Isaiah 26:15 · Bible study
Isaiah 26:15 Commentary: Nation Increased, God Glorified
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Isaiah 26:15 celebrates God doubling His people and expanding His land, connecting the Church's growth to His own glorification in history.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God is the one who multiplies His people and extends their territory, and this results in His own glory.
- Key words: יָסַף (increase/add), נִכְבָּדְתָּ (glorified), רִחַקְתָּ (extended).
- Main debate: Whether the nation refers only to national Israel or includes the New Testament church; whether the increase is past (exile return) or future (messianic).
- Theological theme: God’s glory is inseparably tied to the growth and flourishing of His covenant people.
- Best use: A thanksgiving text for church growth, missions, and the hope of global revival; also a prayer for seasons of smallness.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
You have enlarged the nation, O LORD; You have enlarged the nation. You have gained glory for Yourself; You have extended all the borders of the land.
WEB World English Bible 2000
You have increased the nation, O Yahweh. You have increased the nation! You are glorified! You have enlarged all the borders of the land.
KJV King James Version 1769
Thou hast increased the nation, O Lord, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Thou hast increased the nation, O Jehovah, thou hast increased the nation; thou art glorified; thou hast enlarged all the borders of the land.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Thou hast added to the nation, O Jehovah, Thou hast added to the nation, Thou hast been honoured, Thou hast put far off all the ends of earth.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Thou hast increased the nation, Jehovah, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified. Thou hadst removed [it] far [unto] all the ends of the earth.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Thou hast been favourable to the nation, O Lord, thou hast been favourable to the nation: art thou glorified? thou hast removed all the ends of the earth far off.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Añadiste al pueblo, oh Jehová, añadiste al pueblo: hicístete glorioso: extendíste lo hasta todos los términos de la tierra.
Tu, SENHOR, engrandeceste esta nação; engrandeceste esta nação, e te fizeste glorioso; alargaste os limites da terra.
Multiplie le peuple, ô Éternel!
Aber du, HERR, fährst fort unter den Heiden, du fährst immer fort unter den Heiden, beweisest deine Herrlichkeit und kommst ferne bis an der Welt Enden.
Gij, o HEERE! hadt dit volk vermeerderd, Gij hadt dit volk vermeerderd; Gij waart verheerlijkt geworden; maar Gij hebt hen in al de einden des aardrijks verre weggedaan.
Tu hai aumentata la nazione, o Eterno! hai aumentata la nazione, ti sei glorificato, hai allargato tutti i confini del paese.
Rozmnożyłeś naród; o Panie! rozmnożyłeś naród; uwielbionyś jest, acześ go był zapędził na wszystkie granice ziemi.
Ты умножил народ, Господи, умножил народ, - прославил Себя, распространил все пределы земли.
耶和華啊，你增添 國民，你增添 國民；你得了榮耀，又擴張 地 的四 境。
You have made the nation great, O Lord, you have made it great; glory is yours: you have made wide the limits of the land.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 26:15
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators agree that this verse celebrates Yahweh as the sole agent who both multiplies His people and enlarges their territory. The repetition of “You have increased the nation” is not accidental; as Gill notes, it underscores the certainty and importance of the act. The Hebrew verb yāsap̄ (to add) appears twice in the perfect (completed action), so the prophet speaks of a real, already-achieved increase, not a mere wish. Barnes connects this directly to the return from Babylon and the influx of converts, while Calvin sees it reaching further: the latter clause (“You have enlarged all the borders of the land”) interprets the former, pointing to the inclusion of the Gentiles. The result clause “You are glorified” (nikbādəta, Niphal perfect of kāḇēḏ) indicates that God gains honor precisely through this multiplication of His people. Keil & Delitzsch read the verse as a praise for the restoration of Israel’s numbers and borders, recalling the days of David and Solomon but ultimately anticipating the messianic kingdom. Across the traditions, there is consensus: the increase of the covenant community is God’s own work, and His glory shines brightest when His people are many.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse unambiguously declares that God is the one who grows His people and expands His territory, and that this work brings glory to Him alone.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the nation | It refers to God's covenant people, the faithful remnant of Israel. | Protestants typically see it as literal Israel but often expand it to the church (the new Israel). Some Jewish interpreters restrict it to national Israel restored from exile. Catholic tradition reads it as the people of God through history, culminating in the Church. |
