Isaiah 35:10 · Bible study
Isaiah 35:10 Commentary: The Ransomed Return to Zion with Joy
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Isaiah 35:10 describes the ransomed returning to Zion with everlasting joy. Scholars see both a literal return from exile and an eschatological fulfillment.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God’s ransomed people return to Zion with everlasting joy, and all sorrow ends.
- Key words: ransomed (פדויי, redeemed by a price), everlasting joy (שמחת עולם, perpetual gladness), overtake (השיג, attain), flee (נוס, disappear).
- Main debate: Whether the verse refers only to Israel’s return from Babylon, or also (or primarily) to the final eschatological redemption.
- Thological theme: Redemption as the basis for restoration; joy as the permanent state of God’s people; the end of suffering.
- Best use: Assuring believers of the certainty and completeness of God’s salvation, especially in times of grief.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Then Yahweh’s ransomed ones will return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”
KJV King James Version 1769
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
and the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And the ransomed of Jehovah return, And have entered Zion with singing. And joy age-during on their head, Joy and gladness they attain, And fled away have sorrow and sighing!
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come to Zion with singing; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and shall come into Sion with praise, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y los redimidos de Jehová volverán, y vendrán á Sión con alegría; y gozo perpetuo será sobre sus cabezas: y retendrán el gozo y alegría, y huirá la tristeza y el gemido.
E os resgatados do SENHOR voltarão, e virão a Sião com júbilo, e alegria eterna haverá sobre suas cabeças; eles terão prazer e alegria, e a tristeza e o gemido deles fugirão.
Les rachetés de l’ Éternel retourneront,
Die Erlösten des HERRN werden wiederkommen und gen Zion kommen mit Jauchzen; ewige Freude wird über ihrem Haupte sein; Freude und Wonne werden sie ergreifen, und Schmerz und Seufzen wird entfliehen.
En de vrijgekochten des HEEREN zullen wederkeren, en tot Sion komen met gejuich, en eeuwige blijdschap zal op hun hoofd wezen; vrolijkheid en blijdschap zullen zij verkrijgen, maar droefenis en zuchting zullen wegvlieden.
e i riscattati dall’Eterno torneranno, verranno a Sion con canti di gioia; un’allegrezza eterna coronerà il loro capo; otterranno gioia e letizia, e il dolore ed il gemito fuggiranno.
Odkupieni, mówię, Pańscy nawrócą się, i przyjdą na Syon z śpiewaniem, a wesele wieczne będzie na głowie ich; radość i wesele otrzymają, a żałość i smutek uciecze.
И возвратятся избавленные Господом, придут на Сион с радостным восклицанием; и радость вечная будет над головою их; они найдут радость и веселье, а печаль и воздыхание удалятся.
並且耶和華 救贖的民 必歸回，歌唱 來到 錫安；永 樂 必歸到 他們的頭上；他們必得著 歡喜 快樂，憂愁 歎息 盡都逃避。
Even those whom he has made free, will come back again; they will come with songs to Zion; on their heads will be eternal joy; delight and joy will be theirs, and sorrow and sounds of grief will be gone for ever.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 35:10
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Isaiah 35:10 depicts the joyful return of those ransomed by Yahweh. The language draws from the return from Babylon (Barnes), but the prophet has in view a greater redemption under the Messiah. Calvin argues this verse shows God’s determination to redeem his people; no one enters the Church except by God’s redemption. Matthew Henry sees it as the blessings of the gospel: thorough teaching, holy walking, perfect safety, complete happiness. The key word “ransomed” (פדויי, from padah) implies a price paid to free someone from bondage (Clarke). Joy is called “everlasting” (עולם), not temporary. The verse appears verbatim in Isaiah 51:11 (Cambridge Bible). All agree that at the end of this chapter, the redeemed arrive at Zion, and sorrow and sighing flee, a vision of complete restoration.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Historical return from Babylon: The immediate context of Isaiah 35 describes a highway and return from exile, and the language of ‘return to Zion’ fits the post-exilic restoration.
- Eschatological Messianic redemption: The terms ‘everlasting joy’ and ‘sorrow and sighing flee’ transcend any historical event; parallel passages (Isaiah 25:8, 65:19) describe the final age.
