Isaiah 26:17
Like a pregnant woman who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near to giving birth, so were we because of you, O LORD;
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
What's easy to miss here is that the suffering described isn't just about pain; it's about painful expectation. The pangs of a woman in labor signify a deep longing for the coming birth, a hope that fuels the agony. For the people of God, this intense suffering is not mere despair but a cry of yearning for His promised deliverance, all of which He witnesses.
This verse comes after Isaiah has described the Lord's judgment on nations and the future restoration and secure dwelling of God's people. The preceding verses speak of the revival of the dead and the ultimate triumph of righteousness, painting a picture of hope and salvation. However, this verse reflects on a period of intense suffering and painful expectation that the people endured before that deliverance finally arrived.
What do excruciating labor pains have to do with spiritual waiting? Isaiah uses a vivid, visceral image to describe the people's experience with God.
The verse paints a picture of a woman in the throes of childbirth. This isn't just mild discomfort; it's intense, agonizing pain accompanied by cries. Isaiah uses this to express the people's deep suffering and distress while they waited for God's promised deliverance. It highlights:
The text says God sees their suffering. What does it mean for God to 'see' our pain, and how does that change our perspective on waiting?
The phrase 'in your sight, O LORD' (or 'because of you' or 'at your presence' in some translations) is vital. It signifies that God is not merely observing passively but is intimately involved. This means:
This verse vividly captures the intense anguish and desperate longing of the exiles in Babylon, who felt on the brink of a new birth—a hoped-for restoration that seemed agonizingly slow in coming.
c. 740 BC
Isaiah Prophesies During Assyrian Threat
Isaiah delivers prophecies of judgment and hope during a time of increasing imperial threats from Assyria, warning Judah about its sin while offering glimpses of future restoration.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy the Temple, and exile a significant portion of the population, marking a period of profound national crisis and spiritual desolation.
c. 550 BC— this verse
Exiled Israelites Long for Deliverance
During the Babylonian exile, the people of Judah experience intense suffering, yearning for God's intervention and restoration of Zion, often expressing their anguish in prayer and song.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Allows Return from Exile
The Persian Empire under Cyrus conquers Babylon, and issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple.
This passage uses the imagery of labor pains to describe the shock and terror of Damascus facing destruction, mirroring Isaiah's depiction of intense suffering and distress.
Hosea 13:13Hosea compares the coming destruction upon Ephraim to the pangs of a woman in childbirth, highlighting the inescapable and painful nature of the judgment.
John 16:21Jesus uses the same metaphor of a woman in labor to describe the sorrow of his disciples before his resurrection, which will be followed by immense joy, suggesting a similar pattern of painful expectation leading to a glorious outcome for Israel in Isaiah.
Micah 4:10Micah also employs the image of a woman in childbirth to describe the agony and distress Zion will face before her deliverance and restoration, aligning with the theme of painful anticipation in Isaiah.
cambridgeIsaiah 26:17: "Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD."
17 . The agony of the crisis is compared to the pangs of a woman in travail,—a common figure, Hosea 13:13 ; Micah 4:10 , &c. in thy sight ] Or, because of thee —Thy chastening hand.
barnesIsaiah 26:17: "Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD."
Like as a woman with child ... - This verse is designed to state their griefs and sorrows during the time of their oppression in Babylon. The comparison used here is one that is very frequent in the sacred writings to represent any great suffering (see Psalm 48:6 ; Jeremiah 6:24 ; Jeremiah 13:21 ; Jeremiah 22:23 ; Jeremiah 49:24 ;…
What's easy to miss here is that the suffering described isn't just about pain; it's about painful expectation. The pangs of a woman in labor signify a deep longing for the coming birth, a hope that fuels the agony. For the people of God, this intense suffering is not mere despair but a cry of yearning for His promised deliverance, all of which He witnesses.
This verse comes after Isaiah has described the Lord's judgment on nations and the future restoration and secure dwelling of God's people. The preceding verses speak of the revival of the dead and the ultimate triumph of righteousness, painting a picture of hope and salvation. However, this verse reflects on a period of intense suffering and painful expectation that the people endured before that deliverance finally arrived.
This verse comes after Isaiah has described the Lord's judgment on nations and the future restoration and secure dwelling of God's people. The preceding verses speak of the revival of the dead and the ultimate triumph of righteousness, painting a picture of hope and salvation. However, this verse reflects on a period of intense suffering and painful expectation that the people endured before that deliverance finally arrived.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Isaiah 26:17 is available in the Sola app.
"Like a pregnant woman who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near to giving birth, so were we because of you, O LORD;" — What's easy to miss here is that the suffering described isn't just about pain; it's about painful expectation. The pangs of a woman in labor signify a deep longing for the coming birth, a hope tha…
