Isaiah 56:5 · Bible study
Isaiah 56:5 Commentary: A Name That Cannot Be Cut Off
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Isaiah 56:5 promises childless eunuchs a name better than sons/daughters in God's house. This verse redefines belonging and legacy for the marginalized.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God promises childless eunuchs a permanent memorial and name in his house, surpassing what sons or daughters could give.
- Key words: yâd (hand/monument), shêm (name/reputation), karat (cut off), ‘ôlām (everlasting).
- Main debate: Whether “house and walls” refer to the literal temple or to the church/eternal city, and whether yâd means a physical monument or simply a place/portion.
- Theological theme: Inclusion of the excluded, God’s covenant community is built on faith, not biology or social status.
- Best use: A text of comfort for those who feel barren, forgotten, or disqualified from Christian community, and a call to churches to widen the circle.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
I will give them, in My house and within My walls, a memorial and a name better than that of sons and daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.
WEB World English Bible 2000
I will give them in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name better than of sons and of daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.
KJV King James Version 1769
Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Unto them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name better than of sons and of daughters; I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
I have given to them in My house, And within My walls a station and a name, Better than sons and than daughters, A name age-during I give to him That is not cut off.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
even unto them will I give in my house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
I will give to them in my house, and within my walls, a place, and a name better than sons and daughters: I will give them an everlasting name which shall never perish.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Yo les daré lugar en mi casa y dentro de mis muros, y nombre mejor que el de hijos é hijas; nombre perpetuo les daré que nunca perecerá.
Eu também lhes darei em minha casa, e dentro de meus muros, lugar e nome, melhor que o de filhos e filhas; darei um nome eterno a cada um deles, que nunca se apagará.
Je donnerai dans ma maison et dans mes murs une place et un nom
Ich will ihnen in meinem Hause und in meinen Mauern einen Ort und einen Namen geben, besser denn Söhne und Töchter; einen ewigen Namen will ich ihnen geben, der nicht vergehen soll.
Ik zal hen ook in Mijn huis en binnen Mijn muren een plaats en een naam geven, beter dan der zonen en dan der dochteren; een eeuwigen naam zal Ik een ieder van hen geven, die niet uitgeroeid zal worden.
Io darò loro, nella mia casa e dentro le mie mura, un posto ed un nome, che varranno meglio di figli e di figlie; darò loro un nome eterno, che non perirà più.
Żeć im dam w domu swym i między murami mojemi miejsce, i imię lepsze niżeli synów i córek; dam im imię wieczne, które nie będzie wygładzone.
тем дам Я в доме Моем и в стенах Моих место и имя лучшее, нежели сыновьям и дочерям; дам им вечное имя, которое не истребится.
我必使 他們 在我殿中，在我牆內，有記念，有名號，比有兒 女 的更美。我必賜 他們 永遠 的名， 不能 剪除。
I will give to them in my house, and inside my walls, a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an eternal name which will not be cut off.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 56:5
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that this verse reverses the exclusion of eunuchs and foreigners announced in Deuteronomy 23:1. God promises them a 'place and a name' within his house and walls. The Hebrew word yâd (literally 'hand') is translated here as 'memorial' or 'monument', a visible marker that perpetuates a person’s memory. The Cambridge Bible points to 2 Samuel 18:18, where Absalom erects a pillar called 'Absalom’s hand' to keep his name alive. Keil & Delitzsch similarly see yâd as a signpost of remembrance, while Barnes emphasizes that the 'house' is the temple as an emblem of God’s dwelling in every age. The promise 'better than of sons and of daughters' addresses the eunuch’s deepest grief (v. 3, 'I am a dry tree'). Matthew Henry calls this a 'far greater blessing and honour than that of having posterity.' What unites the commentators is the conviction: God gives what biology cannot, an everlasting name that will not be cut off.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal temple monument: The term yâd as a memorial pillar (cf. 2 Sam 18:18) and the clear reference to 'my house and within my walls' as the Jerusalem temple.
- Symbolic inclusion in the church: The NT reinterprets the temple as the body of Christ (1 Cor 3:16) and the people of God; the promise belongs to all who believe.
- Eternal life/name in heaven: The 'everlasting name that shall not be cut off' points beyond this life to resurrection and permanent standing before God.
