So the redeemed of the LORD will returnThis phrase refers to the Israelites who were in exile, symbolizing a future restoration and return to their homeland. The term "redeemed" indicates those who have been delivered or bought back by God, emphasizing His role as a redeemer. This concept is echoed in other scriptures such as
Isaiah 43:1 and
Psalm 107:2, where God’s deliverance is a central theme. The return to Zion is both a literal and spiritual journey, representing the ultimate redemption through Christ, who is seen as the Redeemer in the New Testament (
Ephesians 1:7).
and enter Zion with singing
Zion, often synonymous with Jerusalem, is the holy city and represents the presence of God. Entering Zion with singing signifies a triumphant and joyful return, a common biblical motif for deliverance and victory (Psalm 126:1-2). Singing is an expression of worship and gratitude, reflecting the joy of salvation and the fulfillment of God’s promises. This imagery is also prophetic of the New Jerusalem described inRevelation 21, where believers will eternally dwell with God.
crowned with everlasting joy
The crown symbolizes honor, victory, and divine favor. Everlasting joy indicates a joy that is not temporary but eternal, a promise of the enduring happiness found in God’s presence. This joy is contrasted with the temporary pleasures of the world and is a recurring theme in the Psalms and the New Testament (Philippians 4:4). It points to the ultimate joy found in the salvation and eternal life offered through Jesus Christ.
Gladness and joy will overtake them
This phrase emphasizes the overwhelming nature of the joy and gladness that will be experienced. It suggests a complete transformation from previous states of despair or suffering. The use of "overtake" implies that this joy is not just received but actively pursues and envelops the redeemed. This is reminiscent of the joy described in the parables of Jesus, such as the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), where joy follows reconciliation and restoration.
and sorrow and sighing will flee
Sorrow and sighing represent the pain, grief, and burdens of life, often associated with exile and separation from God. Their fleeing signifies a complete removal of these negative experiences, replaced by the joy of redemption. This transformation is a key aspect of the Messianic hope, where the coming of the Messiah brings an end to suffering (Revelation 21:4). It reflects the ultimate victory over sin and death achieved through Christ’s resurrection, offering believers hope for a future free from sorrow.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
The Redeemed of the LORDRefers to those whom God has saved or delivered. In the context of Isaiah, it often points to the Israelites returning from exile, but it also has a broader application to all believers redeemed by God.
2.
ZionA term that originally referred to the hill in Jerusalem where the city of David was built. It later came to symbolize the entire city of Jerusalem and, in a spiritual sense, the dwelling place of God and His people.
3.
Singing and JoyRepresents the response of the redeemed as they experience God's salvation and blessings. It signifies a state of worship and celebration.
4.
Everlasting JoyA joy that is eternal and unending, contrasting with temporary happiness. It is a gift from God that transcends circumstances.
5.
Sorrow and SighingRepresents the pain, grief, and struggles of life that will be removed in the presence of God's salvation.
Teaching Points
The Promise of RedemptionGod's promise of redemption is not just for the Israelites but extends to all who believe in Him. This redemption brings a transformation from sorrow to joy.
The Joy of SalvationSalvation brings a profound and everlasting joy that is not dependent on earthly circumstances. Believers are encouraged to live in this joy daily.
The Hope of RestorationJust as the Israelites looked forward to returning to Zion, Christians can look forward to the ultimate restoration in God's kingdom, where sorrow and sighing will be no more.
Worship as a ResponseThe response of the redeemed is singing and worship. Believers are called to express their gratitude and joy through worship.
Living in AnticipationWhile we experience joy now, the fullness of this promise will be realized in eternity. Christians are encouraged to live in anticipation of this future hope.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Isaiah 35:10?
2.How does Isaiah 35:10 describe the joy of the redeemed in Christ?
3.What does "everlasting joy" in Isaiah 35:10 mean for believers today?
4.How does Isaiah 35:10 connect with Revelation 21:4 about sorrow and sighing?
5.How can we experience "gladness and joy" in our daily Christian walk?
6.What steps can we take to embody the hope found in Isaiah 35:10?
7.What does Isaiah 35:10 reveal about the nature of eternal joy and salvation?
8.How does Isaiah 35:10 connect to the concept of redemption in Christian theology?
9.In what ways does Isaiah 35:10 reflect the promise of restoration for believers?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Isaiah 35?
11.Will the redeemed return with joy and singing?
12.Will the redeemed return with joy and singing?
13.How is Jesus represented in each book of the Bible?
14.Psalm 87:7 - In what sense are all 'springs' in Zion, given that historically rivers and water sources are not exclusive to Jerusalem?What Does Isaiah 35:10 Mean
So the redeemed of the LORD• “Redeemed” speaks of people God has literally purchased for Himself, just as Isaiah elsewhere declares, “I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine” (Isaiah 43:1; cf.Isaiah 44:22;1 Peter 1:18-19;Revelation 5:9).
• These are believers rescued from sin and its curse, not by their own merit but by the LORD’s initiative.
• The verse begins with “So,” linking back toIsaiah 35’s picture of deserts blooming and the blind seeing—the redemption of creation mirrors the redemption of God’s people (Romans 8:19-23).
Will return• In Isaiah’s day this promised a literal homecoming from Babylonian exile (Jeremiah 29:10-14).
