Isaiah 61:2 · Bible study
Isaiah 61:2 Commentary: Year of Favor, Day of Vengeance
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore why Isaiah 61:2 pairs Yahweh's favor with vengeance, and why Jesus omitted the vengeance clause in Luke 4.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Anointed One proclaims a season of God's favor (like Jubilee) and a day of vengeance, bringing comfort to mourners.
- Key words: "Year" (šānâ) contrasts with "day" (yôm), favor is an extended period, vengeance is a singular event. "Favor" (rāṣôn) denotes God's goodwill. "Vengeance" (nāqām) is divine retributive justice. "Comfort" (nāḥam) implies consolation and compassion.
- Main debate: Whether the speaker is the prophet Isaiah or the Messiah, and whether the day of vengeance refers to the destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70), the final judgment, or spiritual warfare.
- Theological theme: The unity of salvation and judgment in God's redemptive plan. God's favor is not cheap grace; it comes with the assurance that evil will be dealt with.
- Best use: To explain the two comings of Christ; to comfort those who suffer; to warn of final accountability; to proclaim the gospel as a time of grace.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn,
WEB World English Bible 2000
to proclaim the year of Yahweh’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
KJV King James Version 1769
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
ASV American Standard Version 1901
to proclaim the year of Jehovah’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
To proclaim the year of the good pleasure of Jehovah, And the day of vengeance of our God, To comfort all mourners.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
to proclaim the acceptable year of Jehovah, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God: to comfort all that mourn:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
A promulgar año de la buena voluntad de Jehová, y día de venganza del Dios nuestro; á consolar á todos los enlutados;
Para anunciar o ano do favor do SENHOR, e o dia da vingança de nosso Deus; para consolar todos os tristes.
Pour publier une année de grâce de l’ Éternel,
zu verkündigen ein gnädiges Jahr des Herrn und einen Tag der Rache unsers Gottes, zu trösten alle Traurigen,
Om uit te roepen het jaar van het welbehagen des HEEREN, en den dag der wraak onzes Gods; om alle treurigen te troosten;
per proclamare l’anno di grazia dell’Eterno, e il giorno di vendetta del nostro Dio; per consolare tutti quelli che fanno cordoglio;
Abym ogłosił miłościwy rok Pański, i dzień pomsty Boga naszego; abym cieszył wszystkich płaczących;
проповедывать лето Господне благоприятное и день мщения Бога нашего, утешить всех сетующих,
報告 耶和華的 恩 年，和我們 神 報仇 的日子；安慰 一切 悲哀的人，
To give knowledge that the year of the Lord's good pleasure has come, and the day of punishment from our God; to give comfort to all who are sad;
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 61:2
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Isaiah 61:2 announces a two-sided work of the Anointed One: a time of favor and a day of vengeance. Barnes connects the 'acceptable year' directly to the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25), when liberty was proclaimed throughout the land. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown highlight the contrast between a 'year' of grace and a single 'day' of vengeance, noting that Jesus in Luke 4:20-21 read only the favor clause, reserving judgment for his second coming. Matthew Henry confirms that Christ applied the whole passage to himself. The consensus holds that the verse is messianic, promising both comfort for mourners and justice against oppressors. The pairing reflects the biblical pattern: God's salvation always carries a flip side of judgment on those who reject it.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Two comings view: Jamieson-Fausset-Brown: favor for the first coming, vengeance for the second (Luke 4, 2 Thessalonians 1).
- Spiritual warfare view: Wesley, Gill: vengeance on sin, death, Satan (referencing spiritual enemies).
- Historical judgment view: Barnes: vengeance fulfilled in destruction of Jerusalem or Babylon (Isaiah 34:8).
What is clear: The verse announces an anointed messenger who brings both deliverance and judgment from God.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Pairing of favor and vengeance | Both are part of God's work through the Messiah. | Some see vengeance as against earthly enemies (Babylon, Edom), others as against spiritual forces (sin, death, Satan), others as the final judgment. |
| Jesus' omission in Luke 4 | Jesus stopped at the favor clause. | Some (like Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) say he omitted it because the vengeance belongs to his second coming; others suggest he intended the whole passage but the context of Luke's Gospel focuses on the acceptable year. |
| Identity of the speaker | The text presents a figure anointed by the Spirit. | Traditional Christian interpretation (Matthew Henry, Keil & Delitzsch) says it is Christ. Some modern commentators see it as the prophet Isaiah or a collective personification of the faithful remnant. |
| Timing of the day of vengeance | It will come. | Preterist views place it in AD 70; futurist views place it at the end of history; some see it as ongoing spiritual warfare. |
| Who are the mourners? | They are those in need of comfort. | Some (Barnes) say it includes both those mourning over sin and those mourning over calamity; others (Cambridge) connect it specifically to Zion's mourners in the post-exilic context. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 61 sits within a section of the book (chapters 60, 62) that paints a picture of Zion's restoration after exile. The prophet envisions a messenger anointed by the Spirit to bring good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, and proclaim liberty to captives. The language echoes the Year of Jubilee described in Leviticus 25:9-13, when on the Day of Atonement a trumpet sounded, debts were forgiven, and each Israelite returned to their ancestral property.
