Isaiah 64:10

10 {Your holy cities} have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Isaiah 64:10 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 64:10

Thy holy cities are a wilderness
Meaning either Zion, the city of David, and Jerusalem; the one called the upper, the other the lower city; now uninhabited, and a mere wilderness: or else the other cities of Judea, in which were formerly synagogues for religious service, and in which dwelt many godly families where the worship of God was kept up; but now a desert, at least quite devoid of true religion and godliness. Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation;
which are either explanative of the holy cities in the preceding clauses, or are mentioned as distinct from them; the account proceeding from the lesser to the metropolitan cities, which fared no better than they did, but equally lay desolate; and which fulfilled the prophecy in ( Micah 3:12 ) and was the case of those cities, at the destruction of them by Titus; and to this day are in a ruinous condition in the hands of the Turks.

Isaiah 64:10 In-Context

8 Yet now Yahweh, you [are] our father; we [are] the clay and you [are] our {potter}, and we all [are] the work of your hand.

9 You must not be exceedingly angry, Yahweh, and you must not remember iniquity forever! Look! Behold, now! We all [are] your people!

10 {Your holy cities} have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

11 {Our holy and beautiful temple}, where our ancestors praised you has {been burned} [by] fire, and all our precious objects have become ruins.

12 Will you control yourself because of these, Yahweh? Will you be silent? And will you oppress us exceedingly?

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "The cities of your holiness"