Isaiah 54:2

2 Alarge thou the place of thy tent, and stretch forth the skins of thy tabernacles; spare thou not, make long thy ropes, and make firm thy nails. (Enlarge thou the place of thy tent, and stretch forth the curtains of thy tent; do not spare thou, make thy ropes long, and make thy nails firm.)

Isaiah 54:2 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 54:2

Enlarge the place of thy tent
To which the church is compared, because of its uncertain and movable condition, being sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another; and because of its outward meanness and weakness, as well as its small extent; but now it is signified that it should be enlarged, and room be made for an accession of in habitants to it; or, in other words, that the Gospel church state should not be confined to Jerusalem, but should take place in other parts of Judea, and in Galilee, and in Samaria; hence we read of churches in those places, ( Acts 9:31 ) :

and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitation;
alluding to the curtains of which tents or tabernacles were made, which used to be stretched out on poles or stakes, in order to make more room, and hold more people. This may respect the spreading of the Gospel by the apostles, who may be here meant, and the success of it, especially among the Gentiles; who may be said to stretch out the curtains of the tent, the church, when, according to their commission, they went and preached the Gospel to every creature. First they travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching to the Jews only; but when they wholly rejected the Gospel, they turned to the Gentiles, and went everywhere preaching the word, ( Acts 11:19 ) ( 13:46 ) , and their ministry was blessed to the conversion of multitudes, and Gospel churches were set up in all parts of the world. The Apostle Paul was an eminent instrument of stretching these curtains, who went from Jerusalem, round about to Illyricum, fully preaching the Gospel of Christ, ( Romans 15:19 ) :

spare not:
any cost or pains, to spread the Gospel, enlarge the interest of Christ, and increase his church and people; as did not the apostles of Christ, who may be supposed to be the persons here addressed:

lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;
the curtains being stretched out, it was necessary the cords, to which they were fastened, should be lengthened, that they might reach further, and take in a greater compass; and the wider the tent is made by such means, the stronger should be the staves, and the more surely should they be drove and fixed in the earth, to hold the cords with the curtains bound unto them; all which express the enlargement of the church in the Gentile world, by means of the Gospel ministry and discipline. The Targum is,

``multiply the people of thy camp, and strengthen the governors.''

Isaiah 54:2 In-Context

1 Thou barren, that childest not, praise; thou that childest not, sing praising, and make joy; for why many sons be of the forsaken, more than of her that had [the] husband, saith the Lord. (Thou barren woman, who never gave birth, praise ye; thou who never gave birth, sing praises, and make joy; for many sons and daughters be of the deserted woman, more than of her who had the husband, saith the Lord.)

2 Alarge thou the place of thy tent, and stretch forth the skins of thy tabernacles; spare thou not, make long thy ropes, and make firm thy nails. (Enlarge thou the place of thy tent, and stretch forth the curtains of thy tent; do not spare thou, make thy ropes long, and make thy nails firm.)

3 For thou shalt pierce to the right side and to the left side; and thy seed shall inherit heathen men, and shall dwell in forsaken cities. (For thou shalt break forth to the right and to the left; and thy children shall inherit the heathen, and shall live in abandoned cities.)

4 Do not thou dread, for thou shalt not be shamed, neither thou shalt be ashamed. For it shall not shame thee; for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and thou shalt no more think on the shame of thy widowhood. (Do not thou fear, for thou shalt not be shamed, nor shalt thou be ashamed. For it shall not shame thee; for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and thou shalt think no more about the shame of thy widowhood.)

5 For he that made thee, shall be lord of thee; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thine again-buyer, the Holy of Israel, shall be called God of all earth. (For he who made thee, shall be thy lord, or thy husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, shall be called the God of all the earth.)