The big picture
Isaiah 52 opens in verse 1 with “Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 8 with “Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they…”, and closes in verse 15 with “So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, Jerusalem, people, Zion, good. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Isaiah · King James Version · 15Isaiah 52:1-8
1–8: Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful…
Isaiah 52:1–8 opens with “Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy…” and reaches “Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Isaiah 52 develops its own movement around LORD, Jerusalem, people, Zion, good, with particular weight carried by LORD, Zion, good.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“For thus saith the LORD , Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
“Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD , that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
Isaiah 52:1-8
King James Version1Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
2Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
3For thus saith the LORD , Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.
4For thus saith the Lord GOD , My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
5Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD , that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD ; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.
6Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.
7How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
8Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.
Isaiah 52:9-15
9–15: Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for…
Isaiah 52:9–15 opens with “Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted…” and reaches “So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Isaiah 52 develops its own movement around LORD, Jerusalem, people, Zion, good, with particular weight carried by LORD, depart, Jerusalem.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath…” Naming Jerusalem and Break keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Isaiah 52:9-15
King James Version9Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
10The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
11Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD .
12For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward.
13Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
14As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
15So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Isaiah 52:1 begins with “Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the…”
Where the chapter turns
Isaiah 52:6 forms a natural hinge: “Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.”
The final note
Isaiah 52:15 leaves the reader with “So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, Jerusalem, people, Zion, good, awake help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.