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Isaiah 37:3
And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This dayis a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, andthere is not strength to bring forth.

2 Kings 19:3
And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This dayis a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, andthere is not strength to bring forth.

Hosea 13:13
The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: heis an unwise son; for he should not stay long inthe place of the breaking forth of children.

we have not

Exodus 5:22,23
And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thouso evil entreated this people? whyis itthat thou hast sent me? …

Joshua 7:7-9
And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! …

1 Samuel 11:13
And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel.

the inhabitants

Psalm 17:14
From menwhich are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world,which have their portion inthis life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hidtreasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of theirsubstance to their babes.

John 7:7
The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

1 John 5:19
And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

we writhed in pain;
The pain described here can be seen as the suffering and struggles of the Israelites during times of oppression and exile. Historically, Israel faced numerous challenges, including invasions and captivity by foreign powers such as Assyria and Babylon. This phrase captures the intense emotional and physical distress experienced by the people as they awaited deliverance. It also echoes the labor pains mentioned in other prophetic texts, symbolizing the birth of something new through suffering (e.g.,Micah 4:9-10).

but we gave birth to wind.
This expression of futility highlights the disappointment and unfulfilled expectations of the Israelites. Despite their efforts and suffering, they did not achieve the desired outcome. The "wind" signifies emptiness and lack of substance, indicating that their hopes did not materialize into tangible results. This can be connected to the theme of human efforts without divine intervention being ultimately fruitless, as seen inEcclesiastes 1:14, where all is described as "vanity and striving after wind."

We have given no salvation to the earth,
This phrase acknowledges the failure of Israel to be the light to the nations as intended. The covenant with Abraham included the promise that through his descendants, all nations would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). However, Israel's inability to fulfill this role is evident here. The lack of salvation points to the need for a savior, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who brings salvation to all the earth (John 4:42).

nor brought any life into the world.
The absence of life-giving impact underscores the ineffectiveness of Israel's efforts without God's intervention. In a broader theological context, this phrase can be seen as a foreshadowing of the new life brought through Christ, who is the "light of the world" (John 8:12) and the one who offers eternal life (John 3:16). The failure to bring life emphasizes humanity's need for divine redemption and the transformative power of the Gospel.

• Isaiah pictures the people of God as expectant, carrying hopes of righteousness, deliverance, and blessing.

• The figure recalls other passages where God’s people are described as pregnant with expectation—“Pangs grip her like a woman in labor” (Isaiah 13:8; cf.Micah 4:10).

• Their “pregnancy” represents earnest religious activity—prayers, sacrifices, alliances—yet all done in their own strength rather than resting in the Lord’s promised Messiah.

• The image reminds us that anticipation alone, without dependence on God, cannot yield the promised fruit (seeJohn 15:5).

• Labor pains intensify the picture of sincere, strenuous effort. Israel experienced exile, invasion, and inner turmoil, all felt as contractions (Jeremiah 4:31).

•Hosea 13:13 says, “The pains of childbirth come for him, but he is an unwise son,” underscoring that pain without obedience brings no deliverance.

• God allowed the pain to expose the emptiness of self-reliance and to draw His people back to Himself (Psalm 119:67).

• Despite all struggle, nothing tangible or lasting emerged—only wind, an emblem of emptiness (Ecclesiastes 5:16;Job 15:2).

• Human strength always ends this way when severed from God’s power; it promises much, delivers nothing (Psalm 33:16-17).

• By contrast, when the Lord moves, He gives real life: “Shall I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?” (Isaiah 66:9).

• Israel’s mission was to be “a light for the nations” (Isaiah 42:6), yet in their rebellion they could not extend salvation.

•Psalm 44:3 reminds that true rescue comes “not by their own sword,” pointing to God as the only Savior (Isaiah 43:11).

• The confession acknowledges failure and points forward to the One who will bring salvation to the ends of the earth—Jesus, the promised Seed (Galatians 3:16).

• The calling to multiply covenant life (Genesis 17:7) lay unfulfilled; spiritual barrenness reigned (Malachi 2:15).

• Only the Lord can breathe life: “I will put My Spirit in you, and you will live” (Ezekiel 37:14).

• At Pentecost, God reversed this barrenness; the church, empowered by the Spirit, brought three thousand to life in a single day (Acts 2:41).

• The verse therefore spotlights the contrast between human inability and divine capability (2 Corinthians 3:5-6).

Isaiah 26:18 is a candid confession: God’s people labored hard yet, acting in their own power, produced nothing but empty wind. They could neither save the earth nor give it life. The verse exposes the impotence of self-reliance and magnifies the necessity of God’s intervention. Only when the Lord Himself brings the birth—ultimately through Christ and the outpoured Spirit—does true salvation and life flow to the world.

Neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.--Better,Neither were the inhabitants of the world brought to birth,the verb to "fall" being used, as inWisdom Of Solomon 7:3; Hom., II., xix. 10, of the delivery of a woman with child. The words continue the picture of the fruitlessness of mere human strivings and expectations. The LXX., "They that are in the tombs shall rise," connects itself withJohn 5:28-29. (Comp. the like imagery inIsaiah 37:3.) The "creation" was "subject unto vanity," as inRomans 8:20-22.