Isaiah 55:13

New Living Translation

Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the Lord 's name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love."

Parallel Translations

New King James Version
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the LORD for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

Literal Translation
Instead of the thornbush, the fir tree shall come up; instead of the brier, the myrtle shall come up; and it shall be for a name to Jehovah, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Easy-to-Read Version
Large cypress trees will grow where there were thornbushes. Myrtle trees will grow where there were weeds. All this will happen to make the Lord known, to be a permanent reminder of his goodness and power."

World English Bible
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree; and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to Yahweh for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

King James Version (1611)
In stead of the thorne shall come vp the Firre tree, and in stead of the brier shall come vp the Myrtle tree, and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an euerlasting signe that shall not bee cut off.

King James Version
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For thornes, there shal growe Fyrre trees, & ye Myrte tre in the steade of breres. And this shal be done to the prayse of the LORDE, & for an euerlastinge toke, that shal not be taken awaye.

Amplified Bible
"Instead of the thorn bush the cypress tree will grow, And instead of the nettle the myrtle tree will grow; And it will be a memorial to the LORD, For an everlasting sign [of His mercy] which will not be cut off."

American Standard Version
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree; and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree: and it shall be to Jehovah for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Update Bible Version
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree; and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree: and it shall be to Yahweh for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Webster's Bible Translation
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign [that] shall not be cut off.

New Century Version
Large cypress trees will grow where thornbushes were. Myrtle trees will grow where weeds were. These things will be a reminder of the Lord 's promise, and this reminder will never be destroyed."

New English Translation
Evergreens will grow in place of thorn bushes, firs will grow in place of nettles; they will be a monument to the Lord , a permanent reminder that will remain.

Contemporary English Version
Cypress and myrtle trees will grow in fields once covered by thorns. And then those trees will stand as a lasting witness to the glory of the Lord .

Complete Jewish Bible
Cypresses will grow in place of thorns, myrtles will grow instead of briars. This will bring fame to Adonai as an eternal, imperishable sign.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For thornes there shall grow firre trees: for nettles shall growe the myrrhe tree, and it shalbe to the Lord for a name, and for an euerlasting signe that shall not be taken away.

George Lamsa Translation
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Hebrew Names Version
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree; and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the LORD for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

New Life Bible
Instead of the thorn bush, the cypress tree will come up. Instead of the thistle, the myrtle tree will come up. It will cause you to remember the Lord, something special to see that will last forever."

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And instead of the bramble shall come up the cypress, and instead of the nettle shall come up the myrtle: and the Lord shall be for a name, and for an everlasting sign, and shall not fail.

English Revised Version
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible
Instead of the thornbush, a cypress will grow, and instead of the brier, a myrtle will spring up; they will make a name for the LORD as an everlasting sign, never to be destroyed."

New Revised Standard
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Instead of the thorn-bush, shall come up the fir-tree, And instead of the nettle, shall come up the myrtle-tree, - So shall it become unto Yahweh, a Name, A Sign age-abiding, which shall not be cut off.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Instead of the shrub, shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the nettle, shall come up the myrtle tree: and the Lord shall be named for an everlasting sign, that shall not be taken away.

Lexham English Bible
Instead of the thorn bush, the juniper shall go up; instead of the brier, the myrtle shall go up, and it shall serve as a memorial to Yahweh, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

Bible in Basic English
In place of the thorn will come up the fir-tree, and in place of the blackberry the myrtle: and it will be to the Lord for a name, for an eternal sign which will not be cut off.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For thornes, there shall growe Firre trees, and the Myrre tree in the steede of bryers: And this shalbe done to the prayse of the Lorde, and for an euerlastyng token that shall not be taken away.

Darby Translation
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress, and instead of the nettle shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to Jehovah for a name, for an everlasting sign [that] shall not be cut off.

English Standard Version
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord , an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

New American Standard Bible
"Instead of the thorn bush, the juniper will come up, And instead of the stinging nettle, the myrtle will come up; And it will be a memorial to the LORD, An everlasting sign which will not be eliminated."

Good News Translation
Cypress trees will grow where now there are briers; myrtle trees will come up in place of thorns. This will be a sign that will last forever, a reminder of what I, the Lord , have done."

Christian Standard Bible®
Instead of the thornbush, a cypress will come up, and instead of the brier, a myrtle will come up; it will make a name for Yahweh as an everlasting sign that will not be destroyed.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A fir tre schal grow for a firse, and a mirte tre schal wexe for a nettil; and the Lord schal be nemyd in to a signe euerlastynge, that schal not be doon awei.

Revised Standard Version
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the LORD for a memorial, for an everlasting sign which shall not be cut off."

Young's Literal Translation
Instead of the thorn come up doth fir, Instead of the brier come up doth myrtle, And it hath been to Jehovah for a name, For a sign age-during -- it is not cut off!

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up, And instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up, And it will be a memorial to the LORD, For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off."

Legacy Standard Bible
Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up,And instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up,And it will be to Yahweh for His renown,For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off."