| Timing of the increase | God is the agent who accomplishes the increase; it is an act of divine grace. | Some commentators (e.g., Barnes) take the perfects as past actions, the return from Babylon. Others (e.g., Calvin) see them as prophetic perfects describing the future messianic kingdom. A third group (Keil & Delitzsch) sees both a past pattern and a future fulfillment. |
| Meaning of 'borders of the land' | It indicates territorial expansion of the Promised Land under God's rule. | Barnes and the Cambridge Bible argue for literal geographical borders. Calvin and Gill extend it to the worldwide spiritual kingdom of Christ. Wesley interprets it as the scattering of captives, but that is a minority view. |
| Relationship to God's glory | The increase of the nation results in God being glorified. | Some emphasize that God glorifies Himself through His works (Calvin). Others focus on human response: God is praised when people see His faithfulness (Matthew Henry). Neither view is mutually exclusive. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 26 sits at the heart of the “Isaiah Apocalypse” (chapters 24, 27), a cluster of prophecies about final judgment and restoration. The chapter opens with a song of trust in Yahweh’s salvation (vv. 1, 6) and moves into a communal prayer (vv. 7, 19). Verse 15 erupts with praise after the confession of other lords (v. 13) and the declaration that Israel’s oppressors are dead (v. 14). The historical backdrop is Assyrian domination and the exile of the northern kingdom; soon Judah itself will face Babylon. The nation, the faithful remnant within Israel, had been reduced to near nothing. Against that despair, the prophet declares that God has already done the impossible: He has added to the people and extended the land’s boundaries. The Hebrew verb richaqta (Piel of rāḥaq) means “you have made distant,” i.e., pushed the borders far out. This language echoes God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:2; 13:16) and the nation’s growth in Egypt (Deuteronomy 10:22). It also mirrors the expansion under David and Solomon. The prophet is not merely recalling the past; he is using those gracious acts as proof that God can and will do it again. The repetition of “You have increased the nation” follows Hebrew poetic convention for emphasis and joy. The verse functions as a turning point: from lament over smallness (vv. 17, 18) to assurance of resurrection and enlargement (v. 19). Culturally, “borders of the land” meant the Promised Land of Canaan, but Calvin and others argue that the prophetic horizon expands to include “all the ends of the earth”, the territory of God’s kingdom under Messiah.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Isaiah 26:15. The Masoretic text is stable across manuscripts. The only proposed emendation in the surrounding context appears in verse 12 (Lange suggests תִּשְׁפֹט for תִּשְׁפֹּת), but this does not affect verse 15. The Hebrew verb forms (יָסַפְתָּ, נִכְבָּדְתָּ, רִחַקְתָּ) are consistent in the major witnesses. The variant renderings in English translations (e.g., KJV “removed” vs. WEB “enlarged”) reflect different interpretations of the Piel verb richaqta, not a manuscript difference.
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, Isaiah 26:15 has been read as a prayer for the ingathering of the exiles and the restoration of Israel’s land. The Talmud (Pesachim 117b) alludes to this verse as part of the Hallel of redemption. Christian interpreters from the early church onward saw it as a prophecy of the Gentile inclusion. Calvin’s commentary (1564) strongly develops this theme: “The Lord added a vast multitude, for the children of Abraham were called out of all nations.” Later Protestant writers (Gill, Matthew Henry, Barnes) applied the verse to the growth of the church through missions. The phrase “thou art glorified” has been used in hymns celebrating revival and global evangelism. In the 19th century, missionary societies often cited this verse as a promise that God would increase His people in every land. Across traditions, the verse remains a favorite for prayers of thanksgiving after seasons of growth or renewal.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God initiates the increase. The verb yāsap̄ (to add) is repeated, emphasizing that the growth of God’s people is entirely His doing, not human effort or political alliances.
- The increase brings God glory. “You are glorified” is the direct consequence of the multiplication. His honor is bound up with the flourishing of His covenant community.
- The expansion is territorial and global. “All the borders of the land” points to the physical Promised Land but also, in light of the New Testament, to the worldwide spread of the gospel.
Five-point outline
- Repetition for certainty. Saying “You have increased” twice declares a settled fact, not a fragile hope.
- The nation is God’s possession. It is “the” nation, the righteous nation from v. 2, the people who trust in Yahweh.
- God glorifies Himself through His people. The Niphal form of kāḇēḏ (“you have gained glory for Yourself”) shows He receives honor without another agent.
- The enlargement of borders reflects His kingdom’s reach. Psalm 72:8 promises dominion from sea to sea; this verse foresees that reality.
- From lament to praise. The verse responds to the pain of vv. 17, 18 (childbirth without deliverance) with a declaration of God’s prior and future greatness.
