which is through Christ, who is the door into it, and through faith in him, which works by love; these gates will be open in the latter day to receive many, who will come in great numbers, and are called "praise", ( Isaiah 60:11 Isaiah 60:18 ) , which will be expressed in very warm and lively strains of love and affection, of which the carbuncle may be a symbol: and all thy borders of pleasant stones;
true believers, called "lively stones", and who are pleasant in the sight of God and Christ, and are taken pleasure in by one another; see ( Psalms 102:14 ) . The Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, "thy wall", which agree with ( Revelation 21:18 ) , where the wall of the New Jerusalem is said to be of jasper.

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 Nat. Hist l. 37. c. 10.
F25 T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 75. 1.
F26 (Kytwvmv) "a radice, quae solem significat", Sanctius,

Isaiah 54:12 In-Context

10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

11 “Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,your foundations with lapis lazuli.

12 I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.

13 All your children will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their peace.

14 In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you.

Cross References

• 1. Revelation 21:21