What is clear: God promises a lasting name and a secure place within his community to those who were once excluded, and this gift is better than the biological legacy they lacked.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Inclusion of eunuchs and foreigners | God welcomes those who keep his Sabbaths, choose his ways, and hold fast the covenant, regardless of physical or ethnic barriers. | Whether this inclusion applies in the same way to all individuals today or is limited to those conditions (Sabbath-keeping, covenant fidelity). |
| Meaning of 'house and walls' | The primary reference is the temple in Jerusalem and its walls, but many see it as a type of the church or the new Jerusalem. | Some (e.g., Barnes) emphasize the literal temple as an emblem of public worship; others (e.g., Gill) understand it as the gospel church state; still others see it as the eternal heavenly city. |
| 'Place' (yad) as monument or portion | The word yad denotes something that preserves memory, a hand, monument, or place. | Whether it is a literal memorial pillar (Cambridge, Keil & Delitzsch) or more generally a portion/place inside God’s presence (Barnes, JFB). |
| Singular vs. plural in Hebrew | The Masoretic text uses singular 'to him' in the last clause; the versions (LXX, Syriac, etc.) read plural 'to them.' | Clarke argues for the plural reading as original; others retain the singular as a collective or referring to each individual eunuch. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 56 stands in the prophetic tradition of the post-exilic period (often called Trito-Isaiah), when the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem was central to Jewish identity. The community faced questions about who truly belonged. The law in Deuteronomy 23:1 (WEB) had excluded eunuchs from the assembly of Yahweh: 'He who is emasculated by crushing or cutting shall not enter into Yahweh’s assembly.' Similarly, foreigners faced restrictions (Deut 23:3). Isaiah 56 reverses that: eunuchs and foreigners who 'keep my Sabbaths, choose the things that please me, and hold fast my covenant' (v. 4, 6) are welcomed with full access.
The phrase 'in my house and within my walls' refers to the temple and the city of Jerusalem. Barnes notes that eunuchs, previously barred from the temple precincts, would now be given a permanent place inside. The word yâd (translated 'place' in KJV, 'memorial' in WEB) carries the nuance of a monument, a physical object erected in the temple as a lasting marker of the person’s name. Cambridge Bible illustrates this with Absalom’s pillar (2 Sam 18:18), called 'Absalom’s hand.'
Becoming a 'dry tree' in v. 3 was a metaphor for being cut off from posterity and from God’s people. In the ancient Near East, sons and daughters carried on a family’s name, inheritance, and memory. A childless person faced a kind of social death. Isaiah 56:5 promises a legacy that transcends biology. The verb 'cut off' (yikkaret, Niphal imperfect) echoes the language of excommunication from the covenant; now God promises the opposite: a name that will not be cut off.
Textual Notes
The only notable textual variation mentioned in the supplied sources is Clarke’s observation on v. 5: the Hebrew reads 'to him' (lô, singular), but the Septuagint, Syriac, Chaldee, and Vulgate read 'to them' (lāmô, plural). Clarke prefers the plural as more consistent with the plural recipients in the context (eunuchs and foreigners). Other commentators (Barnes, Keil & Delitzsch) retain the singular, understanding it as a distributive reference to each individual. No other significant variants are noted in the consulted sources.
Reception History
Isaiah 56:5 has been treasured across church history as a promise of inclusion for those cut off from ordinary means of legacy. The early church read it as a prophecy of the Gentile mission, linking it with Jesus’ words in Matthew 21:13, 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.' In the post-Nicene period, Christian writers applied the image of the eunuch’s dry tree to celibates and monastics who gave up family for the Kingdom; they found here a divine compensation for their sacrifice. The Reformation emphasis on faith alone gave the verse new force: belonging to God’s people comes not by birth but by covenant faithfulness. In modern times, this text has been a source of hope for the infertile, the single, and anyone who fears their life will leave no mark. It continues to challenge churches to make room for those who feel like outsiders.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- God sees beyond our barrenness. The eunuch calls himself a dry tree (v. 3). God answers with a monument and a name. No human barrenness, whether physical, relational, or spiritual, limits what God can give.
- The gift of a name and a place in God’s family. The promise is not abstract: a literal memorial in God’s house, a name better than children. This is belonging, not mere survival.
- An everlasting legacy that cannot be cut off. The Niphal form of “cut off” is passive, the name is secured by God’s action, not human effort. It lasts because God sustains it.
Five-Point Outline
- The problem: The eunuch and foreigner feel rejected from God’s people.
- The condition: They are called to keep Sabbath, choose God’s ways, and hold fast the covenant (v. 4, 6).
- The promise: A place and a name in God’s house and walls.
- The comparison: Better than having sons and daughters, not replacement but surpassing.
- The permanence: An everlasting name that will not be cut off.
Illustration Hooks
- The childless couple in church: A couple unable to have children feels they have no legacy. This verse says God carries on their name in ways more lasting than genes.
- The single person who feels like a “dry tree”: In a congregation that celebrates families, the unmarried or childless can feel invisible. Isaiah 56 names their ache and answers it.
