Isaiah 62:4-5
You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse doesn't just promise an end to desolation; it announces a radical renaming that redefines identity. The shift from "Forsaken" and "Desolate" to "My Delight Is in Her" and "Married" isn't just poetic flourish; it signifies a transformation from a state of abandonment to one of deep, inherent worth and belonging in God's eyes.
After the people of Israel have experienced exile and the devastation of their land, God declares through Isaiah that He is actively working for their restoration and renewal. This passage is part of a larger prophecy promising that Jerusalem, once branded with names like "Forsaken" and "Desolate," will be renamed "My Delight Is in Her" and her land "Married." This signifies God's profound pleasure in His people and the land's return to fruitfulness and habitation.
Have you ever felt defined by a past failure or a difficult season? God's word promises a radical renaming for His people.
In Isaiah 62:4, God declares a dramatic shift for His people and their land. They will no longer be called 'Forsaken' or 'Desolate.' These names spoke of abandonment, exile, and ruin.
A New Identity
Instead, they will be called:
These aren't just pretty words; they represent a profound change in relationship. 'Forsaken' describes a state of being left alone, while 'Hephzibah' points to active joy and pleasure God has in His people. 'Desolate' speaks of emptiness, while 'Married' signifies partnership, fruitfulness, and covenant faithfulness.
What does it mean for God to in us? And how is a land 'married'?
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Isaiah 62:4-5 is available in the Sola app.
The reason for this radical renaming is beautifully simple yet profound: 'for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married.'
The Source of Joy
The union of God with His people, and His people with their land, is sealed by His unending delight.
Understand the original words
chaphats · Hebrew Verb
To take pleasure in someone or something with deep satisfaction, affection, and emotional warmth; it describes the intense favor God feels toward His people.
ba'al · Hebrew Verb/Adjective
A sacred, binding covenant relationship between two parties, often used as a profound metaphor for the intimate, exclusive, and faithful love between God and His people.
sus · Hebrew Verb
The act of finding intense joy, gladness, and celebration; in Scripture, God is frequently described as experiencing profound delight and joy over the well-being and holiness of His people.
This verse speaks to the profound reversal of fortune for Jerusalem and its people after the devastation of the Babylonian exile. The poetic names 'Hephzibah' (My Delight Is in Her) and 'Beulah' (Married) replace the bitter reality of being 'Forsaken' and 'Desolate', highlighting God's unwavering faithfulness and the restoration of His people to Himself and their land.
c. 700 BC
Hezekiah's Queen Hephzibah
Queen Hephzibah, wife of King Hezekiah and mother of Manasseh, bore the name that means 'My Delight Is in Her'. This personal name is referenced as a precursor to the future identity of Jerusalem.
c. 700 BC
King Manasseh's Reign
King Manasseh, son of Hezekiah and Hephzibah, reigned during a period of spiritual decline in Judah, marked by idolatry and violence, which foreshadowed future judgment.
597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Jerusalem, exiling King Jehoiachin and a significant portion of the population, including the prophet Ezekiel, marking the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylonian forces destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, scattering the remaining population and leaving the land desolate, fulfilling prophecies of judgment and cementing the 'Forsaken' and 'Desolate' status of Judah.
c. 539 BC
Edict of Cyrus and Return Begins
The Persian king Cyrus the Great issued a decree allowing exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple, marking the initial phase of the land's restoration and the reversal of desolation.
c. 445 BC
Rebuilding of Jerusalem's Walls
Under Nehemiah's leadership, the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt, symbolizing the restoration of its security and community, and setting the stage for the fulfillment of promises of renewed divine favor.
This passage echoes Isaiah's promise, directly stating God will restore Zion and call her 'no more forsaken'.
Ezekiel 36:35It vividly describes the land's transformation from desolation to a lush garden, mirroring Isaiah's 'married' land imagery.
Hosea 2:16-20This prophetic oracle uses the same marriage metaphor, depicting God espousing Israel to himself in steadfast love and faithfulness, replacing 'my husband' with 'my husband'.
Revelation 21:2The New Testament vision of the New Jerusalem coming down from God as a bride prepared for her husband provides a powerful fulfillment of the marital imagery found in Isaiah.
cambridgeIsaiah 62:4: "Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married."
4, 5 . The reunion of Zion with her Husband and her children. Cf. ch. Isaiah 49:14 ff., Isaiah 54:1 f., 4 ff. Forsaken ] Hebr. ‘ăsûbâh ; found as a proper name in 1 Kings 22:42 . Similarly Hephzi-bah (= “delight in her”) is the actual name of the mother of Manasseh ( 2 Ki…
pulpitIsaiah 62:4: "Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married."
Verse 4. - Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken. Judah had believed herself" forsaken" of God (Isaiah 49:14), and had actually been, in a certain sense, forsaken "for a small moment" (Isaiah 54:7). Her enemies, it would seem, had gone so far as to give her the name in de…
This verse doesn't just promise an end to desolation; it announces a radical renaming that redefines identity. The shift from "Forsaken" and "Desolate" to "My Delight Is in Her" and "Married" isn't just poetic flourish; it signifies a transformation from a state of abandonment to one of deep, inherent worth and belonging in God's eyes.
After the people of Israel have experienced exile and the devastation of their land, God declares through Isaiah that He is actively working for their restoration and renewal. This passage is part of a larger prophecy promising that Jerusalem, once branded with names like "Forsaken" and "Desolate," will be renamed "My Delight Is in Her" and her land "Married." This signifies God's profound pleasure in His people and the land's return to fruitfulness and habitation.
After the people of Israel have experienced exile and the devastation of their land, God declares through Isaiah that He is actively working for their restoration and renewal. This passage is part of a larger prophecy promising that Jerusalem, once branded with names like "Forsaken" and "Desolate," will be renamed "My Delight Is in Her" and her land "Married." This signifies God's profound pleasure in His people and the land's return to fruitfulness and habitation.
"You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be…" — This verse doesn't just promise an end to desolation; it announces a radical renaming that redefines identity. The shift from "Forsaken" and "Desolate" to "My Delight Is in Her" and "Married" isn't j…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