- Typological fulfillment (both): The literal return from Babylon prefigures the greater redemption in Christ and the final consummation; the verse operates on multiple levels.
What is clear: God will redeem his people and bring them to himself with lasting joy, and sorrow will come to an end.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Referent of the return | The verse speaks of a return of God’s people to Zion after deliverance from alien power. | Some traditions see this as primarily the historical return from Babylon (Barnes, Keil & Delitzsch), while others emphasize the eschatological gathering under the Messiah (Calvin, Matthew Henry). Many hold both as a type and fulfillment. |
| Identity of the ransomed | The ransomed are those whom God has redeemed by paying a price. | Some restrict this to ethnic Israel returning from exile; others include all believers who are redeemed by Christ (Calvin, Gill). |
| Nature of the joy | The joy is everlasting and comes from God’s redemptive act. | Whether this joy is experienced fully in this life or only in the age to come is debated. The text uses eternal language that points to the final state. |
| Zion as destination | Zion is the place where God dwells and where his people gather. | Interpreters differ on whether Zion is the earthly Jerusalem (literalist reading) or the heavenly Jerusalem (spiritual/typological reading). Both can coexist typologically. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 35 stands as a bright vision of future glory right after the judgment chapter on Edom (ch. 34). The prophecy was delivered in the eighth century BC, during the Assyrian threat, yet it looks beyond that crisis to a future restoration. The surrounding verses describe the desert blossoming, the lame leaping, and a highway called “the Holy Way” (vv. 6, 8). That highway suggests a literal route for exiles returning from Babylon, but also a spiritual path for the redeemed. In v. 9, no lion or ravenous beast will go up there, perfect safety. Then v. 10 concludes: the ransomed return to Zion with singing.
Zion is the city of God, the site of the temple, the place of God’s presence. The historical return under Cyrus in 538 BC partially fulfilled this, but the language of “everlasting joy” and “sorrow and sighing flee” goes beyond any event in the Old Testament. Keil and Delitzsch describe the whole chapter as “a prelude of that book of consolation for the exiles.” The Hebrew verb forms in the verse are all future indicative, expressing certainty. The word for “ransomed” (פדויי) is used only here in the chapter; a different word for “redeemed” (גאל) appears in v. 9 (Barnes). The return to Zion is both a historical event and a type of the final gathering of God’s people.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Isaiah 35:10. The verse appears verbatim in Isaiah 51:11, confirming its stability in the manuscript tradition.
Reception History
This verse has brought comfort to God’s people across centuries. In the early church, it was read as a prophecy of Christ’s redemption and the joy of the resurrection. Reformation commentators like Calvin applied it to the spiritual deliverance of believers from sin and death. Matthew Henry, in the 18th century, saw it as describing the blessings of the gospel: thorough teaching, holy walking, and complete happiness. The verse has been used in funeral liturgies and hymns about the hope of heaven, though no specific work is named in the supplied sources. Its repetition in Isaiah 51:11 shows that the prophet himself saw it as a refrain of hope for the exiles.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Redemption is the foundation. The people are called “the ransomed of Yahweh”, a price was paid. Their identity is defined by what God has done for them (פדה, to redeem).
- The journey ends in joy. They come to Zion with a ringing cry (רנה). Joy is “upon their heads,” a picture of anointing or a garland of victory (Barnes).
- Sorrow is completely removed. Sighing (אנחה, a guttural word expressing deep grief, Clarke) and sorrow (יגון) flee away. They do not just pause; they vanish.
Five-point outline
- The ransomed return, this is a movement from exile to home.
- They come with singing, the response to deliverance is praise.
- Everlasting joy crowns them, joy is not a feeling but a permanent state.
- They obtain gladness and joy, they actively take hold of it (השיג, overtake).
- Sorrow and sighing flee, the old order ends.
Illustration hooks
- A family reuniting at the airport after years apart. The waiting ends, and the joy is physical: embraces, laughter, tears that become laughter.
- A marathon runner crossing the finish line. The pain in the legs fades. The medal is placed around the neck. The crowd cheers.
- The moment after a long illness when a patient is finally discharged. The hospital stay is over. The door opens to daylight.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is this verse only for ancient Israel, or does it apply to me today?
