Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 54

Sing, O barren - That is, shout for joy, lift up the voice of exultation and praise. The ‘barren’ here denotes the church of God under the Old Testament, confined within the narrow limits of the Jewish nation, and still more so in respect to the very small number of true believers, and which seemed sometimes to be deserted by God, her husband (Lowth).

It is here represented under the image of a female who had been childless, and who now has occasion to rejoice on the reconciliation of her husband (Isaiah 54:6; Lowth), and on the accession of the Gentiles to her family.

The Chaldee renders it, ‘Rejoice, O Jerusalem, who have been as a sterile woman that did not bear.’ The church is often in the Bible compared to a female, and the connection between God and his people is often compared with that between husband and wife (Ezekiel 16:0; Revelation 21:2–9; Revelation 22:17).

Thou that didst not bear - This refers either to the fact that the church was confined within the narrow limits of Judea, or that there had been in it a small number of true believers, or it is addressed to the church in Babylon when it was oppressed and perhaps constantly diminishing in number. I think it probable that it refers to the latter. The idea is that she saw her sons destroyed in the siege and destruction of Jerusalem and was not increased by any additions while in Babylon, but would have great occasion for rejoicing on her return and in her future increase under the Messiah by the accession of the Gentiles.

Break forth into singing - (Isaiah 44:23; Isaiah 49:13).

For more are the children of the desolate - The ‘desolate’ here refers to Jerusalem, or the church. By the ‘married woman,’ Rosenmuller supposes the prophet means other nations which flourished and increased like a married woman. Grotius supposes that he means other cities which were inhabited, and that Jerusalem would surpass them all in her prosperity and in numbers.

But the phrase seems to have a somewhat proverbial quality, and probably the idea is that there would be a great increase—a much greater increase than she had any reason to expect. As if a promise were made to a barren female that she should have more children than those who are married usually have, so Jerusalem and the church would be greatly enlarged, far beyond what usually occurred among nations.

The fulfillment of this is to be looked for in the accession of the Gentiles (Isaiah 54:3). ‘The conversion of the Gentiles is consistently considered by the prophet as a new accession of adopted children, admitted into the original church of God, and united with it’ (Lowth). See the same idea presented at greater length in Isaiah 49:20-22.

Enlarge the place of your tent - The same idea occurs in Isaiah 49:19-20 (see the notes at that chapter). The curtains of your habitations.

The word ‘curtain’ does not quite express the sense here. It is commonly used among us to denote the cloth hanging around a bed or at a window, which may be spread or drawn aside at pleasure, or the hanging in theaters to conceal the stage from the spectators.

The word here, however, denotes the canopy or cloth used in a tent. The idea is that the boundaries of the church were to be greatly enlarged to accommodate the vast accession from the pagan world.

Spare not - Do not be parsimonious in the provision of the materials for greatly enlarging the tent to dwell in.

Lengthen your cords - (See the note at Isaiah 33:20).

For thou shalt break forth — (See the notes at Isaiah 49:19-20).

And make the desolate cities — (See the notes at Isaiah 44:26).

Fear not ... - (See notes on Isaiah 41:10 and Isaiah 41:14).

Neither shall you be confounded - All these words mean substantially the same thing; and the prophet's design is to affirm, in the strongest possible manner, that the church of God will be abundantly prospered and enlarged. The image of the barren female is kept up, and the idea is that there will be no occasion for the shame that a childless woman felt.

For you shall forget the shame of your youth - In the abundant increase and glory of future times, the circumstances of shame that attended their early history will be forgotten. The 'youth' of the Jewish people doubtless refers to the bondage of Egypt, and the trials and calamities that came upon them there. So great will their future prosperity and glory be, that all this will be forgotten.

The reproach of your widowhood - The captivity at Babylon, when they were like a woman deprived of her husband and children (see the notes on Isaiah 49:21).

For your Maker is your husband – Both these words, ‘maker’ and ‘husband,’ in Hebrew are in the plural number. But the form is evidently the pluralis excellentiae – a form denoting majesty and honor (see 1 Samuel 19:13, 1 Samuel 19:16; Psalms 149:2; Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 30:3; Ecclesiastes 12:1; Hosea 12:1). Here it refers to ‘Yahweh of hosts,’ necessarily in the singular, as Yahweh is one (Deuteronomy 6:4).

No argument can be drawn from this phrase to prove that there is a distinction of persons in the Godhead, as the form is so often used evidently with a singular signification. That the words here properly have a singular signification was the evident understanding of the ancient interpreters. Thus Jerome states: Quia dominabitur tui qui fecit te – ‘Because He will rule over you who made you.’ So the Septuagint: Ὅτι κύριος ὁ ποιῶν σε, κ.τ.λ. (Hoti kurios ho poiōn se, etc.), ‘For the Lord who made you, the Lord of Sabaoth,’ etc.

So also the Chaldee and the Syriac. Lowth translates it, ‘For your husband is your Maker.’ The word rendered ‘husband,’ from בעל (ba‛al) – denotes properly the lord, maker, or ruler of anyone, or the owner of anything. It often, however, means to be a husband (Deuteronomy 21:13; Deuteronomy 24:1; Isaiah 62:5; Malachi 2:11) and is evidently used in that sense here.

The idea is that Yahweh would sustain to His people the relation of a husband. He who had made them, who had originated all their laws and institutions and molded them as a people (see the note at Isaiah 43:1), would now take His church under His protection and care (see the notes at Isaiah 62:5).

And your Redeemer – (See Notes on Isaiah 43:1-3).

The God of the whole earth – He will no longer be regarded as uniquely the God of the Jewish people, but will be acknowledged as the only true God, the God who rules over all the world. This refers undoubtedly to the times of the gospel, when He will be acknowledged as the God of the Gentiles as well as the Jews .