Isaiah 26:19-20
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse isn't just about a future resurrection; it highlights that God's reviving power is so potent it's like "dew of light," transforming even the dust and decay into vibrant life. It’s a powerful picture of God's ability to bring forth life where there seems to be none, a promise applicable to both physical resurrection and spiritual renewal.
Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead. Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following a lament over the seemingly triumphant wickedness of enemies, this passage shifts to a hopeful proclamation. The prophet, speaking for God and the community, assures the faithful that their "dead" will live again, drawing a powerful image of resurrection and renewal. This promise serves as a profound comfort and a stark contrast to the ultimate fate of the ungodly mentioned earlier in the chapter.
Is Isaiah talking about a nation coming back to life, or actual bodies rising from the grave? Let's explore the layers of meaning in this powerful promise.
The promise in Isaiah 26:19 speaks of a profound revival, but it's more than just a metaphor for national restoration. While it certainly encompasses the restoration of Israel from exile – a kind of 'civil death' – the imagery points beyond that.
Beyond Metaphor
What does 'dew' have to do with the resurrection? This verse reveals a beautiful connection between God's refreshing grace and the life that overcomes death.
Ask a follow-up
The verse speaks of God's 'dew' as a powerful agent of revival: 'for your dew is a dew of light.' This isn't just any dew; it's a divine source of life.
Divine Refreshment
Understand the original words
meth · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
The condition of human mortality and the physical end of earthly life, often depicted in Scripture as a state from which God has the power to restore or resurrect.
nebelah · Hebrew Noun
The physical form of a living being; in the context of resurrection, it points to the restoration of the whole person, not merely a spiritual existence.
qum · Hebrew Verb
A divine act where God restores physical life to those who have died, serving as the ultimate demonstration of His sovereignty over mortality and the hope of the faithful.
'am · Hebrew Noun
A term used to describe the collective community of faith with whom God has established a special relationship and covenant.
za'am · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the intense, righteous indignation or settled anger of God against sin and evil; it is a manifestation of His holiness.
This verse speaks of resurrection, which, while having ultimate eschatological meaning, was first understood by Isaiah's audience as a powerful metaphor for national restoration and revival after the devastating Babylonian exile.
Late 8th Century BC
Assyrian Dominance
The Assyrian Empire exerted significant influence and control over the region, including Judah, leading to periods of tribute and political subjugation.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian forces begin deporting Judeans, including members of the royal family and intellectual elite, to Babylon.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Deportation
Jerusalem and the Temple are destroyed by the Babylonians, and a larger group of Judeans are exiled, marking a nadir of national life and worship.
c. 540 BC
Isaiah's Prophecy of Restoration
Isaiah, prophesying during the Babylonian exile, offers words of comfort and future restoration, including visions of national revival and divine deliverance.
539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, setting the stage for the return of the exiles.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus and Return of Exiles
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the exiled Judeans to return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple, initiating the return and restoration period.
This passage describes a vision of dry bones being brought back to life, directly paralleling Isaiah's imagery of the earth giving birth to the dead and serving as a foundational Old Testament depiction of resurrection.
Daniel 12:2Daniel explicitly speaks of 'many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,' directly echoing the theme of resurrection found in Isaiah 26:19.
John 11:25-26Jesus' words to Martha about His resurrection and the resurrection of believers, 'I am the resurrection and the life,' directly connect the Old Testament hope of resurrection with its ultimate fulfillment in Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:20-22Paul explains how Christ's resurrection is the 'firstfruits' of those who have fallen asleep, establishing a direct link between Christ's rising and the future resurrection of believers, which Isaiah anticipates.
Romans 8:11This verse promises that the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies, connecting the power of the Holy Spirit to the resurrection hope expressed in Isaiah.
barnesIsaiah 26:19: "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead."
Thy dead men shall live - Very various interpretations have been given of this verse, which may be seen at length by comparing Vitringa, Rosenmuller, Gesenius, and Poole's Synopsis. In Isaiah 26:14 , the chorus is represented as saying of the dead men and tyrants of Babylon that had oppressed the c…
cambridgeIsaiah 26:19: "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead."
19 . The answer to these utterances of disappointed hopes is the promise of the Resurrection. The speaker throughout is the community, and the words are addressed to God, with the exception of an apostrophe to the buried Israelites in the middle of the verse. There is indeed no decisive argument ag…
This verse isn't just about a future resurrection; it highlights that God's reviving power is so potent it's like "dew of light," transforming even the dust and decay into vibrant life. It’s a powerful picture of God's ability to bring forth life where there seems to be none, a promise applicable to both physical resurrection and spiritual renewal.
Following a lament over the seemingly triumphant wickedness of enemies, this passage shifts to a hopeful proclamation. The prophet, speaking for God and the community, assures the faithful that their "dead" will live again, drawing a powerful image of resurrection and renewal. This promise serves as a profound comfort and a stark contrast to the ultimate fate of the ungodly mentioned earlier in the chapter.
Following a lament over the seemingly triumphant wickedness of enemies, this passage shifts to a hopeful proclamation. The prophet, speaking for God and the community, assures the faithful that their "dead" will live again, drawing a powerful image of resurrection and renewal. This promise serves as a profound comfort and a stark contrast to the ultimate fate of the ungodly mentioned earlier in the chapter.
"Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead. Come, my people, enter your chambers,…" — This verse isn't just about a future resurrection; it highlights that God's reviving power is so potent it's like "dew of light," transforming even the dust and decay into vibrant life. It’s a powerf…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
