Isaiah 65:23
in Isaiah 65They will not labor in vain or bear children doomed to disaster; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD—they and their descendants with them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for calamity; for they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them.
KJV
They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.
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This verse in Isaiah 65
Commentary
11 notes on this verse(Verse 23) For according to the days of a tree, the days of my people will be, and the work of their hands will grow old with my chosen. They will not labor in vain, nor bring forth children in trouble, for they are the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants will be with them. LXX: For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of my people: and the works of their hands shall be multiplied.
This site's exposition
No longer will a nursing infant live but a few days
on Isaiah 65:20-23
Long life becomes the rule: “No longer will a nursing infant live but a few days”. The verse still counts death and the accursed, set beside Revelation 21:4, where death is no more. The curse of Deuteronomy 28:30 is reversed: “They will build houses and dwell in them”.
This site's exposition
They will not labor in vain
Doomed to disaster is for terror, Jamieson, Fausset & Brown explain, children born to die, as in Leviticus 26:16. Clarke moves the chosen ones from the end of verse 22 to open this verse, with the Syriac and Vulgate. Barnes names two ways labor was lost, barren land and plunder.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
When God sees in us some beginnings of a good will, he at once enlightens it and strengthens it and urges it on toward salvation, increasing that which he himself implanted or which he sees to have arisen from our own efforts. In his goodness, not only does he inspire us with holy desires, but actually creates occasions for life and opportunities for good results, and shows to those in error the way of salvation.
The Medieval Church1 voice
And as to the peace of their children: nor bring forth in trouble, as though bringing forth children into servitude to their enemies: good things continue with their seed (Sir 44:11).
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He will make the times that come after comfortable to their children. As they shall be good, so it shall be well with them; they shall not be brought forth to days of trouble; nor shall it ever be said, Blessed is the womb that bore not. In the gospel church Christ's name shall be borne up by a succession.
They shall not labour in vain,....
But these things are here prophesied of under the type and figure of the difference God would make between some and others of the Jews after their return out of captivity, between those that feared God and those that did not, with reproofs of the sins then found among them and promises of the blessings then in reserve for them.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
bring forth for trouble--literally, "for terror," that is, "They shall not bring forth children for a sudden death" (Le 26:16; Jer 15:8). seed . . . blessed-- (Isa 61:9). offspring with them-- (Ho 9:12).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
They shall not labor in vain “My chosen shall not labor in vain” - I remove בחירי bechirai, my elect, from the end of the twenty-second to the beginning of the twenty-third verse, on the authority of the Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, and a MS.; contrary to the division in the Masoretic text. - L. The Septuagint is beautiful: My chosen shall not labor in vain, neither shall they beget children for the curse; for the seed is blessed of the Lord, and their posterity with them.” Nor bring forth for trouble “Neither shall they generate a short-lived race” - לבהלה labbehalah, in festinationem, “what shall soon hasten away.” Εις καταραν for a curse, Sept. They seem to have read לאלה lealah. - Grotius. But Psa 78:33 both justifies and explains the word here: - ימיהם בהבל ויכל yemeyhem bahebel vayechal בבהלה ושנותם babbehalah ushenotham “And he consumed their days in vanity; And their years in haste.” μετα σπουδης, say the Septuagint. Jerome on this place of Isaiah explains it to the same purpose: “εις ανυπαρξιαν, hoc est, ut esse desistant.”
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
They shall not labor in vain - That is, either because their land shall be unfruitful, or because others shall plunder them.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִֽיגְעוּ֙ | yigeu | they will labor | H3021 → | 26 times |
| לָרִ֔יק | larik | to <the> emptiness | H7385 → | 12 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יֵלְד֖וּ | yeledu | they will father children | H3205 → | 496 times |
| לַבֶּהָלָ֑ה | labehalah | for <the> sudden terror | H928 → | |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| זֶ֜רַע | zera' | [will be] [the] offspring of | H2233 → | 229 times |
| בְּרוּכֵ֤י | berukhei | [those] blessed of | H1288 → | 330 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| הֵ֔מָּה | hemah | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶ֖ם | vetzeetzaeihem | and descendants their | H6631 → | 11 times |
| אִתָּֽם׃ | ʾitam | [will be] with them | H854 → | 929 times |
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִֽיגְעוּ֙they will labor
yigeuH3021 →26 times
לָרִ֔יקto <the> emptiness
larikH7385 →12 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יֵלְד֖וּthey will father children
yeleduH3205 →496 times
לַבֶּהָלָ֑הfor <the> sudden terror
labehalahH928 →
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
זֶ֜רַע[will be] [the] offspring of
zera'H2233 →229 times
בְּרוּכֵ֤י[those] blessed of
berukheiH1288 →330 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
הֵ֔מָּהthey
hemahH1992 →553 times
וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶ֖םand descendants their
vetzeetzaeihemH6631 →11 times
אִתָּֽם׃[will be] with them
ʾitamH854 →929 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
Acts 2:39This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and currents on the dry ground. I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 8:30
And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.
- Genesis 17:7–8
I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
- Joel 2:32
And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has promised, among the remnant called by…
- 1 Peter 5:10
And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish…
- Isaiah 44:3
Through
Isaiah 61:9Their descendants will be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed.
it leads to
- Psalms 115:14
May the LORD give you increase, both you and your children.
- Acts 3:26
When God raised up His Servant, He sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
- Genesis 22:18
And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
- Psalms 115:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
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); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Calvin, Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah; John Cassian, CONFERENCE 13:8; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.