- What does “everlasting joy” look like when I still experience grief?
- How do I know if I am one of the ransomed?
Leading a Discussion
This verse closes Isaiah 35 with a picture of complete restoration. The ransomed of Yahweh return to Zion, joy fills every corner, and sorrow vanishes. It is a promise that has comforted God’s people for centuries. Use these questions to explore the depth of this hope together.
Discussion questions
- What actions are described in this verse? Who acts, and who receives?
- The people are called “the ransomed of Yahweh.” What does this term suggest about their condition before redemption?
- Joy is described as “everlasting.” How is this different from ordinary happiness?
- How does the verse portray the end of suffering? What happens to sorrow and sighing?
- The same verse appears in Isaiah 51:11. Why might the prophet repeat this promise?
- How does this verse relate to the earlier images in Isaiah 35: the desert blooming, the lame leaping, the highway of holiness?
- How can we anticipate this promise in our present lives, especially when we are in seasons of sorrow?
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)
| Psalms 84:7 | They go from strength to strength. Every one of them appears before God in Zion. |
| Isaiah 25:8 | He has swallowed up death forever! The Lord Yahweh will wipe away tears from off all faces. He will take the reproach of his people away from off all the earth, for Yahweh has spoken it. |
| Isaiah 30:19 | For the people will dwell in Zion at Jerusalem. You will weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the voice of your cry. When he hears you, he will answer you. |
| Isaiah 51:10 | Isn’t it you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep; who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over? |
| Isaiah 51:11 | Those ransomed by Yahweh will return, and come with singing to Zion. Everlasting joy shall be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy. Sorrow and sighing shall flee away. |
| Isaiah 60:20 | Your sun will not go down any more, nor will your moon withdraw itself; for Yahweh will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning will end. |
| Isaiah 65:19 | I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; and the voice of weeping and the voice of crying will be heard in her no more. |
| Jeremiah 31:11 | For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob, and redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he. |
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
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws attention to the Hebrew word for "ransomed," which means redeemed by paying a specific price. He also notes that the word for "sighing" in Hebrew is a strong, guttural sound that perfectly echoes the sorrow it describes, making the promise of its departure even more vivid.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes a subtle but now obscure distinction between the Hebrew words for "ransomed" and "redeemed." He offers three possible meanings for "everlasting joy upon their heads": joy showing on the face, anointing oil, or a festive wreath. Whichever view is taken, the joy is permanent and unfading, not temporary like a garland.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists that the return to Zion is entirely God's work, not human effort. The journey symbolizes the whole Christian life: we are redeemed once by Christ, but we must continually advance toward the heavenly Zion, entering fully only at the close of life. No one enters the Church except by God's redemption.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary notes that this verse appears word for word in another chapter of Isaiah, showing the prophet reuses a key promise. It also links the image of joy being on the head to the later picture of a garland given for ashes, connecting the themes of transformation and comfort
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall returne and come to Zion with prayse: and euerlasting ioy shall bee vpon their heads: they shall obteine ioye and gladnesse, and sorow and mourning shall flee away.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that the ransomed return to Zion singing for specific blessings: election, redemption, calling, justification, and pardon. He carefully distinguishes the present experience, where joy is often interrupted by sin or temptation, from the eternal joy of heaven where sorrow and sighing flee completely.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB reads the passage on two levels: first as a literal description of the joy when Israel returned from Babylon, then as a fuller figure pointing to the final redemption of both literal and spiritual Israel. The "joy upon their heads" means visible gladness, possibly alluding to anointing oil or festive garlands worn at celebrations.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stress that the Holy Road is exclusively for the purified church: no unclean person, whether from Israel or the nations, will travel it. The road is so clearly marked that even a simple person cannot miss it, and it lies too high for any beast of prey to reach. Only the redeemed walk there.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry treats these physical healings as literal miracles Christ performed, not mere metaphors. He points to specific Gospel accounts where Jesus opened blind eyes and unstopped deaf ears as proof that God himself had come to set up his kingdom. These wonders demonstrate that the prophecy finds its concrete fulfillment in Christ's earthly ministry.