- The foreigner or newcomer: Someone from a different ethnic background or church tradition who fears they don’t really belong. The promise says God builds a place for them, inside his walls.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- “I have no children to carry on my faith. Does my life matter to God?”
- “Can someone who has been excluded from church life ever really belong?”
- “Is my legacy only about my biological family, or does God have another way?”
Leading a Discussion
Isaiah 56:5 is a word for everyone who has felt like a “dry tree”, excluded, barren, or without a future. In this passage, God directly addresses the eunuch, who could not have children and was barred from the temple. The promise redefines belonging: not by ancestry or ability, but by keeping covenant with God. As you discuss, notice how God’s house becomes a place of inclusion and eternal memory.
Discussion Questions
- What does the eunuch’s complaint in verse 3 tell us about his deepest fear? How does God’s answer in verse 5 speak directly to that fear?
- The Hebrew word yâd (hand) can mean a monument or a place. Why is it significant that God promises a physical memorial “in my house and within my walls”?
- How does the phrase “better than of sons and of daughters” challenge the way we measure a person’s worth or legacy?
- Verse 5 says the name will “not be cut off.” The verb karat (cut off) is the same word used in Deuteronomy 23:1 for excluding eunuchs. What does this wordplay say about God’s reversal?
- How does this promise apply to people in your church who are single, childless, or feel like outsiders because of their past or background?
- Read John 1:12. How does the New Testament expand the promise of becoming children of God beyond biological lineage?
- In what practical ways can your small group or church be a “house and walls” where people who feel like dry trees find a name and a place?
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)
| I Samuel 1:8 | Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why don’t you eat? Why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” |
| Isaiah 26:1 | In that day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city. God appoints salvation for walls and bulwarks. |
| Isaiah 48:19 | Your offspring also would have been as the sand and the descendants of your body like its grains. His name would not be cut off nor destroyed from before me.” |
| Isaiah 55:13 | Instead of the thorn the cypress tree will come up; and instead of the brier the myrtle tree will come up. It will make a name for Yahweh, for an everlasting sign that will not be cut off.” |
| Isaiah 60:18 | Violence shall no more be heard in your land, nor desolation or destruction within your borders; but you will call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. |
| Isaiah 62:12 | They will call them “The Holy People, Yahweh’s Redeemed”. You will be called “Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken”. |
| Matthew 16:18 | I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. |
| John 1:12 | But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name: |
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.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the original Hebrew text here read "them" rather than "him," a reading supported by the Septuagint, Syriac, Chaldee, and Vulgate versions. This correction changes the promised everlasting name from an individual to a group of people.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that God's promise to the excluded foreigner and eunuch sweeps away every religious disability based on caste, color, nationality or physical condition. The temple privileges are open to all on equal terms, and the honor of being called God's children replaces any earthly advantage or human exclusion.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary takes the promise of "a place and a name" literally as a physical monument within the temple, like the pillar Absalom built to perpetuate his memory. The eunuch's memorial, erected by the community, would be more enduring than sons or daughters.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight that God promises spiritual blessings to those whom the ceremonial law had excluded. Eunuchs receive a more honorable place and name in God's household than natural sons and daughters, pointing to an everlasting inheritance that replaces physical lineage.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill interprets this promise as referring to the Gospel church, where God grants believing eunuchs a permanent place and a new name as sons of God. This gift surpasses biological children or any earthly honor, and it is entirely God's doing, not earned by human effort. The name and place will never be lost.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB reads the promise as offering something better than the earthly honor of having children: a permanent name within God's house, which he interprets as the Church. For the eunuch who can have no offspring, God gives a more lasting inheritance than any family line could provide.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argues that the promise of a hand and a name in God's house is a single idea: a memorial monument. The word yad, normally meaning side or place, here signifies a lasting signpost that commands attention. This visible, enduring remembrance fully compensates for having no children, granting an everlasting name never to be cut off.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the coming salvation does more than forgive; it establishes an entirely new ethical, social, and physical order. Under this covenant, foreigners and eunuchs gain full membership based on spiritual conditions like Sabbath-keeping, not fleshly descent. He sees even the animal world as finally gathered into this transformed creation.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry emphasizes that the root of true religion is a heart-devotion that breaks from the world and the flesh and gives itself entirely to God. He reassures those who feel excluded by birth or circumstance that God accepts such sincere commitment, regardless of their lineage or outward status.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley draws a sharp contrast between the ordinary hope of having descendants and the far greater blessing promised here. He notes that "in mine house" refers to the temple, but the real gift is God's favor, His Spirit, and eternal happiness, which surpass any earthly inheritance.