Isaiah 62:4

Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken . . .—The change of name is here partially indicated, and probably finds its starting-point in the marriage of Hezekiah with Hephzi-bah (2Kings 21:1), which, on the assumption of Isaiah’s authorship of these chapters, would be fresh in the prophet’s memory. It would be entirely after his manner to see in the bride’s name, as in those of his own sons, an omen of the future. The fact that the Hebrew word for Forsaken (Azubah) had been borne by a previous queen, the mother of Jehoshaphat (1Kings 22:42), confirms the view here taken. “Hephzi-bah” means “my delight is in her;” and “Beulah,” “married.”

Benson Commentary

Isaiah 62:4-5. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken — As a woman forsaken by her husband. Neither shall thy land be termed Desolate — Neither shall thy places of worship be empty, and thine ordinances of service be unfrequented. He alludes to the desolation of Judah during the Babylonish captivity. But thou shalt be called Hephzibah — My delight is in her; a new name, agreeing with her new condition; and thy land, Beulah — Married, agreeing to her new relation. Whereas she was in a desolate condition, she shall now be as a woman well married, to the great improvement of her state. And thy land shall be married — Thou shalt see the increase of thy children again in the land, as the fruit of thy married condition, who, by reason of thy being forsaken of thy husband, were, in a manner, wasted and decayed: and this refers to the great enlargement of the church in the gospel days. Or, thy land shall be possessed, as הבעל

may be properly rendered, and so the expression answers to desolate. Thou shalt be no more desolate, but possessed. For as a young man marrieth a virgin — In whom he takes great delight, and whom he exceedingly loves; so shall thy sons marry thee — That is, they shall live with thee, and take great delight in thee. For, as Lowth justly observes, “the word marry is not to be taken strictly, for it would be improper to say that children married their mother.” Thus the LXX., ουτω κατοικησουσιν οι υιοισου, so shall thy sons dwell with thee. Bishop Lowth, however, instead of sons, renders בניןthy builder, or creator, altering or disregarding the Hebrew points. This emendation, it most be acknowledged, would clear the prophet of the impropriety of using a similitude, which implies that Jerusalem was guilty of incest in marrying her sons; and at the same time would add not only grace but force to the whole verse, which, so altered, runs thus: For, as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy Creator marry thee. And as the bridegroom, &c. — The former interpretation, however, which has the sanction of the LXX., and which the present pointing of the Hebrew requires, seems preferable. In the first clause, As a young man marrieth a virgin, Sir John Chardin, in his MS. note on the place, considers the prophet as expressing himself according to the custom of the East, which was, and is, “for youths, that were never married, always to marry virgins; and widowers, however young, to marry widows.” See Harmer’s Observ., 43. p. 482.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

62:1-5 The Son of God here assures his church of his unfailing love, and his pleading for her under all trails and difficulties. She shall be called by a new name, a pleasant name, such as she was never called by before. The state of true religion in the world, before the preaching of the gospel, no man seemed to have any real concern for. God, by his grace, has wrought that in his church, which makes her his delight. Let us thence learn motives to holiness. If the Lord rejoices over us, we should rejoice in his service.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken - That is, thou shalt be no more so forsaken as to make such an I appellation proper. This refers to the new name which the prophet says Isaiah 62:2 will be conferred on her.

Neither shall thy land - Thy country shall no more be so wasted that the term desolation (שׁממה shemâmâh, Greek ἔρημος erēmos) shall be properly applied to it.

But thou shalt be called Hepzi-bah - Margin, as Hebrew, 'My delight is in her.' The idea is, that Yahweh would show her such favor, and he would have so much pleasure in his people, that this name of endearment would be appropriately given to her. The Septuagint renders this, Θέλημα ἐμὸν Thelēma emon - 'My will,' or my delight. The sense is, that Jerusalem would be eminently the object of his delight.

And thy land Beulah - Margin, as Hebrew, 'Married;' or rather, 'thou art married.' The Septuagint renders it, Οἰκουμένη Oikoumenē - 'Inhabited.' Lowth renders it, 'The wedded matron.' The figure is taken from a female who had been divorced, and whose appropriate name was Forsaken.' God says here that the appropriate name henceforward would not be the Forsaken, but the married one - the one favored and blessed of God (see the notes at Isaiah 1. 1). Language like this is common in the East. 'A sovereign is spoken of as married to his dominions; they mutually depend on each other. When a king takes possessions from another, he is said to be married to them' - (Roberts).

