Isaiah 26:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But you have increased the nation, O Lord, you have increased the nation; you are glorified; you have enlarged all the borders of the land.

NIV: You have enlarged the nation, Lord; you have enlarged the nation. You have gained glory for yourself; you have extended all the borders of the land.

NASB: You have increased the nation, Lord, You have increased the nation, You are glorified; You have extended all the borders of the land.

CSB: You have added to the nation, Lord. You have added to the nation; you are honored. You have expanded all the borders of the land.

NLT: O Lord, you have made our nation great; yes, you have made us great. You have extended our borders, and we give you the glory!

KJV: Thou hast increased the nation, O Lord, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.

NKJV: You have increased the nation, O Lord, You have increased the nation; You are glorified; You have expanded all the borders of the land.

Earlier in the chapter Isaiah stated utter confidence that the Lord would establish peace for Israel. He has brought peace before, and He will eventually bring permanent peace to the nation (Isaiah 26:12).

It's not that Israel has never been defeated, conquered, or enslaved. God's people have often been under the thumb of foreign rulers. The prophet has proclaimed that in every case those rulers have died and been wiped from recollection by the Lord. God has remained, and so have His people Israel. The Lord has restored them repeatedly, as they have returned in faithfulness to Him (Isaiah 26:13–14).

This verse concludes this thought. It's not that Israel and Judah have merely survived these defeats by other nations. The Lord has caused His people to thrive in real and practical ways. The numbers of the Israelites continue to increase on the land. The Lord also expands their borders. Although Israel and Judah seemed to be facing extinction once more during Isaiah's time, the prophet knew that God would restore them to peace and prosperity once more. The time would come when God would bless them both forever.

In a similar way, believers in Jesus know that even though they can be hurt, and killed in this life, their ultimate victory in Christ is completely assured:

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal" -–2 Corinthians 4:16–18.

Isaiah 26:1–15 celebrates the Lord's future victory over wickedness on the earth and looks forward to the coming of God's judgment. Isaiah longs for that judgment to come. But the prophet knows the Lord gives perfect peace to all who stay focused on trusting Him. Only the Lord God remains of all those who attempted to rule over Israel.

Chapter 26 is a song to be sung in the land of Judah during the time of the Lord's reign as king over the earth. The towering city of wickedness has been replaced by the strong city of salvation. Isaiah waits, longing for the Lord to come and judge the sinfulness of the world. The Lord will bring peace to Israel for good. Their other rulers are dead and not worthy of remembering. The Lord's discipline has caused His people to turn back to Him. The dead among them will be resurrected after the fury of His judgment.

Chapter 26 is part of a larger section that includes chapters 24–27. The section of the book follows the descriptions of the Lord's judgment on the earth and the beginning of His kingdom through a song to be sung in Judah during that time. The wicked city of the world has been replaced with the city of salvation. Isaiah longs for the Lord to come and judge the earth. The prophet wants all to see the Lord's zeal for His own people by destroying His enemies. Isaiah remembers God's discipline and looks forward to the resurrection of the dead among His people.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).