Isaiah 54 - No Weapon Formed Against Thee Shall Prosper

God's covenant of peace is as sure as his oath never to flood the earth again.

Isaiah 54: No Weapon Formed Against Thee

After the suffering described in Isaiah 53, the tone shifts to celebration as the 'barren' one is told to sing, enlarge her tent, and expect more children than the married wife. God compares his covenant of peace with Zion to his oath after the waters of Noah never to be wroth with the earth again.


Rejoice, O barren that diddest not beare: breake forth into ioy and reioyce, thou that diddest not trauaile with childe: for the desolate hath moe children then the married wife, sayeth the Lord.

Enlarge the place of thy tents, and let them spread out the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, stretch out thy cords and make fast thy stakes.

For thou shalt increase on the right hande and on the left, and thy seede shall possesse the Gentiles, and dwell in the desolate cities.

Feare not: for thou shalt not be ashamed, neither shalt thou be confounded: for thou shalt not bee put to shame: yea, thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproch of thy widdowhoode any more.

For hee that made thee, is thine husband (whose Name is the Lord of hostes) and thy redeemer the Holy one of Israel, shall be called the God of the whole world.

For the Lord hath called thee, being as a woman forsaken, and afflicted in spirite, and as a yong wife when thou wast refused, sayth thy God.

For a litle while haue I forsaken thee, but with great compassion will I gather thee.

For a moment, in mine anger, I hid my face from thee for a litle season, but with euerlasting mercy haue I had compassion on thee, sayth the Lord thy redeemer.

For this is vnto me as the waters of Noah: for as I haue sworne that the waters of Noah should no more goe ouer the earth, so haue I sworne that I would not be angrie with thee, nor rebuke thee.

For the mountaines shall remoue and the hilles shall fall downe: but my mercy shall not depart from thee, neither shall the couenant of my peace fall away, saith the Lord, that hath compassion on thee.

O thou afflicted and tossed with tempest, that hast no comfort, beholde, I wil lay thy stones with the carbuncle, and lay thy foundation with saphirs,

And I will make thy windowes of emeraudes, and thy gates shining stones, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

And all thy children shalbe taught of the Lord, and much peace shalbe to thy children.

In righteousnes shalt thou be established, and be farre from oppression: for thou shalt not feare it: and from feare, for it shall not come neere thee.

Beholde, the enemie shall gather himselfe, but without me: whosoeuer shall gather himselfe in thee, against thee, shall fall.

Beholde, I haue created the smith that bloweth the coales in the fire, and him that bringeth forth an instrument for his worke, and I haue created the destroyer to destroy.

But all the weapons that are made against thee, shall not prosper: and euery tongue that shall rise against thee in iudgement, thou shalt condemne. This is the heritage of the Lords seruants, and their righteousnesse is of me, sayth the Lord.

The chapter's best-known promise, that 'no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper,' offers the same unshakable security later celebrated in <a href="/bible/geneva1599/romans/chapter-8/28">Romans 8:28-39</a>. The invitation to God's abundance continues in <a href="/bible/geneva1599/isaiah/chapter-55">Isaiah 55</a>.