When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that the "rest" God gives isn't just an absence of hardship, but a release from deep emotional turmoil, specifically naming "sorrow" and "fear." This implies that God's deliverance offers not only freedom from external oppression but also internal peace and security.
When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a larger prophecy spoken by Isaiah. Following God's judgment on various nations, he now turns to the people of Israel, assuring them that their period of exile and suffering in Babylon will end. The prophecy foretells their eventual liberation and restoration to their homeland, contrasting it with the impending downfall of their oppressors.
What does it truly mean to find rest from sorrow, fear, and hard bondage?
This verse describes a profound deliverance experienced by God's people. It's not just an absence of suffering, but a divinely-granted peace.
A Multi-Faceted Relief
This isn't just any day; it's a specific, appointed time for God's intervention.
The phrase "in the day that the LORD shall give you rest" points to a future, divinely orchestrated event. This isn't a wish, but a prophecy of a time when God's justice and mercy will be fully revealed.
God's Appointed Time
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Understand the original words
rogez · Hebrew Noun
A condition of severe hardship, suffering, or lack of peace; it often describes the spiritual or physical agitation resulting from rebellion against God or the hostility of the world.
This prophecy against Babylon, and the taunt song that follows, is deeply rooted in the experience of the Judean exiles. The 'rest from sorrow and hard bondage' refers to their eventual liberation from Babylonian captivity after the city's fall, a liberation that brought immense relief and a reason for joyous celebration.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
King Sennacherib of Assyria campaigns in Judah, besieging Jerusalem. Though he withdraws, the threat and impact of Assyrian domination loom large.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Under King Nebuchadnezzar II, Babylon begins its rise to power, initiating deportations of Judean people and nobles to Babylon.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylonian forces under Nebuchadnezzar II conquer Jerusalem, destroy the First Temple, and exile a significant portion of the remaining population.
c. 539 BC— this verse
Fall of Babylon to Persia
The Persian Empire, led by Cyrus the Great, conquers Babylon, ending Neo-Babylonian rule and marking a significant shift in regional power.
c. 538 BC
Edict of Cyrus Allows Return
Cyrus the Great issues a decree permitting exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple, bringing an end to the Babylonian exile.
This passage offers a parallel prophecy of God giving His people rest from oppressive nations, detailing how He will establish them safely in their own land and bring judgment upon their enemies.
Jeremiah 30:10Similar to Isaiah, this verse assures future rest and peace for Jacob, promising that they will be delivered from their oppressors and will serve the LORD their God.
Psalm 146:7This psalm speaks of the LORD as the one who executes justice for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry, echoing the theme of divine deliverance and provision promised in Isaiah 14:3.
Matthew 11:28Jesus' invitation to the weary and burdened to come to Him for rest provides a New Testament parallel, showing that true rest from spiritual sorrow and servitude is found in Him.
barnesIsaiah 14:3: "And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,"
And it shall come to pass - That is, then thou shalt take up a taunting song against the king of Babylon Isaiah 14:4 . That the Lord shall give thee rest - (compare Isaiah 38:12). The nature of this predicted rest, is more fully described in Ezekiel 28:25-26. From thy sorrow - The long pain of thy captivity in Babyl…
clarkeIsaiah 14:3: "And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,"
In the day "In that day" - ביום ההוא bayom hahu. The word ההוא hahu is added in two MSS. of Kennicott's, and was in the copies from which the Septuagint and Vulgate translated: εν τῃ ἡμερᾳ εκεινῃ, in die illa, (ᾑ αναπαυσει, MS. Pachom. adding ה), in that day. This is a matter of no great consequence: however…
The verse highlights that the "rest" God gives isn't just an absence of hardship, but a release from deep emotional turmoil, specifically naming "sorrow" and "fear." This implies that God's deliverance offers not only freedom from external oppression but also internal peace and security.
This passage is part of a larger prophecy spoken by Isaiah. Following God's judgment on various nations, he now turns to the people of Israel, assuring them that their period of exile and suffering in Babylon will end. The prophecy foretells their eventual liberation and restoration to their homeland, contrasting it with the impending downfall of their oppressors.
This passage is part of a larger prophecy spoken by Isaiah. Following God's judgment on various nations, he now turns to the people of Israel, assuring them that their period of exile and suffering in Babylon will end. The prophecy foretells their eventual liberation and restoration to their homeland, contrasting it with the impending downfall of their oppressors.
"When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve," — The verse highlights that the "rest" God gives isn't just an absence of hardship, but a release from deep emotional turmoil, specifically naming "sorrow" and "fear." This implies that God's deliveran…
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Last reviewed October 2026