Illustration hooks
- A small congregation that, over decades, becomes a thriving multi-site church, each addition a visible answer to prayer.
- A farmer who doubles his land by clearing new fields; the increase of crop area means more provision and more honor to the work of his hands.
- A family that adopts children into their home, seeing the “nation” of their household grow, and giving thanks for each new member.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God is already glorified, why does the church today seem so small in many places?
- Does this verse mean we should always measure spiritual success by numbers?
- How can I celebrate God’s increase when I feel more like a remnant than a multitude?
Leading a Discussion
Isaiah 26:15 is a short but dense thanksgiving. It stands in the middle of a prayer that moves from struggle to confidence. As a small group, you will explore how the growth of God’s people is both a gift and a source of glory for God. Let the repetition of the line sink in: God doesn’t just enlarge, He delights in enlarging, and He shares that delight with His people.
Discussion questions
- What does Isaiah mean by “the nation” in this verse? How do vv. 1, 2 and 13 help you decide?
- Why do you think the prophet repeats the exact phrase “You have increased the nation” twice? What does that repetition accomplish emotionally and theologically?
- How is God’s glorification connected to the increase of His people? What does that imply about how we view church growth today?
- The verse also mentions enlarging “all the borders of the land.” What “borders” might this refer to: geographical, ethnic, spiritual? (Compare with Psalm 72:8 and Revelation 11:15.)
- Read vv. 17, 18. The community felt like they gave birth only to wind. How does v. 15 address that feeling of futility?
- In what ways have you seen God “increase” your church or fellowship, and how did that affect your sense of His glory?
- How does this verse encourage you to pray for people who do not yet know Christ? Does it imply a promise you can claim?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 12:2 | I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. |
| Genesis 13:16 | I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring may also be counted. |
| Numbers 23:10 | Who can count the dust of Jacob, or count the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous! Let my last end be like his!” |
| Deuteronomy 4:27 | Yahweh will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where Yahweh will lead you away. |
| Deuteronomy 4:28 | There you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. |
| Deuteronomy 10:22 | Your fathers went down into Egypt with seventy persons; and now Yahweh your God has made you as the stars of the sky for multitude. |
| Deuteronomy 28:25 | Yahweh will cause you to be struck before your enemies. You will go out one way against them, and will flee seven ways before them. You will be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth. |
| Deuteronomy 28:64 | Yahweh will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth. There you will serve other gods which you have not known, you nor your fathers, even wood and stone. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes reads the phrase about God removing the nation far away as describing expansion, not exile. He argues the Hebrew verb means to put the borders at a distance, so God extended the nation's territory widely. This interpretation, supported by Lowth and Noyes, fits the parallel line about increase.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin rejects the common readings that the verse describes multiplied afflictions or multiplied blessings. Instead he insists it means God increased the number of his people, bringing Gentiles into the church. The enlargement of God's kingdom through the gospel is the point the prophet is making.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator insists the verbs in this verse describe actual past events, not future ones spoken of as certain or wishes expressed. God has genuinely already increased the nation and enlarged its borders. The glory belongs to God because He accomplished these real victories for Israel.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Thou hast increased the nation, O Lord: thou hast increased the nation: thou art made glorious: thou hast enlarged all the coastes of the earth.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights the certainty and significance of the righteous nation's increase through mass conversions of Jews and Gentiles, which brings glory to God. He interprets the removal to the ends of the earth as the worldwide spread of Christ's kingdom, possibly linked to mountains and islands fleeing at the destruction of the antichrist.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws attention to the Hebrew verb "hast" as a prophetic preterite, where a past tense proclaims a future event as already certain. They also note an alternative translation by Vitringa that reads "Thou hast extended far all the borders of the land" instead of the more familiar removal or dispersion.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch see this verse as part of a pattern where Israel's future glory corresponds to its past, but not as a deliberate reference to the Davidic era. The prophet's words about God increasing the nation simply belong to a typological relation in sacred history, where the last times echo earlier events without directly recalling them.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads Isaiah 26:13-18 as the voice of the dead themselves, still longing for life and making fruitless efforts in Sheol like a woman in labor. Their hope fails until God alone acts in verse 19, raising only His own dead by a heavenly dew of light.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry reads the prophet's words as an acknowledgment that every good work done by God's people is actually God's own work in them. He emphasizes that whatever good thoughts or affections arise in the heart come from God's grace working within, not from human effort alone.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley identifies the nation in this verse specifically as Israel, and he reads the word "removed" as describing God's act of uprooting His own people from their homeland and allowing them to be taken captive to the farthest regions of the earth.