Isaiah 66:9
in Isaiah 66Shall I bring a baby to the point of birth and not deliver it?” says the LORD. “Or will I who deliver close the womb?” says your God.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith Jehovah: shall I that cause to bring forth shut the womb? saith thy God.
KJV
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.
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This verse in Isaiah 66
Commentary
12 notes on this verseShall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth, saith the Lord?.... Or, "to the place of breaking" forth of children, as in Hos 13:13, the womb, and the mouth of it: or, "shall I break or open" that, so some (s) render it; lest too much should or seem to be attributed to the Church, she being said to travail in birth, and bring forth children, this is said by the Lord.
This site's exposition
Before she was in labor, she gave birth
on Isaiah 66:7-9
“Before she was in labor, she gave birth” reverses the order, the delivery before the pain. The question follows, “Can a country be born in a day”. The LORD finishes what He begins: “Shall I bring a baby to the point of birth and not deliver it?”
This site's exposition
bring a baby to the point of birth
The Hebrew verb behind the point of birth describes the breaking open that comes before delivery, Clarke explains. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown set the verse against 37:3, where Hezekiah mourned children come to birth with no strength to deliver. Gill notes that the LORD claims the birth as His work.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Again Isaiah teaches that Jerusalem will not be destroyed root, branch and all. For when he foretold the complete captivity of Jerusalem, he mentioned those chosen to survive. For a not insignificant number will be saved, obviously through faith in Christ—and he wants to make this clear. But the Jews were enraged with him and killed the prince of life. But when he rose again, trampling on death, he returned to his God and Father in heaven. In the meantime, the divine apostles proclaimed him to all, and they called even those who had been enraged with him to repentance and to salvation through faith and the forgiveness of sins through baptism.
The Medieval Church2 voices
And he sets out the response in the person of the Lord: shall not I that make others to bring forth children, myself bring forth, gathering the Jews, or the converted faithful; or the Son, from eternity. Similar to this is Psalm 93[94]:9: he that …
A commentator
BonaventureQuaestiones Disputatae, De Mysterio Trinitatis, Question 6 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
To that which is objected, that the cause of generation and corruption is to be far distant from the First: it must be said that this is not the whole reason. For man, if he had remained in the state of innocence, would never have …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
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.
Shall I - I, that in the ordinary course of my providence use to give a birth to women, to whom I have given a power to conceive, shall I not give a birth to my people, whom by my promises I have made to conceive such expectations?
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
But this was a figure of the setting up of the Christian church in the world, and the replenishing of that family with children which was to be named from Jesus Christ. When the Spirit was poured out, and the gospel went forth from Zion, multitudes were converted in a little time and with little pains compared with the vast product.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Shall I bring to the birth? - The sense of this verse is plain. It is, that God would certainly accomplish what he had here predicted, and for which he had made ample arrangements and preparations. He would not commence the work, and then abandon it. The figure which is used here is obvious; but one which does not render very ample illustration proper. Jarchi has well expressed it: ‘Num ego adducerem uxorem meam ad sellam partus, sc. ad partitudinem, et non aperirem uterum ejus, ut foetum suum in lucem produceret?
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
cause to bring forth, and shut--rather, "Shall I who beget, restrain the birth?" [LOWTH], (Isa 37:3; Ho 13:13); that is, Shall I who have begun, not finish My work of restoring Israel?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Shall I bring to the birth - האני אשביר haani ashbir, num ego matricem frangam; Montanus. The word means that which immediately precedes the appearance of the fetus - the breaking forth of the liquor amnii. This also is an expression that should be studiously avoided in prayers and sermons.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַאֲנִ֥י | haani | ¿ I | H589 → | 874 times |
| אַשְׁבִּ֛יר | ʾashbir | do I bring to [the] birth | H7665 → | 147 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אוֹלִ֖יד | ʾolid | I cause to bring forth | H3205 → | 496 times |
| יֹאמַ֣ר | yomar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | or? | H518 → | 1069 times |
| אֲנִ֧י | ʾani | [am] I | H589 → | 874 times |
| הַמּוֹלִ֛יד | hamolid | the [one who] causes to bring forth | H3205 → | 496 times |
| וְעָצַ֖רְתִּי | veatzarti | and do I restrain? | H6113 → | |
| אָמַ֥ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֱלֹהָֽיִךְ׃ ס | ʾelohayikh | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
הַאֲנִ֥י¿ I
haaniH589 →874 times
אַשְׁבִּ֛ירdo I bring to [the] birth
ʾashbirH7665 →147 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
אוֹלִ֖ידI cause to bring forth
ʾolidH3205 →496 times
יֹאמַ֣רhe says
yomarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אִם־or?
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
אֲנִ֧י[am] I
ʾaniH589 →874 times
הַמּוֹלִ֛ידthe [one who] causes to bring forth
hamolidH3205 →496 times
וְעָצַ֖רְתִּיand do I restrain?
veatzartiH6113 →
אָמַ֥רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
אֱלֹהָֽיִךְ׃ סGod your
ʾelohayikhH430 →2601 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
Genesis 18:14Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”
it leads to
- Luke 1:37
For no word from God will ever fail.”
- Matthew 19:26
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
- Mark 10:27
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
- Jeremiah 32:27
“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?
- Ephesians 3:20
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,
- Luke 1:37
Through
Isaiah 37:3to tell him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them.
it leads to
- Hosea 13:13
Labor pains come upon him, but he is an unwise son. When the time arrives, he fails to present himself at the opening of the womb.
- 2 Kings 19:3
to tell him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them.
- Psalms 50:15
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
- Hosea 13:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
This page draws on 10 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); Bonaventure, Quaestiones Disputatae, De Mysterio Trinitatis, Question 6; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 5:6.66:7-9; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.