Isaiah 65:23

They will not labor in vain or bear children doomed to disaster; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD—they and their descendants with them.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — The Lord addresses the restored remnant of Israel, declaring the conditions of the new age. This statement functions as a bridge between the promise of secure, long-lived labor in verse 22 and the guarantee of immediate divine response in verse 24.

The words — The Hebrew יִֽיגְעוּ (yi.ge.'U) means "they will labor," directly modified by לָרִיק (la./Rik), literally "to emptiness" or "in vain." The phrase יֵלְדוּ לַבְּהָלָה (ye.le.Du la./be.ha.Lah) translates to "they will father children for sudden terror," describing offspring born into premature death or calamity.

The thread — The assurance of secure offspring and covenant blessing reappears in Deuteronomy 28:3 and the restoration promise of Isaiah 61:9. It also mirrors the relational covenant formula declared in Jeremiah 32:38 regarding God's permanent commitment to his people.

Why it lands — The text requires readers to acknowledge that the new creation order removes both futile toil and generational tragedy. It demands a practical trust that divine blessing directly secures personal productivity and the continuity of the covenant community.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

לֹ֤אlo'not יִֽיגְעוּ֙yi.ge.'Uthey will labor לָרִ֔יקla./Rikto <the>/ emptiness וְלֹ֥אve./Lo'and/ not יֵלְד֖וּye.le.Duthey will father children לַבֶּהָלָ֑הla./be.ha.Lahfor <the>/ sudden terror כִּ֣יkifor זֶ֜רַעZe.ra'[will be] [the] offspring of בְּרוּכֵ֤יbe.ru.Khei[those] blessed of יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahweh הֵ֔מָּהHe.mahthey וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶ֖םve./tze.'e.tza.'ei./Hemand/ descendants/ their אִתָּֽם׃'i.Ta/m[will be] with/ them

King James Version

They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.

Cross-references

Isaiah 61:9 Their descendants will be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed.
Jeremiah 32:38 They will be My people, and I will be their God.
Deuteronomy 28:3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
Psalms 115:14 May the LORD give you increase, both you and your children.
Acts 2:39 This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
Isaiah 49:4 But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength in futility and vanity; yet My vindication is with the LORD, and My reward is with My God.”
Isaiah 55:2 Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.
Romans 9:7 Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
Genesis 12:2 I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
Genesis 17:7 I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.