Thy land shall be married - See the notes at Isaiah 54:4-6, where this figure is extended to greater length. By a similar figure the church is represented as the beautiful bride of the Lamb of God Revelation 21:9; Revelation 19:7.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

4. be termed—be "forsaken," so as that that term could be applicable to thee.

Hephzi-bah—(2Ki 21:1), the name of Hezekiah's wife, a type of Jerusalem, as Hezekiah was of Messiah (Isa 32:1): "my delight is in her."

Beulah—"Thou art married." See the same contrast of Zion's past and future state under the same figure (Isa 54:4-6; Re 21:2, 4).

land … married—to Jehovah as its Lord and Husband: implying not only ownership, but protection on the part of the Owner [Horsley].

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; as a woman forsaken by her husband, contemptible, and of low esteem.

Neither shall thy land, i.e. the inhabitants of the land, a metonymy of the subject,

any more be termed Desolate; though it be now almost void of inhabitants, it shall be impeopled again.

Thou shalt be called, i.e. be, as you have frequently had such instances.

Hephzi-bah; My delight is in her; a new name, agreeing with her new condition.

Beulah;

Married, agreeing to her new relation; she shall be as one well married, to the great improvement of her state, Jeremiah 3:14 Hosea 2:18-20.

Thy land shall be married; thou shalt see the increase of thy children again in thy land, as the fruit of thy married condition, which by reason of thy being forsaken of thy husband were in a manner wasted and decayed; and this refers to the great enlargement of the church in the gospel days. Or rather, shall be possessed, as the word baal properly signifies; and so it answers to desolate, Thou shalt be no more desolate, but possessed; and this helps to solve a difficulty in the next verse, which otherwise may seem an impropriety, that the sons would marry the mother.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Thou shall no more be termed Forsaken,.... That is, of the Lord her God, as she had seemed to be to others, and thought to be so by herself, Isaiah 49:14, not having so much of his gracious presence as is desirable; sensible communion with him being withheld; the word and ordinances not owned and blessed, or very little; and few souls converted; and the interest of Christ, labouring under many difficulties and discouragements, under the reproaches and persecutions of men, and so looked as if forsaken of God; but in the latter day all these complaints shall be removed; and the presence of God will be very manifest in his churches, and among his people; and they will appear to be his care and charge; see Isaiah 60:15,

neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate; as the Gentile world was before the preaching of the Gospel in it; and as the land of Israel now is, and the Jewish people are, having rejected the Messiah, and continuing in impenitence and unbelief; and as the church of Christ is, when the word and ordinances are neglected, or little success attends them; but now more shall be the children of the desolate than of the married wife; many souls shall be born again in Zion, and many sons and daughters brought there, and brought up there, and therefore shall not be called desolate, Isaiah 49:19,

but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah; the former of these was the name of Hezekiah's mother, 2 Kings 21:1 and a fit name for the church of Christ, who is pleasant to him for delights, Sol 7:6 and the latter well agrees with her being married to Christ. The meaning of these names is explained in the next clause; or the reason of their being given:

for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land is married; the former explains "Hephzibah", which signifies "my delight is in her"; Christ delighted in his church from everlasting, as they were the objects of his own and his Father's love; as chosen in him, and given to him as his spouse and bride, Proverbs 8:31 and he delights in them in time, as clothed with his righteousness, washed in his blood, and adorned with the graces of his Spirit; he delights in their company, to hear their voice, and see their countenance; they are the excellent in the earth, in whom is all his delight, Psalm 16:2, and he will delight in them hereafter, in the spiritual reign, when he will glorify and beautify them, and make them an eternal excellency, Isaiah 60:7, and in the personal reign, when they shall be as a bride adorned for her husband, and his tabernacle shall be among them, and he will reign with them, and they with him; during which time he will be presenting them to himself, and delighting in them, as a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, Revelation 21:2 and in heaven to all eternity. The latter clause explains "Beulah", which signifies "married", as the church secretly was to Christ from all eternity; in the latter day the espousals of her to him will be more open and manifest; then the marriage of the Lamb will be come, and it will more clearly appear that she is in such a state, by the numerous converts in her, or sons and daughters that will be born in her to Christ, both of Jews and Gentiles, Revelation 19:7.

