Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The command to "put on your beautiful garments" isn't just about looking good; it's about recognizing that Jerusalem's restored glory is intrinsically linked to its holiness. This call to adorn oneself anticipates a future where purity, not pollution, defines the holy city, signifying a profound spiritual transformation.
Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following a period of suffering and exile, this passage calls to Jerusalem, personified as Zion, to awaken from its sorrow and don celebratory attire. It signals a coming restoration where impurity and foreign threats will no longer afflict the holy city. This call to arise and prepare is directly linked to the future liberation and renewal of God's people.
Imagine waking up from a long, deep sleep, feeling groggy and disoriented. This verse calls out to Zion and Jerusalem, urging them to shake off their slumber and prepare for a new reality.
The repeated call to 'Awake, awake' (v. 1) isn't just a gentle nudge; it's an urgent summons to shake off spiritual lethargy. Following this, the command to 'put on your strength' and 'put on your beautiful garments' (v. 1) signifies an active participation in God's promised restoration.
The verse concludes with a powerful declaration about who will and will not enter the holy city. This isn't just about physical walls, but about the spiritual purity God desires for His people.
The promise that 'there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean' (v. 1) speaks to a future restoration where God's people will experience a profound purity.
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Understand the original words
Tsiyon · Hebrew Noun
In the Old Testament, Zion refers to the hill on which Jerusalem was built, often used metonymically to represent the city itself, the people of Israel, and the dwelling place of God’s presence. It carries strong theological significance as the site of the temple and the symbolic center of God's redemptive work.
Yerushalayim · Hebrew Noun
The capital city of the kingdom of Judah, often referred to as the city of David. It is theologically central as the location of the Temple, the place where God chose to place His name, and a symbolic representation of the covenant community.
qodesh · Hebrew Adjective
The state of being set apart for God's use. Holiness signifies moral purity and dedication to the divine, implying that the city is consecrated and restricted from common or profane use.
arel · Hebrew Adjective
Refers to those outside the covenant community of Israel. Circumcision was the outward sign of the covenant between God and the descendants of Abraham; to be uncircumcised signified exclusion from God's special relationship with His people.
tame · Hebrew Adjective
A state of ceremonial or moral defilement that renders a person or object unfit to enter the presence of God or participate in holy things. It stands in contrast to that which is 'clean' or set apart for God's service.
This verse is a powerful call to renewed hope and strength for Jerusalem, spoken during the exiles' return from Babylon. It envisions a purified community, free from the defilement of pagan influences, ready to embrace God's promises after their liberation.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy Solomon's Temple, and deport a significant portion of the population to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
c. 550-539 BC
Rise of Cyrus the Great
Cyrus the Great unites the Medes and Persians and begins his expansion, eventually conquering the Babylonian Empire. His rise signals a potential shift for the exiles.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, bringing an end to the Neo-Babylonian Empire. This event is a crucial precursor to the return of the exiles.
538 BC— this verse
Cyrus's Decree for the Return
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This marks the end of the Babylonian exile.
c. 516 BC
Completion of the Second Temple
Under Zerubbabel and other leaders, the exiles complete the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, a significant step in their restoration.
This passage describes a similar exclusion of 'uncircumcised and uncircumcised in flesh' from the Lord's sanctuary, reinforcing the idea of purity and holiness required for God's presence.
Zechariah 14:21This verse speaks of a future day when there will be 'no more a trafficker in the house of the LORD of hosts,' echoing Isaiah's theme of excluding the impure from God's holy city.
Galatians 5:6The Apostle Paul speaks of 'faith working through love' and contrasts it with mere outward rituals, aligning with Isaiah's call for inner purity over external association with the unclean.
1 Corinthians 6:15-20This passage emphasizes that believers' bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and calls for purity, connecting directly to the idea of not allowing the 'unclean' to defile the holy city.
Revelation 21:27The description of the New Jerusalem in Revelation explicitly states that 'nothing unclean will ever enter it,' providing a New Testament parallel to the prophecy in Isaiah 52:1.
bensonIsaiah 52:1: "Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean."
Isaiah 52:1-3 . Awake, awake, put on strength — God orders his church to do that which she entreated him to do, Isaiah 51:9 . And because his word is with power, and what he commands he in certain cases effects, this is a prediction and promise what he should do, that she should awake or arise ou…
wesleyIsaiah 52:1: "Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean."
52:1 Awake - This is a prediction and promise what she should do, that she should awake or arise out of her low estate, and be strong and courageous. Beautiful garments - Thy sorrows shall be ended, and thou shalt be advanced into a glorious condition. O Zion - O my church. Come - Either to moles…
The command to "put on your beautiful garments" isn't just about looking good; it's about recognizing that Jerusalem's restored glory is intrinsically linked to its holiness. This call to adorn oneself anticipates a future where purity, not pollution, defines the holy city, signifying a profound spiritual transformation.
Following a period of suffering and exile, this passage calls to Jerusalem, personified as Zion, to awaken from its sorrow and don celebratory attire. It signals a coming restoration where impurity and foreign threats will no longer afflict the holy city. This call to arise and prepare is directly linked to the future liberation and renewal of God's people.
Following a period of suffering and exile, this passage calls to Jerusalem, personified as Zion, to awaken from its sorrow and don celebratory attire. It signals a coming restoration where impurity and foreign threats will no longer afflict the holy city. This call to arise and prepare is directly linked to the future liberation and renewal of God's people.
"Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean." — The command to "put on your beautiful garments" isn't just about looking good; it's about recognizing that Jerusalem's restored glory is intrinsically linked to its holiness. This call to adorn onese…
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Last reviewed October 2026