• Yet the greater fulfillment lies ahead: every redeemed person will be gathered to the Messiah at His visible return (Isaiah 11:11-12;Zechariah 10:8-10;Matthew 24:31).
• God’s faithfulness guarantees that no one He has bought will be left behind (John 6:39).
And enter Zion with singing• Zion is the concrete, covenant-centered city of God (Psalm 132:13-14;Hebrews 12:22).
• The redeemed do not slink in; they arrive “with singing,” a victory parade echoing Israel’s songs after the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1-2;Psalm 126:1-3).
• Worship is spontaneous because salvation is complete (Revelation 14:1-3).
Crowned with everlasting joy• Joy here is not a passing emotion but a permanent, God-given “crown” (Psalm 16:11;Isaiah 61:3).
• “Everlasting” underlines that this joy will outlast time, decay, and death (John 16:22;1 Peter 1:8-9).
• The imagery signals honor as well as delight—God openly celebrates His people (Zephaniah 3:17).
Gladness and joy will overtake them• Isaiah piles up synonyms to stress abundance; gladness and joy do not merely accompany the redeemed, they “overtake” and surround them (Isaiah 51:11).
• The emphasis is on intensity and inevitability—God’s blessings catch up to His people faster than sorrow ever did (Isaiah 61:7;Ephesians 3:20).
And sorrow and sighing will flee• Every trace of grief is chased away, fulfilling the promise, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4;Isaiah 25:8).
• “Flee” suggests panic; pain has no place in the perfected kingdom and must retreat before the King’s presence.
• What began in Eden’s loss ends in Zion’s gain—the reversal is complete (Genesis 3:17-19 vs.Revelation 22:3).
summaryIsaiah 35:10 offers a literal, unshakable promise: God’s purchased people will physically gather to His holy city, overflowing with unending joy, while every sorrow is forever banished. It anchors present hope, fuels worship, and assures believers that their future with the LORD is both certain and unimaginably good.
(10)
With songs and everlasting joy . . .--The first volume of Isaiah's prophecy closes fitly with this transcendent picture, carrying the thoughts of men beyond any possible earthly fulfilment. The outward imagery probably had its starting-point in the processions of the pilgrims who came up to the Temple singing psalms, like those known as the "songs of degrees" at their successive halting-places (Psalms 120-134).
Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.--The words have a special interest as being the closing utterance of Isaiah's political activity, written, therefore, probably, in his old age, and in the midst of much trouble, whether he wrote at the close of Hezekiah's reign, or the beginning of Manasseh's, which must have been sufficiently dark and gloomy. (See2Chronicles 32:26;2Chronicles 33:1-10.) The hopes of the prophet were, however, inextinguishable, and they formed a natural starting-point for the words: "Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people," with which the second collection opens, the intermediate chapters being obviously of the nature of an historical appendix. They find their echo inRevelation 7:17, "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."
Verse 10. -The ransomed of the Lord shall return. The blessedness of the last times would be incomplete to Jewish ideas without this crowning feature. There had already been a great dispersion of the faithful (Isaiah 1:7-9); there was to be a still greater one (Isaiah 11:11); Israel could not be content or happy until her "outcasts" were recalled, "the dispersed of Judah gathered together from the four corners of the earth" (Isaiah 11:12). The return here prophesied is again announced, in almost the same words, inIsaiah 51:11.With songs (see the comment on ver. 2).Everlasting joy upon their heads. Anointed, as it were, with "the oil of gladness" (Psalm 45:7) forever and ever.Sorrow and sighing shall rise away (comp.Isaiah 25:8;Revelation 7:17;Revelation 21:4).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
and the ransomed
וּפְדוּיֵ֨י(ū·p̄ə·ḏū·yê)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6299:To sever, ransom, gener, to release, preserve
of the LORD
יְהוָ֜ה(Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel
will return.
יְשֻׁב֗וּן(yə·šu·ḇūn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 7725:To turn back, in, to retreat, again
They will enter
וּבָ֤אוּ(ū·ḇā·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 935:To come in, come, go in, go
Zion
צִיּוֹן֙(ṣî·yō·wn)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6726:Zion -- a mountain in Jerusalem, also a name for Jerusalem
with singing,
בְּרִנָּ֔ה(bə·rin·nāh)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7440:A creaking, shout
crowned
עַל־(‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921:Above, over, upon, against
with everlasting
עוֹלָ֖ם(‘ō·w·lām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769:Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always
joy.
וְשִׂמְחַ֥ת(wə·śim·ḥaṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8057:Blithesomeness, glee
Joy
וְשִׂמְחָה֙(wə·śim·ḥāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8057:Blithesomeness, glee
and gladness
שָׂשׂ֤וֹן(śā·śō·wn)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8342:Cheerfulness, welcome
will overtake them,
יַשִּׂ֔יגוּ(yaś·śî·ḡū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5381:To reach, overtake
and sorrow
יָג֥וֹן(yā·ḡō·wn)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3015:Grief, sorrow
and sighing
וַאֲנָחָֽה׃(wa·’ă·nā·ḥāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 585:A sighing, groaning
will flee.
וְנָ֖סוּ(wə·nā·sū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5127:To flit, vanish away
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OT Prophets: Isaiah 35:10 The Yahweh's ransomed ones will return (Isa Isi Is)
