Isaiah 26:18 - Printer Friendly

What does Isaiah 26:18 mean?

ESV: we were pregnant, we writhed, but we have given birth to wind. We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth, and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen.

NIV: We were with child, we writhed in labor, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth, and the people of the world have not come to life.

NASB: We were pregnant, we writhed in labor, We gave birth, as it seems, only to wind. We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth, Nor were inhabitants of the world born.

CSB: We became pregnant, we writhed in pain; we gave birth to wind. We have won no victories on earth, and the earth's inhabitants have not fallen.

NLT: We, too, writhe in agony, but nothing comes of our suffering. We have not given salvation to the earth, nor brought life into the world.

KJV: We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

NKJV: We have been with child, we have been in pain; We have, as it were, brought forth wind; We have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth, Nor have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

Verse Commentary:

Isaiah has compared Israel's anguish under God's discipline to the pain endured by a pregnant woman as she gets closer to giving birth. This pain increases with each new contraction, bringing the woman to sob as it grows more intense. Isaiah has been clear: The Lord brought this pain on Israel in increasing amounts because of their unfaithfulness to Him (Isaiah 26:16–17).

Now Isaiah changes the metaphor slightly. For the woman giving birth, all the pain and distress is set aside once the birth is completed and a new life begins. The pain is replaced by joy and partially forgotten (John 16:21). We may expect Isaiah to say the same about Israel's discipline and eventual repentance. The pain of the Lord's discipline is replaced by the joy of being restored in relationship and receiving His blessings once more. This is a good analogy, but it's not the one that Isaiah uses in this passage.

Instead, he explains that of that distress in Israel under the Lord's discipline yields nothing meaningful in the end. Unlike the woman who gives birth to a baby, Israel's agony resulted only in giving birth "to wind" because of their faithlessness to the Lord. Repentance may lead to restoration, but that specific generation lost the opportunity to accomplish the mission given by God (Numbers 14:26–32).

If Israel had been faithful to the Lord, He would have continued to bless them in all the ways that He promised (Deuteronomy 28:1–7). This would include victory over their enemies and becoming the source of ultimate blessing to all the earth (John 4:22). Instead, Isaiah laments that his people have not accomplished the deliverance of the world. This deliverance, he believes, could have come from their obedience to the Lord. The wicked, idol-worshipping nations of the earth have not fallen before them because Israel did not keep their covenant with God.

It is important to remember that God still accomplished His purpose on earth. Through Christ, He still brought blessing to the nations through Israel (Acts 1:8). The Lord will still bring final justice to all the earth's wickedness. God's purpose is never thwarted by human failure. Instead, Isaiah seems to be saying that his generation missed the opportunity to be directly used by the Lord to accomplish His will (Numbers 14:20–23). They missed the chance to bring about God's justice, and to experience His full blessing. Chasing foreign gods and rebellion against the Lord resulted in the world turning as it always had, without the full blessings of the Lord.

Those who know the Lord through faith in Jesus face similar opportunities and consequences. It is possible for us to belong to Him but to waste our chance to participate in accomplishing His good in the world. Peter described those who stop growing as being ineffective and unfruitful (1 Peter 1:8–11). We can live as if we have forgotten our own forgiveness through the blood of Christ. The result is not lost salvation; it is wasted time this side of eternity (1 Corinthians 3:15).

However, salvation will come for those who belong to the Lord and have died (Isaiah 26:19).

Isaiah 26:16–21 recalls the distress of the Lord's discipline. When Israel sinned, God sent them consequences to inspire repentance. Despite the struggles and trials of life on earth, human effort eventually comes to nothing. And yet, for those who trust in God, there will be a resurrection of the dead. Isaiah calls for the people of the Lord to take shelter while the fury of God's judgment passes over the earth.

Chapter Summary:

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 Context:

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).

Accessed 5/7/2024 12:55:06 AM