Isaiah 54:1 - Exposition

Sing, O barren . Israel in captivity is addressed as "barren," because, in the time of suffering, her numbers rather diminished than increased. Still, she is bidden to "sing" on account of the prospect that is opening upon her. She that is now desolate and solitary will soon have more children than she formerly had, when she was a married wife, enjoying the fellowship of Jehovah, her Husband ( Isaiah 54:5 ). The "children" spoken of are in part those who gathered themselves together in Jerusalem and the adjacent territory after the issue of the decree of Cyrus ( 1 Chronicles 9:2-34 ; Ezra 2:1-65 ; Ezra 8:1-20 ; Nehemiah 7:6-72 ; Nehemiah 11:3-36 ), but mainly such as flocked in from the Gentiles, both before and after Christ's coming (see Isaiah 54:3 ).