What's easy to miss is that God’s "forsaking" is not a permanent abandonment but an act of brief anger (which some ancient translators even thought was the original meaning of the word for "moment"!). The contrast isn't just between a short time and everlasting mercy, but between the smallness of His anger and the immense greatness of His compassion as He gathers His scattered people.
For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD, your Redeemer.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Isaiah is addressing Jerusalem, personified as a barren woman and a deserted wife, assuring her of God's future restoration and immense blessing. After vividly describing her current desolation and shame, the focus shifts to God's unwavering commitment, contrasting His brief anger with His everlasting love and compassion. This verse directly follows the portrayal of God's apparent abandonment and precedes the promise of His enduring kindness and a renewed covenant.
Does God truly 'forsake' us? How can His anger be so brief, yet feel so long?
The verse speaks of God forsaking His people "for a small moment." Commentators note that this "moment" is intensely relative. Though it might feel like an eternity to those experiencing it, like the seventy years of Babylonian exile, in the grand sweep of God's eternal plan and His everlasting kindness, it is but a brief instant.
This isn't to diminish the pain of that "moment." God's anger, though temporary, is real, arising from His deep love and His grief over sin. It's often understood as His 'hiding His face' (as mentioned in verse 8) rather than a complete abandonment. It's a discipline, a temporary withdrawal of His manifest presence to correct and refine His people, not a final rejection.
What does it mean for God to 'gather' us, and why is it done with "great mercies"?
The "great mercies" that accompany God's gathering highlight the immense love and initiative behind His action. After a period of dispersion and apparent abandonment, God actively intervenes to bring His people back together. This isn't just a physical regathering, like the return of Israel from exile, but a profound spiritual reunification.
It signifies God drawing His people to Himself, restoring them to fellowship, and re-establishing them as His covenant community. This gathering is fueled by His boundless compassion, recognizing their unworthiness and His unwavering commitment to His promises. It’s a restoration that overflows with grace, a testament to His steadfast love for those who might have strayed or suffered.
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Understand the original words
rachamim · Hebrew Noun
The intense, deep affection and mercy of God for His people. It goes beyond mere pity, implying an active, protective, and tender devotion that moves God to act on behalf of those in distress.
ga'al · Hebrew Noun (Participle)
A title for God reflecting His role as the One who buys back, rescues, or vindicates His people from slavery, judgment, or death. It implies a personal commitment to pay the price necessary to restore His people to Himself.
The 'brief moment' of God's perceived abandonment directly references the devastating Babylonian exile, a period of profound national and spiritual crisis. The promise of being 'gathered' speaks to the return from exile and the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple, a powerful symbol of God's enduring faithfulness and compassion.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar deports some of the Judean elite, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's subjugation.
597 BC
Second Deportation
Following a rebellion, Jehoiachin and more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling most of the remaining population. This is the most severe 'forsaking' the people will experience.
c. 539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, paving the way for the return of the exiles.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus allows the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple.
c. 516 BC
Rebuilding of the Second Temple
The Temple in Jerusalem is rededicated, symbolizing a return from exile and God's gathering of His people.
This Psalm speaks of God's anger lasting only a moment and His favor for a lifetime, directly echoing the contrast between God's brief displeasure and enduring mercy found in Isaiah 54:7.
Jeremiah 31:34This passage describes a new covenant where God's law is internalized, signifying a profound reconciliation and a lasting relationship after a period of divine displeasure, mirroring the 'gathering' after 'forsaking' in Isaiah.
2 Corinthians 4:17Paul's reflection on present hardships being momentary compared to eternal glory resonates with Isaiah's idea that God's temporary forsaking is incomparable to His great, lasting mercies.
Romans 11:26This verse speaks of the future salvation of all Israel, implying a gathering of a people who were, for a time, partially 'broken off' or seemingly set aside by God, aligning with the theme of God's restorative gathering after apparent desertion.
Hosea 2:14-15Hosea describes God leading his unfaithful people into the wilderness to speak kindly to them and restore their vineyards, illustrating a pattern of discipline followed by renewed favor and gathering, much like Isaiah 54:7.
clarkeIsaiah 54:7: "For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee."
For a small moment "In a little anger" - So the Chaldee and Syriac, either reading רגז regaz, for רגע rega; or understanding the latter word as meaning the same with the former, which they both make use of. See Psalm 30:5 ; Psalm 35:20 , in the Septuagint, where they render רגע rega by οργη, anger.
barnesIsaiah 54:7: "For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee."
For a small moment - The Chaldee and Syriac render this, 'In a little anger.' Lowth has adopted this, but without sufficient authority. The Hebrew means, 'For a little moment;' a very short time. The reference here is probably to the captivity at Babylon, when they were apparently forsaken by Yahweh. Though to them this appeared long, yet compared with their subsequent prosperity, it was but an in…
What's easy to miss is that God’s "forsaking" is not a permanent abandonment but an act of brief anger (which some ancient translators even thought was the original meaning of the word for "moment"!). The contrast isn't just between a short time and everlasting mercy, but between the smallness of His anger and the immense greatness of His compassion as He gathers His scattered people.
The prophet Isaiah is addressing Jerusalem, personified as a barren woman and a deserted wife, assuring her of God's future restoration and immense blessing. After vividly describing her current desolation and shame, the focus shifts to God's unwavering commitment, contrasting His brief anger with His everlasting love and compassion. This verse directly follows the portrayal of God's apparent abandonment and precedes the promise of His enduring kindness and a renewed covenant.
The prophet Isaiah is addressing Jerusalem, personified as a barren woman and a deserted wife, assuring her of God's future restoration and immense blessing. After vividly describing her current desolation and shame, the focus shifts to God's unwavering commitment, contrasting His brief anger with His everlasting love and compassion. This verse directly follows the portrayal of God's apparent abandonment and precedes the promise of His enduring kindness and a renewed covenant.
"For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD,…" — What's easy to miss is that God’s "forsaking" is not a permanent abandonment but an act of brief anger (which some ancient translators even thought was the original meaning of the word for "moment"…
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Last reviewed October 2026
