Isaiah 64:10
New International Version
Your sacred cities have become a wasteland; even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation.

New Living Translation
Your holy cities are destroyed. Zion is a wilderness; yes, Jerusalem is a desolate ruin.

English Standard Version
Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Berean Standard Bible
Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wasteland and Jerusalem a desolation.

King James Bible
Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

New King James Version
Your holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

New American Standard Bible
Your holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

NASB 1995
Your holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

NASB 1977
Thy holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Legacy Standard Bible
Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Amplified Bible
Your holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Christian Standard Bible
Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

American Standard Version
Thy holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Contemporary English Version
Every one of your towns has turned into a desert, especially Jerusalem.

English Revised Version
Thy holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Your holy cities have become a desert. Zion has become a desert. Jerusalem is a wasteland.

Good News Translation
Your sacred cities are like a desert; Jerusalem is a deserted ruin,

International Standard Version
Your holy cities have become a desert; Zion has become like a desert, Jerusalem a desolation.

Majority Standard Bible
Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wasteland and Jerusalem a desolation.

NET Bible
Your chosen cities have become a desert; Zion has become a desert, Jerusalem is a desolate ruin.

New Heart English Bible
Your holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become like a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

World English Bible
Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Your holy cities have been a wilderness, "" Zion has been a wilderness, "" Jerusalem a desolation.

Young's Literal Translation
Thy holy cities have been a wilderness, Zion a wilderness hath been, Jerusalem a desolation.

Smith's Literal Translation
The cities of thy holy place were desert; Zion was a desert, Jerusalem a desolation.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The city of thy sanctuary is become a desert, Sion is made a desert, Jerusalem is desolate.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The city of your sanctuary has become a desert. Zion has become a desert. Jerusalem is desolate.

New American Bible
Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become wilderness, Jerusalem desolation!

New Revised Standard Version
Your holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Thy holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The cities of your holiness have become a wilderness, and Zion has become a wilderness and Jerusalem a ruin
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Thy holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The city of thy holiness has become desolate, Sion has become as a wilderness, Jerusalem a curse.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Prayer for God's Power
9Do not be angry, O LORD, beyond measure; do not remember our iniquity forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray; we are all Your people! 10Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wasteland and Jerusalem a desolation. 11Our holy and beautiful temple, where our fathers praised You, has been burned with fire, and all that was dear to us lies in ruins.…

Cross References
Lamentations 1:4
The roads to Zion mourn, because no one comes to her appointed feasts. All her gates are deserted; her priests groan, her maidens grieve, and she herself is bitter with anguish.

Lamentations 2:7
The Lord has rejected His altar; He has abandoned His sanctuary; He has delivered the walls of her palaces into the hand of the enemy. They have raised a shout in the house of the LORD as on the day of an appointed feast.

Jeremiah 26:18
“Micah the Moreshite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and told all the people of Judah that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, and the temple mount a wooded ridge.’

Micah 3:12
Therefore, because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, and the temple mount a wooded ridge.

Psalm 79:1
A Psalm of Asaph. The nations, O God, have invaded Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple and reduced Jerusalem to rubble.

Nehemiah 2:3
and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

Nehemiah 2:17
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.”

2 Kings 25:9
He burned down the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem—every significant building.

2 Chronicles 36:19
Then the Chaldeans set fire to the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem. They burned down all the palaces and destroyed every article of value.

Jeremiah 52:13
He burned down the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem—every significant building.

Ezekiel 36:4
therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD. This is what the Lord GOD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and abandoned cities, which have become a spoil and a mockery to the rest of the nations around you.

Ezekiel 36:34-35
The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through. / Then they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden. The cities that were once ruined, desolate, and destroyed are now fortified and inhabited.’

Matthew 23:37-38
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! / Look, your house is left to you desolate.

Luke 13:34-35
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! / Look, your house is left to you desolate. And I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Luke 19:41-44
As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it / and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. / For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side. ...