Contextual Overview

⁶ Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. ⁷ Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. ⁸ "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord . "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. ⁹ For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. ¹⁰ "The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. ¹¹ It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. ¹² You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! ¹³ Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the Lord 's name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

of the thorn: Isaiah 11:6-9, Isaiah 41:19, Isaiah 60:13, Isaiah 60:21, Isaiah 61:3, Micah 7:4, Romans 6:19, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 2 Corinthians 5:17

for a: Isaiah 43:21, Jeremiah 13:11, Jeremiah 33:9, Luke 2:14, John 15:8, Ephesians 3:20, Ephesians 3:21, 1 Peter 2:9, 1 Peter 2:10, 1 Peter 4:11

an everlasting: Isaiah 54:10, Jeremiah 50:5

Reciprocal: Joshua 4:6 - a sign Psalms 45:15 - With Psalms 89:12 - rejoice Psalms 92:12 - righteous Psalms 96:12 - General Psalms 148:9 - Mountains Song of Solomon 2:2 - General Song of Solomon 2:8 - the mountains Isaiah 14:8 - General Isaiah 19:20 - for a Isaiah 29:17 - Lebanon Isaiah 35:1 - desert Isaiah 35:2 - and rejoice Isaiah 44:23 - Sing Isaiah 56:5 - that shall Isaiah 63:12 - to make Ezekiel 17:24 - all the trees Ezekiel 28:24 - a pricking Daniel 9:15 - and hast Hosea 14:8 - I am Joel 3:18 - the mountains Amos 9:13 - the mountains Zechariah 1:8 - among Malachi 4:2 - ye shall Acts 8:39 - and he Revelation 12:12 - rejoice

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree,.... The meaning of which either is, that instead of wicked men, comparable to briers and thorns for their being fruitless and useless, harmful and pernicious, under a curse, and their end to be burned, there good men, comparable to fruitful and beautiful trees, shall be; which was eminently true when the Gospel was preached in the Gentile world; see Isaiah 35:1 so the Targum,

"instead of the ungodly shall rise up righteous persons, and instead of sinners shall rise up such as are afraid to sin;''

or else the sense is, that such who are like briers and thorns in their nature state, being no better than others, but children of wrath, even as others, shall by the grace of God be made like fir and myrtle trees; as great a change shall be wrought in them as if briers and thorns were changed into fir and myrtle trees; to which the saints are sometimes compared, particularly to myrtle trees, Zechariah 1:10, because goodly to look at, of a sweet smell, ever green, flourish in watery places, and bring forth fruit:

and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off; that is, these persons, who are become and made like to fir and myrtle trees, shall be called by the name of the Lord, shall bear his name, support his Gospel and interest, and be for his praise, and to the glory of his grace, who has done such great and wonderful things for them;

and shall be for an everlasting sign and monument of the love, grace, power, and faithfulness of God, and for a sure token that the church and people of God shall not be cut off, but that God will have a people to serve him as long as the sun and moon endure.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Instead of the thorn - (Compare the notes at Isaiah 11:6-8; Isaiah 35:1-2; Isaiah 41:19; Isaiah 42:20). The word rendered ‘thorn’ (נעצוּץ na‛ătsûts) occurs only here and in Isaiah 7:19. It evidently means a thorn, hedge, or thorny-bush.

Shall come up the fir tree - (ברושׁ b^erôsh; see the notes at Isaiah 14:8; Isaiah 37:24; Isaiah 60:13; Zechariah 11:2). A change would be produced in the moral condition of man as great as if in the natural world the rough and useless thorn should be succeeded by the beautiful and useful cypress (compare Isaiah 60:13).

And instead of the brier - The brier is everywhere an emblem of desolation, and of an uncultivated country (see Isaiah 5:6; Isaiah 7:23-24).

The myrtle-tree - (see the notes at Isaiah 41:19). The idea here is, that under the gospel the change would be as great in the moral world as if a field all overrun with briers should at once become thick set with myrtles.

And it shall be to the Lord - The reference here is to all that had been said in the chapter. The gift of the Messiah; the universal offer of the gospel; the bestowing of pardon; the turning of the wicked unto God; and the great and salutary changes produced by the gospel, would all be a memorial of the benevolence and glory of Yahweh.

For a name - It should tend to diffuse his name; to spread abroad a knowledge of himself.

An everlasting sign - On the meaning of the word rendered ‘sign,’ see the notes at Isaiah 7:14, Here it means that it would be an eternal memorial of the mercy and goodness of Yahweh.

That shall not be cut off - The gospel with its rich and varied blessings shall erect enduring monuments in the earth, to the praise and honor of God. It will be more enduring as a memorial of him than all altars and statues, and temples erected to celebrate and perpetuate idolatry; as wide-diffused as are his works of creation, and more fruitful of blessings than anything elsewhere conferred on man.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 55:13. Instead of the thorn - "Instead of the thorny bushes"] These likewise (see note on the preceding verse, and on Isaiah 54:11) are general poetical images, expressing a great and happy change for the better. The wilderness turned into a paradise, Lebanon into Carmel: the desert of the Gentiles watered with the heavenly snow and rain, which fail not to have their due effect, and becoming fruitful in piety and righteousness: or, as the Chaldee gives the moral sense of the emblem, "instead of the wicked shall arise the just; and instead of sinners, such as fear to sin." (compare Isaiah 35:1-2; Isaiah 41:19.

And instead of — The conjunction ו vau is added, ותחת vetachath, in forty-five MSS. of Kennicott's several of De Rossi's, and five editions; and it is acknowledged by all the ancient Versions. The Masoretes therefore might have safely received it into the text, and not have referred us for it to the margin. But this is no uncommon case with them. Even in our own Version the best reading is very often found in the margin.