Second Sunday after Easter
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!
Read the Bible
The NET Bible®
Isaiah 66:7
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- HolmanEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
Before Zion was in labor, she gave birth;before she was in pain, she delivered a boy.
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man-child.
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.
"Before she was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she delivered a son.
"Before she was in labor, she delivered; Before her pain came, she gave birth to a boy.
"A woman does not give birth before she feels the pain; she does not give birth to a son before the pain starts.
"Before she (Zion) was in labor, she gave birth; Before her labor pain came, she gave birth to a boy.
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man-child.
Before she trauailed, she brought foorth: and before her paine came, she was deliuered of a man childe.
"Before she was in labor pains, she gave birth;Before her pangs came, she delivered a male child.
Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before she was in pain, she delivered a boy.
Have you ever heard of a woman who gave birth to a child before having labor pains?
Before going into labor, she gave birth; before her pains came, she delivered a male child.
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man-child.
"A woman does not give birth before she feels the pain. A woman must feel the pain of childbirth before she can see the boy she gives birth to. Who ever heard of such a thing? In the same way, no one ever saw a new world begin in one day. No one has ever heard of a new nation that began in one day. But when Zion feels the pain, she will give birth to her children.
Before she travailed, she gave birth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a male child.
"My holy city is like a woman who suddenly gives birth to a child without ever going into labor.
Before she was in labor she gave birth; before labor pains came to her, she gave birth to a son.
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before pain came to her, she delivered a male child.
like as when a wife bringeth forth a man childe, or euer she suffre the payne of the byrth and anguysh of ye trauayle.
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man-child.
Before her pains came, she gave birth; before her pains, she gave birth to a man-child.
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man-child.
Before she trauailed, she brought foorth: before her paine came, shee was deliuered of a man childe.
Lyke as when a wife bringeth foorth a man childe, or euer she suffer the payne of the birth & anguishe of the trauayle.
Before she that travailed brought forth, before the travail-pain came on, she escaped it and brought forth a male.
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.
Bifor that sche trauelide of child, sche childide; bifor that the sorewe of hir child beryng cam, sche childide a sone.
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man-child.
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a male child.
"Before she was in labor, she gave birth; Before her pain came, She delivered a male child.
"Before the birth pains even begin, Jerusalem gives birth to a son.
"Before she suffered, she gave birth. Before her pain came, a son was born to her.
Before she was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she delivered a son.
Before she travaileth, she hath brought forth, - Before her pains come to her, she hath given birth to a man-child!
Before she was in labour, she brought forth; before her time came to be delivered, she brought forth a man child.
"Before she was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she was delivered of a son.
Before she is pained she hath brought forth, Before a pang cometh to her, She hath delivered a male.
"Before she went into labor, she had the baby. Before the birth pangs hit, she delivered a son. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? Has anyone seen anything like this? A country born in a day? A nation born in a flash? But Zion was barely in labor when she had her babies! Do I open the womb and not deliver the baby? Do I, the One who delivers babies, shut the womb?
"Before she travailed, she brought forth; Before her pain came, she gave birth to a boy.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Isaiah 54:1, Galatians 4:26, Revelation 12:1-5
Reciprocal: Psalms 22:31 - They Ezekiel 16:61 - I will Micah 4:10 - and labour Micah 5:3 - she John 3:10 - and knowest Revelation 12:2 - travailing
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Before she travailed, she brought forth,.... That is, Zion, as appears from the following verse: lest it should be thought that the interest of Christ would be swallowed up and lost in the destruction of the Jews, this, and what follows, are said concerning the conversion of many of that people, both in the first times of the Gospel, and in the latter day, as well as concerning the calling of the Gentiles, and the uniting of both in one church state. Zion, or the church of God, is here compared to a pregnant woman, that brings forth suddenly and easily, without feeling any pain, or going through any travail, or having any birth throes; at least, feeling very little pain and travail, and having very few pangs, and those, as soon as they come, are gone, and an immediate delivery ensues:
before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child; like a woman before she is scarcely sensible of any pain; as soon as ever she perceives the least uneasiness of this kind, is delivered of a son, to her great joy, and the joy of all about her. This is to be understood, not of the sudden and easy deliverance of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, by the proclamation of Cyrus, which occasioned great joy; much less of the birth of Christ, of the Virgin Mary at the inn, and in the stable, which is the sense of some Popish interpreters; much better do some Jewish writers interpret it of the birth and appearance of Christ, before the troubles of their nation came on; so the Targum,
"before distress comes to her, she shall be redeemed; and before trembling comes upon her, her King shall be revealed;''
that is, the King Messiah; and so some copies have it, according to Galatinus r; who also makes mention of another exposition of this passage, by R. Moses Haddarsan, if it may be depended on,
"before he should be born that should bring Israel into the last captivity, the Redeemer should be born;''
that is, as he explains it, before the birth of Titus, who destroyed the temple and city of Jerusalem, the Messiah should be born; but the passage refers not to his natural but mystical birth, or the regeneration of a spiritual seed in his church; or of the conversion of the first Christians both in Judea and in the Gentile world; who were like a man child, strong and robust, able to bear and did endure great hardships for the sake of Christ, and do him much work and service, in which they persevered to the end; see Galatians 4:26, as the first Christians did through various persecutions, until the times of Constantine, by whom they were delivered from them, and who is prophesied of as the church's man child, as in Revelation 12:2.
r De Arcan. Cathol. Ver. I. 4. c. 11. p. 219.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Before she travailed, she brought forth - That is, Zion. The idea here is, that there would be a great and sudden increase of her numbers. Zion is here represented, as it often is, as a female (see Isaiah 1:8), and as the mother of spiritual children (compare Isaiah 54:1; Isaiah 49:20-21). The particular idea here is, that the increase would be sudden - as if a child were born without the usual delay and pain of parturition. If the interpretation given of Isaiah 66:6 be correct, then this refers probably to the sudden increase of the church when the Messiah came, and to the great revivals of religion which attended the first preaching of the gospel. Three thousand were converted on a single day Acts 2:0, and the gospel was speedily propagated almost all over the known world. Vitringa supposes that it refers to the sudden conversion of the Gentiles, and their accession to the church.
She was delivered of a man child - Jerome understands this of the Messiah. who was descended from the Jewish church. Grotius supposes that the whole verse refers to Judas Maccabeus, and to the liberation of Judea under him before anyone could have hoped for it! Calvin (Commentary in loc.) supposes that the word male here, or manchild, denotes the manly or generous nature of those who should be converted to the church; that they would be vigorous and active, not effeminate and delicate (generosam prolem, non mollem aut effeminatam). Vitringa refers it to the character and rank of those who should be converted, and applies it particularly to Constantine, and to the illustrious philosophers, orators, and senators, who were early brought under the influence of the gospel. The Hebrew word probably denotes a male, or a man-child, and it seems to me that it is applied here to denote the character of the early converts to the Christian faith. They would not be feeble and effeminate; but vigorous, active, energetic. It may, perhaps, also be suggested, that, among the Orientals, the birth of a son was deemed of much more importance, and was regarded as much more a subject of congratulation than the birth of a female. If an allusion be had to that fact, then the idea is, that the increase of the church would be such as would be altogether a subject of exultation and joy.