Geneva Study Bible

Thou shalt no more be termed {e} Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be {f} married.

(e) You will no longer be contemned as a woman forsaken by her husband.

(f) That it may be replenished with children.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

4, 5. The reunion of Zion with her Husband and her children. Cf. ch. Isaiah 49:14 ff., Isaiah 54:1 f., 4 ff.

Forsaken] Hebr. ‘ăsûbâh; found as a proper name in 1 Kings 22:42. Similarly Hephzi-bah (= “delight in her”) is the actual name of the mother of Manasseh (2 Kings 21:1).

Beulah] (bĕ‘ûlâh) i.e. “married,” see ch. Isaiah 54:1.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 4. - Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken. Judah had believed herself" forsaken" of God (Isaiah 49:14), and had actually been, in a certain sense, forsaken "for a small moment" (Isaiah 54:7). Her enemies, it would seem, had gone so far as to give her the name in derision. Neither shall thy land ... be termed Desolate. Judaea had not only been desolated by the Babylonian invaders under Nebucbarlnezzar, but had remained "desolate" during the whole period of the Captivity (Isaiah 32:13, 14; Isaiah 49:19, etc.). It had come to be spoken of as Sh'marnah, "a desolation" (see Jeremiah 34:22; Jeremiah 44:2, 6; Ezekiel 33:29; Ezekiel 36:34). Now all should be altered. As Ezekiel prophesied, "The land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced and are inhabited" (Ezekiel 36:35). Thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah; i.e. "my delight is in her." Hephzi-bah was the name of Hezekiah's queen, Manasseh's mother (2 Kings 21:1). And thy land Beulah. Beulah, or rather Be'ulah, means "married" (comp. Isaiah 54:1). Judaea would be "married" to her sons, or her people, when they quitted Babylon and once more took possession of her. The Hebrew verb toe "to marry" (as a man marries) means literally "to be lord over." Isaiah 62:4

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Zion will be once more the beloved of God, and her home the bride of her children. "Men will no more call thee 'Forsaken one;' and thy land they will no more call 'Desert:' but men will name thee 'My delight in her,' and thy home 'Married one:' for Jehovah hath delight in thee, and thy land is married. For the young man marrieth the maiden, thy children will marry thee; and as the bridegroom rejoiceth in the bride, thy God will rejoice in thee." The prophecy mentions new names, which will now take the place of the old ones; but these names indicate what Zion appears to be, not her true nature which is brought to the light. In the explanatory clause לך stands at the head, because the name of Zion is given first in distinction from the name of her land. Zion has hitherto been called ‛ăzūbhâh, forsaken by Jehovah, who formerly loved her; but she now receives instead the name of chephtsı̄-bhâh (really the name of a woman, viz., the wife of Hezekiah, and mother of Manasseh, 2 Kings 21:1), for she is now the object of true affection on the part of Jehovah. With the rejoicing of a bridegroom in his bride (the accusative is used here in the same sense as in גדלה שׂמחה שׂמח; Ges. 138, 1) will her God rejoice in her, turning to her again with a love as strong and deep as the first love of a bridal pair. And the land of Zion's abode, the fatherland of her children, was hitherto called shemâmâh; it was turned into a desert by the heathen, and the connection that existed between it and the children of the land was severed; but now it shall be called be‛ūlâh, for it will be newly married. A young man marries a virgin, thy children will marry thee: the figure and the fact are placed side by side in the form of an emblematical proverb, the particle of comparison being omitted (see Herzog's Cyclopaedia, xiv 696, and Ges. 155, 2, h). The church in its relation to Jehovah is a weak but beloved woman, which has Him for its Lord and Husband (Isaiah 54:5); but in relation to her home she is the totality of those who are lords or possessors (ba‛alē, 2 Samuel 6:2) of the land, and who call the land their own as it were by right of marriage. Out of the loving relation in which the church stands to its God, there flows its relation of authority over every earthly thing of which it stands in need. In some MSS there is a break here.