Isaiah 26:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

NIV: Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.

NASB: Trust in the Lord forever, For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.

CSB: Trust in the Lord forever, because in the Lord, the Lord himself, is an everlasting rock!

NLT: Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord GOD is the eternal Rock.

KJV: Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

NKJV: Trust in the Lord forever, For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.

This song will be sung in the land of Judah after the Lord has defeated His enemies and taken the throne as King. This is typically associated with the millennial kingdom, ruled by Christ during the end times. This passage is also meant to encourage the Lord's people to put their full trust in Him today (Isaiah 26:1–2). Isaiah declared that the Lord provides absolute assurance to those who keep their minds focused on Him.

This peace is not just a fleeting feeling. Nor is it just about an internal peace. The Lord's salvation and protection from external destruction is real and eternal (Isaiah 26:3). The Lord's people should trust in the Lord forever: God is an enduring rock. In other words, He is worthy of our trust because He is strong, permanent, and secure. The Lord God is the safe place that will never become treacherous. He is the fortress set on the mountain that will never be moved. And He is the high ground the enemy will never reach.

Israel frequently described the Lord as the Rock who would save them:

"The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice" (Deuteronomy 32:4).

"For their rock is not as our Rock; our enemies are by themselves" (Deuteronomy 32:31).

"There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God" (1 Samuel 2:2).

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold" (Psalm 18:2).

"Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy" (Psalm 61:1–3).

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 The towering city of wickedness has been replaced by the strong city of salvation.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).