Treasury of Scripture

Your holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Isaiah 1:7
Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

2 Kings 25:9
And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burnt he with fire.

2 Chronicles 36:19-21
And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof…

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Beautiful Burned Cities Desert Desire Desolation Destruction Fathers Fire Holy House Jerusalem Praise Sacred Wilderness Zion
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Beautiful Burned Cities Desert Desire Desolation Destruction Fathers Fire Holy House Jerusalem Praise Sacred Wilderness Zion
Isaiah 64
1. The church prays for the illustration of God's power
4. Celebrating God's mercy, it makes confession of their natural corruptions
9. It complains of their afflictions














Your holy cities
The phrase "Your holy cities" refers to the cities of Judah, particularly Jerusalem, which were set apart for God's purposes. The Hebrew word for "holy" is "qodesh," indicating something sacred or consecrated. Historically, these cities were centers of worship and the dwelling place of God's people. The holiness of these cities was not just in their physical structures but in their role as places where God's presence was manifest among His people. The lament here is profound, as it reflects the loss of spiritual and cultural identity due to the people's disobedience and subsequent judgment.

have become a wilderness
The transformation into a "wilderness" signifies desolation and abandonment. The Hebrew word "midbar" often denotes a desert or uninhabited land. This imagery is powerful, as it contrasts the former glory and vibrancy of the cities with their current state of ruin. In a spiritual sense, it reflects the consequences of turning away from God, leading to a barren and lifeless existence. The wilderness is also a place of testing and purification, suggesting that through this desolation, there is hope for renewal and restoration.

Zion has become a wasteland
"Zion" is a term that holds deep theological significance, often representing the city of Jerusalem and, more broadly, the people of God. The Hebrew root "tsiyyon" conveys the idea of a parched place, which is fitting given the context of devastation. Zion was the site of the Temple, the heart of Jewish worship and the symbol of God's covenant with Israel. Its transformation into a "wasteland" underscores the severity of the judgment and the depth of the people's estrangement from God. Yet, Zion also carries a promise of future redemption and restoration, as seen in prophetic literature.

Jerusalem a desolation
"Jerusalem" is the capital city, the political and spiritual center of Israel. The Hebrew name "Yerushalayim" is often associated with peace, yet here it is described as a "desolation." The word "desolation" in Hebrew is "shammah," indicating horror or astonishment. This stark depiction serves as a warning of the consequences of sin and rebellion. Historically, Jerusalem's destruction by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. was a pivotal event, leading to the exile. However, the prophetic narrative also holds a promise of hope, as Jerusalem is destined to be restored and become a place of peace and divine presence once again.

(10) Thy holy cities . . .--There is no other instance of the plural, and this probably led the LXX. and Vulg. to substitute the singular. It probably rests on the thought that the whole land was holy (Zechariah 2:12), and that this attribute extended, therefore, to all its cities, especially to those which were connected with historical memories. Possibly, however, Zion and Jerusalem--the former identified with the Temple, the latter with the people of Jehovah--are thought of as two distinct cities, locally united. The "wilderness" is, as elsewhere, rather open pasture-land than a sandy desert.

Verse 10. - Thy holy cities are a wilderness. Commonly Jerusalem stands alone as "the holy city" (Isaiah 48:2; Isaiah 56:1; Daniel 9:24; Nehemiah 11:1, 18); but here the epithet is applied to the cities of Judah generally. They were all in a certain sense "holy," as being comprised within the limits of "the holy land" (Zechariah 2:12) and "the holy border" (Psalm 78:54). Zion... Jerusalem (see the comment on Isaiah 62:1).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Your holy
קָדְשְׁךָ֖ (qāḏ·šə·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6944: A sacred place, thing, sanctity

cities
עָרֵ֥י (‘ā·rê)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 5892: Excitement

have become
הָי֣וּ (hā·yū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a wilderness;
מִדְבָּ֑ר (miḏ·bār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech

Zion
צִיּוֹן֙ (ṣî·yō·wn)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6726: Zion -- a mountain in Jerusalem, also a name for Jerusalem

has become
הָיָ֔תָה (hā·yā·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a wasteland,
מִדְבָּ֣ר (miḏ·bār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech

Jerusalem
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם (yə·rū·šā·lim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

a desolation.
שְׁמָמָֽה׃ (šə·mā·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8077: Devastation, astonishment


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 64:10 Your holy cities are become a wilderness (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 64:9
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