Isaiah 49:18

18 Lift up your eyes round about, and see: all these gather themselves together, and come to you. As I live, says Yahweh, you shall surely clothe you with them all as with an ornament, and gird yourself with them, like a bride.

Isaiah 49:18 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 49:18

Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold
Look east, west, north, and south, and behold the flocking converts from all parts; see on ( Isaiah 49:12 ) . The words are spoken to the church, and for her comfort; and so the Targum,

``lift up thine eyes round about, O Jerusalem, and see all the children of the people of thy captivity:''

all these gather themselves together, and come to thee;
though of different nations, and come from different quarters, yet coalesce together, make one body, and join themselves with the church, in which they centre, and are incorporated: as I live, saith the Lord;
this is the form of an oath, sometimes used by the Lord, to denote the importance and certainty of a thing, and to assure his people of it: thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all as with an ornament; as
children's children are the crown of old men,
( Proverbs 17:6 ) , so young converts are the crown, glory, and ornament of the church; even such who are beautified with the graces of the Spirit, and whose conversations are as become the Gospel of Christ: and bind them on thee as a bride doeth;
her clothes, the attire of her head, and her jewels. So in the latter day, when the Jews are converted, and the fulness of the Gentiles brought in, the marriage of the Lamb will be come, and the church made ready, as a bride, for her husband, and be very beautiful and comely in his sight, as well as very comfortable and glorious in herself; and which will be matter of joy to all the saints, ( Revelation 19:7 Revelation 19:8 ) . The Targum is,

``all these shall be unto thee as a garment of glory, and their works in the midst of thee as the ornament of a bride.''

Isaiah 49:18 In-Context

16 Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.

17 Your children make haste; your destroyers and those who made you waste shall go forth from you.

18 Lift up your eyes round about, and see: all these gather themselves together, and come to you. As I live, says Yahweh, you shall surely clothe you with them all as with an ornament, and gird yourself with them, like a bride.

19 For, as for your waste and your desolate places, and your land that has been destroyed, surely now shall you be too small for the inhabitants, and those who swallowed you up shall be far away.

20 The children of your bereavement shall yet say in your ears, The place is too small for me; give place to me that I may dwell.