Isaiah 66:11
in Isaiah 66so that you may nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you may drink deeply and delight yourselves in her glorious abundance.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.
KJV
That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.
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This verse in Isaiah 66
Commentary
11 notes on this verseThat ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breast of her consolations,.... This, according to our version, expresses the end of the church's friends being called together to rejoice with her, that they might partake of her joys and comforts, delights and pleasures: but the words may be better rendered, either, according to Kimchi's sense, "therefore shall ye suck" (t), &c.; because ye have mourned for her, and because ye have rejoiced with her; or rather, as Noldius (u), "because ye suck", &c.; partake of her privileges and ordinances, so give a reason why they should rejoice with her.
This site's exposition
Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her
on Isaiah 66:10-11
“Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her, all who love her” calls the mourners into joy. The images make Jerusalem the source of comfort, a mother feeding her children, “so that you may nurse and be satisfied”. The grief the book's early chapters voiced is answered here.
This site's exposition
delight yourselves in her glorious abundance
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown give the Hebrew behind glorious abundance as a flow like rays, milk streaming from her breasts. Barnes finds the same figure at 60:16 and 49:23. Wesley reads her comforting breasts as the gospel and her glory as Christ.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
This struggle is the correction of noble good deeds in them. For their sweat is profitable, and they have youth-like endurance in order to gain not an earthly possession but rather so that they become filled with graces from God and are satisfied in every desire. To these he makes this promise, "Like infants at the breast you will be filled by the breasts of consolation."
The Medieval Church1 voice
And the fruit of congratulation as to participation in her gladness or peace: that you may suck: your breasts are better than wine (Song 1:1); as to participation in her glory, that you may milk out, as though extracting milk: then shall you abound in …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Consolations - The gospel doctrine was their breasts of consolation. Her glory - Christ was the glory of the people of Israel, though he was also a light to the Gentiles.
He that, &c. - Solomon, Prov. xv, 8, gives a full commentary on the whole verse; The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. As if - From hence it is plain, that the prophet is not here reflecting upon idolatrous worship, but formal worship: upon those who in a formality worshipped the true God, and by acts which he had appointed.
The word of God, the covenant of grace (especially the promises of that covenant), the ordinances of God, and all the opportunities of attending on him and conversing with him, are the breasts, which the church calls and counts the breasts of her consolations, where her comforts are laid up, and whence by faith and prayer they are drawn.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
That ye may suck - The same figure occurs in Isa 60:16; and substantidally in Isa 49:23. See the note at those places. That ye may milk out - The image is an obvious one. It means that they who sympathized with Zion would be nourished by the same truth, and comforted with the same sources of consolation.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
49:23). abundance--Hebrew, "the ray-like flow of her opulence," that is, with the milk spouting out from her full breasts (answering to the parallel, "breast of her consolations") in ray-like streams [GESENIUS].
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
With the abundance of her glory “From her abundant stores” - For מזיז mizziz, from the splendor, two MSS. and the old edition of 1488, have מזיו mizziv; and the latter ז zain is upon a rasure in three other MSS. It is remarkable that Kimchi and Sal. ben Melec, not being able to make any thing of the word as it stands in the text, say it means the same with מזיו mizziv; that is, in effect, they admit of a various reading, or an error in the text. But as Vitringa observes, what sense is there in sucking nourishment from the splendor of her glory? He therefore endeavors to deduce another sense of the word זיז ziz; but, as far as it appears to me, without any authority. I am more inclined to accede to the opinion of those learned rabbins, and to think that there is some mistake in the word; for that in truth is their opinion, though they disguise it by saying that the corrupted word means the very same with that which they believe to be genuine. So in Isa 41:24 they say that אפע apha, a viper, means the same with אפס ephes, nothing; instead of acknowledging that one is written by mistake instead of the other. I would propose to read in this place מזין mizzin or מזן mizzen, which is the reading of one of De Rossi’s MS., (instead of מזיז meziz), from the stores, from זון zun, to nourish, to feed; see Gen 45:23;2Ch 11:23; Psa 144:13. And this perhaps may be meant by Aquila, who renders the word by απο παντοδαπιας· with which that of the Vulgate, ab omnimoda gloria, and of Symmachus and Theodotion, nearly agree. The Chaldee follows a different reading, without improving the sense; מיין meyin, from the wine. - L.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
and like a flooding stream I extend to her the wealth of the nations.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לְמַ֤עַן | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| תִּֽינְקוּ֙ | tineku | you may suck | H3243 → | 33 times |
| וּשְׂבַעְתֶּ֔ם | useva'tem | and you will be satisfied | H7646 → | 97 times |
| מִשֹּׁ֖ד | mishod | from [the] breast of | H7699 → | 24 times |
| תַּנְחֻמֶ֑יהָ | tanchumeiha | consolations its | H8575 → | |
| לְמַ֧עַן | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| תָּמֹ֛צּוּ | tamotzu | you may suck | H4711 → | |
| וְהִתְעַנַּגְתֶּ֖ם | vehitanagtem | and you will take delight | H6026 → | 10 times |
| מִזִּ֥יז | miziz | from [the] nipple of | H2123 → | |
| כְּבוֹדָֽהּ׃ ס | kevodah | abundance its | H3519 → | 200 times |
לְמַ֤עַןso that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
תִּֽינְקוּ֙you may suck
tinekuH3243 →33 times
וּשְׂבַעְתֶּ֔םand you will be satisfied
useva'temH7646 →97 times
מִשֹּׁ֖דfrom [the] breast of
mishodH7699 →24 times
תַּנְחֻמֶ֑יהָconsolations its
tanchumeihaH8575 →
לְמַ֧עַןso that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
תָּמֹ֛צּוּyou may suck
tamotzuH4711 →
וְהִתְעַנַּגְתֶּ֖םand you will take delight
vehitanagtemH6026 →10 times
מִזִּ֥יזfrom [the] nipple of
mizizH2123 →
כְּבוֹדָֽהּ׃ סabundance its
kevodahH3519 →200 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Peter 2:2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
it leads to
- Hebrews 5:12–13
Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food!
- Ephesians 4:15
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.
- 2 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
- Hebrews 5:12–13
Through
Psalms 36:8They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from Your river of delights.
it leads to
- Psalms 16:11
You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
- Psalms 65:4
Blessed is the one You choose and bring near to dwell in Your courts! We are filled with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple.
- Isaiah 58:11
The LORD will always guide you; He will satisfy you in a sun-scorched land and strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
- Jeremiah 31:12–14
They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD—the grain, new wine, and oil, and the young of the flocks and…
- Psalms 63:5
My soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods; with joyful lips my mouth will praise You.
- Psalms 16:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 5:6.66:10-12; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.