What does Isaias Chapter 54 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Barren praise and expanded tent accompany a promise of gathered children. Brief forsaking contrasts with mercy and the oath compared to Noe. Jeweled foundations and servants’ inheritance remain attributed assurances.

Chapter breakdown

Isaias 54 summons a barren woman who has not borne or travailed to praise because the desolate has more children than the married. Tent place, skins, cords and stakes are enlarged and strengthened, with movement right and left, seed inheriting Gentiles and inhabiting desolate cities. Shame of youth and reproach of widowhood are to be forgotten. Her maker rules and redeemer is named God of all earth. The edition separately interprets barren Gentiles multiplying in Christ's Church.

The Lord calls her like a forsaken, mourning wife, explaining brief forsaking and hidden face against great mercy and everlasting kindness. Noe's waters supply an oath comparison: no further anger or rebuke. Moving mountains and trembling hills do not remove mercy or peace covenant.

The comfortless, storm-tossed one receives ordered stones, sapphire foundations, jasper bulwarks, graven-stone gates and desirable-stone borders. Children taught by the Lord have great peace; justice accompanies distance from oppression and terror. A formerly strange inhabitant joins her: the verse does not describe an attacking coalition. The maker of smith and destroying killer declares no weapon formed against her prospers and opposing tongues are condemned as servants' inheritance and justice with him. The oracle is reported without expanding it into immunity from every modern physical threat or adding transparent gemstones and deep-driven pegs.

The story inside

Opening: Barren praise and expanded tent accompany a promise of gathered children. Development: Brief forsaking contrasts with mercy and the oath compared to Noe. Conclusion: Jeweled foundations and servants’ inheritance remain attributed assurances.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Barren praise and expanded tent accompany a promise of gathered children.
2
Brief forsaking contrasts with mercy and the oath compared to Noe.
3
Jeweled foundations and servants’ inheritance remain attributed assurances.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 83003–83013
54:1. Give praise, O thou barren, that bearest not: sing forth praise, and make a joyful noise, thou that didst not travail with child: for many are the children of the desolate, more than of her that hath a husband, saith the Lord. 54:2. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and stretch out the skins of thy tabernacles, spare not: lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. 54:3. For thou shalt pass on to the right hand, and to the left: and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and shall inhabit the desolate cities.
Lines 83029–83039
54:8. In a moment of indignation have I hid my face a little while from thee, but with everlasting kindness have I had mercy on thee, said the Lord thy Redeemer. 54:9. This thing is to me as in the days of Noe, to whom I swore, that I would no more bring in the waters of Noe upon the earth: so have I sworn not to be angry with thee, and not to rebuke thee. 54:10. For the mountains shall be moved, and the hills shall tremble; but my mercy shall not depart from thee, and the covenant of my peace shall not be moved: said the Lord that hath mercy on thee.
Lines 83058–83065
54:16. Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and bringeth forth an instrument for his work, and I have created the killer to destroy. 54:17. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper: and every tongue that resisteth thee in judgment, thou shalt condemn. This is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and their justice with me, saith the Lord.