Isaiah 52:1
in Isaiah 52Awake, awake, clothe yourself with strength, O Zion! Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, holy city! For the uncircumcised and unclean will no longer enter you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
KJV
Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
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This verse in Isaiah 52
Commentary
13 notes on this verse(Chapter 52, Verse 1) Arise, arise, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your garments of glory, O Jerusalem, holy city; for the uncircumcised and the unclean will no longer pass through you. (Verse 1 according to the Septuagint) Rise up, rise up, O Zion; put on your strength, O Zion, and put on your glory, O Jerusalem, holy city. Never again will the uncircumcised and the unclean pass through you. Again, in this place the name Zion is added, as in the Septuagint above, and for this reason it has been slain with the spear.
This site's exposition
clothe yourself with strength
on Isaiah 52:1-3
The double summons “Awake, awake” answers the cup of chapter 51, and Zion is told to put on her “garments of splendor” again. Verse 3 states the terms: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed”, the free grace that 55:1 opens to all.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
He calls the holy city "the church." It is sanctified not by the prescribed cultic system, for the law never perfected anyone, but it is made in the likeness of Christ and participates in his divine nature, according to the communication of the Holy Spirit, in whom we are sealed for the day of redemption, with all vileness washed and removed.… We have been justified by faith in him, who reinforces us in all safety and shelters us in his love from every fierce attack of the devil and wild surges of enemy opposition. And so he teaches us when he says "to Zion or Jerusalem, that is, the church of the living God."
He calls the lower city "Jerusalem," and the city on high "Zion," but both together are one city. This is why he promises restoration to both; and, since foreign nations crossed through it without fear when its inhabitants had been taken captive, he is promising …
The Medieval Church2 voices
Arise, arise. Here he excludes the third impediment to their liberation, which could be doubted from their poverty of goods, promising them gratuitous liberation. And this is divided into two parts: for first, he foretells the liberation of the Jews from the Babylonians; second, the …
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Septem Donis, Collation 5 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Just as the body is adorned by its garment, so the soul is adorned by fortitude; therefore it is called the clothing of the soul; nor is fortitude only the clothing of the soul, or of the glorious Virgin, but indeed of Mother Church. Whence …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Awake - This is a prediction and promise what she should do, that she should awake or arise out of her low estate, and be strong and courageous. Beautiful garments - Thy sorrows shall be ended, and thou shalt be advanced into a glorious condition.
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion,....
They had desired that God would awake and put on his strength, ch. li. Here he calls upon them to awake and put on their strength, to bestir themselves; let them awake from their despondency, and pluck up their spirits, encourage themselves and one another with the hope that all will be well yet, and no longer succumb and sink under their burden.
Thus the gospel Jerusalem is purified by the blood of Christ and the grace of God, and made indeed a holy city.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Awake, awake - (See the notes at Isa 51:9). This address to Jerusalem is intimately connected with the closing verses of the preceding chapter. Jerusalem is there represented as down-trodden in the dust before her enemies. Here she is described under the image of a female that had been clad in the habiliments of mourning, and she is now called on to arise from this condition, and to put on the garments that would be indicative of gladness and of joy.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Arouse thyself from dejection and assume confidence. the holy city-- (Ne 11:1; Re 21:2). no more . . . unclean-- (Isa 35:8; A prophecy never yet fulfilled. uncircumcised--spiritually (Eze 44:9;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
There shall no more come into thee - For יבא yabo, “shall come,” לבא lebo, “to come,” is the reading of five of Kennicott’s and two of De Rossi’s MSS. This is the better reading, כי לא יוסיף לבא ki lo yosiph lebo, “There shall not add to come.” The uncircumcised and the unclean - Christians have turned many passages of the prophets against the Jews; and it is not to be wondered at, that in support of their obstinate and hopeless cause, they should press a prophecy into their service, and make it speak against the Christians. This Kimchi does in this place; for he says, by the uncircumcised, the Christians are meant; and by the unclean the Turks. The Christians are uncircumcised and the Turks, though circumcised, and using many ablutions, are unclean in their works.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עוּרִ֥י | ʾuri | awake | H5782 → | 80 times |
| עוּרִ֛י | ʾuri | awake | H5782 → | 80 times |
| לִבְשִׁ֥י | livshi | put on | H3847 → | 110 times |
| עֻזֵּ֖ךְ | ʾuzekh | strength your | H5797 → | 92 times |
| צִיּ֑וֹן | tziyon | O Zion | H6726 → | 154 times |
| לִבְשִׁ֣י׀ | livshi | put on | H3847 → | 110 times |
| בִּגְדֵ֣י | bigdei | [the] garments of | H899 → | 217 times |
| תִפְאַרְתֵּ֗ךְ | tifartekh | beauty your | H8597 → | 51 times |
| יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ | yerushalim | O Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| עִ֣יר | ʾir | [the] city of | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ | hakodesh | <the> holiness | H6944 → | 469 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יוֹסִ֛יף | yosif | he will repeat | H3254 → | 212 times |
| יָבֹא־ | yavo'- | he will come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| בָ֥ךְ | vakh | in you | ||
| ע֖וֹד | od | again | H5750 → | 490 times |
| עָרֵ֥ל | ʾarel | an uncircumcised [man] | H6189 → | |
| וְטָמֵֽא׃ | vetame' | and an unclean [person] | H2931 → | 88 times |
עוּרִ֥יawake
ʾuriH5782 →80 times
עוּרִ֛יawake
ʾuriH5782 →80 times
לִבְשִׁ֥יput on
livshiH3847 →110 times
עֻזֵּ֖ךְstrength your
ʾuzekhH5797 →92 times
צִיּ֑וֹןO Zion
tziyonH6726 →154 times
לִבְשִׁ֣י׀put on
livshiH3847 →110 times
בִּגְדֵ֣י[the] garments of
bigdeiH899 →217 times
תִפְאַרְתֵּ֗ךְbeauty your
tifartekhH8597 →51 times
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙O Jerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
עִ֣יר[the] city of
ʾirH5892 →1090 times
הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ<the> holiness
hakodeshH6944 →469 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יוֹסִ֛יףhe will repeat
yosifH3254 →212 times
יָבֹא־he will come
yavo'-H935 →2568 times
בָ֥ךְin you
vakh
ע֖וֹדagain
odH5750 →490 times
עָרֵ֥לan uncircumcised [man]
ʾarelH6189 →
וְטָמֵֽא׃and an unclean [person]
vetame'H2931 →88 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
Zechariah 3:4So the angel said to those standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes!” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have removed your iniquity, and I will clothe you with splendid robes.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 61:10
I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 15:22
But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
- Isaiah 61:10
Through
Revelation 21:2I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
it leads to
- Hebrews 11:10
For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
- Revelation 3:12
The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him I will write the name of My God, and the…
- Revelation 21:10
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,
- Hebrews 11:10
Through
Revelation 21:27But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
it leads to
- Revelation 22:14–15
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates.
- Revelation 20:15
And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
- Revelation 3:5
Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His…
- Revelation 22:14–15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PlaceJerusalemZionThe eastern ridge David took from the Jebusites and made his stronghold, the name the Psalms and the prophets give the city the LO…
- PlaceJerusalemJerusalemThe city David took from the Jebusites and made his capital, where Solomon built the temple, where Christ was crucified and rose,…
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 5; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 5:1.52:1; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 16:52.1-3 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.