The 'day of vengeance' also has roots in Isaiah's earlier oracles. Isaiah 34:8 speaks of 'a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion,' directed against Edom, a symbol of all who oppose God's people. The pair 'year' and 'day' is deliberate: the favor of God lasts for an extended season, while judgment is swift and concentrated, a point Jamieson-Fausset-Brown emphasize.
Historically, the original audience was the post-exilic community in Jerusalem, struggling to rebuild. They needed assurance that God had not abandoned them. The promise of a coming anointed deliverer gave them hope. When Jesus read this passage in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4), he declared it fulfilled in their hearing, stopping mid-verse after 'the acceptable year of the Lord,' leaving 'the day of vengeance' for another day. Early Christians understood this as distinguishing two comings: the first to bring salvation, the second to bring judgment.
The verse also adapts ancient Near Eastern royal ideology: a king would proclaim a year of favor upon ascending the throne, canceling debts and releasing prisoners. Isaiah applies this practice to Yahweh's ultimate reign through his Messiah. The 'comfort for all who mourn' ties directly to promises in Isaiah 40:1 and 57:18, where God pledges to comfort his people in their affliction.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew text of Isaiah 61:2 is stable across manuscripts. The consulted sources note no significant variants. The Septuagint rendering is consistent with the Masoretic Text. Some manuscripts have slight spelling differences, but they do not affect meaning.
Reception History
Luke's Gospel records that Jesus read this passage in the synagogue at Nazareth and applied it to himself, which became the normative Christian interpretation. Early Christian interpretation consistently saw this verse as fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The distinction between the acceptable year and the day of vengeance was often used to explain the delay of the parousia. Reformers like Matthew Henry focused on the comfort offered to mourners. Jewish commentators such as Kimchi (cited by Gill) interpreted the vengeance as against Gog and Magog.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Proclamation of Favor: God announces a season of grace, like the Year of Jubilee, where debts are canceled and captives go free. This is the gospel message centered on Christ.
- The Promise of Vengeance: God also declares a day of judgment on all that opposes his rule. This is not petty revenge but cosmic justice, vindication for the oppressed and accountability for evil.
- The Comfort for Mourners: The ultimate purpose of both favor and vengeance is to comfort those who mourn, over sin, over loss, over injustice. God's actions are redemptive, not arbitrary.
Five-point outline
- The Anointed Messenger: Jesus is the one anointed by the Spirit to fulfill this role (Luke 4:18-21).
- The Acceptable Year: The gospel age is a season of grace open to all who believe.
- The Day of Vengeance: A future event when God will judge the world in righteousness (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
- The Comforting Role of the Spirit: The Holy Spirit applies Christ's work to bring comfort to believers.
- The Community of the Comforted: Those who receive comfort become agents of comfort to others (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
Illustration hooks
- A prisoner hearing of a pardon on the morning of execution. The Jubilee analogy is that sudden, total, and free.
- A victim of injustice finally seeing the perpetrator brought to justice. The day of vengeance is not about personal revenge but public vindication.
- A funeral where the family, though grieving, has the assurance of resurrection hope. Comfort for mourners is real and grounded in God's promises.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can a God of love also be a God of vengeance?
- Why didn't Jesus read the whole verse in Luke 4? Does that mean the vengeance is cancelled?
- What does it mean for us today to experience the 'year of the Lord's favor'? Is it a one-time event or an ongoing reality?
Leading a Discussion
Isaiah 61:2 sits at the heart of Jesus' first public sermon in Luke 4. It announces both good news and hard news. As you discuss this verse, consider how the same God who offers favor also promises justice. How do these two truths hold together in the gospel?
Discussion questions
- What do you think it meant for the original audience in Isaiah's day to hear about a 'year of favor' and a 'day of vengeance'?
- Read Leviticus 25:8-13. How does the Year of Jubilee help you understand 'the acceptable year of the Lord'?
- Why do you think Jesus stopped reading at 'the acceptable year' in Luke 4:19-20? What does this tell us about the timing of God's plan?
- The verse promises comfort for all who mourn. What kinds of mourning does this include, personal grief, sorrow over sin, grief over injustice?
- How does the pairing of favor and vengeance challenge or deepen your understanding of God's character?
- In what ways can the church today be a community that both proclaims God's favor and points toward God's final justice?
- How might this verse give hope to someone who is suffering under oppression or injustice?
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)
| Leviticus 25:9 | Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land. |
| Leviticus 25:13 | “‘In this Year of Jubilee each of you shall return to his property. |
| Psalms 110:5 | The Lord is at your right hand. He will crush kings in the day of his wrath. |
| Psalms 110:6 | He will judge among the nations. He will heap up dead bodies. He will crush the ruler of the whole earth. |
| 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 34:8 | For Yahweh has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion. |
| Isaiah 35:4 | Tell those who have a fearful heart, “Be strong! Don’t be afraid! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, God’s retribution. He will come and save you. |
| Isaiah 49:8 | Yahweh says, “I have answered you in an acceptable time. I have helped you in a day of salvation. I will preserve you and give you for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritage, |
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.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws attention to a striking double edge in this prophecy: the Messiah comes to proclaim liberty, like the year of Jubilee, but his arrival also brings God's vengeance on his enemies. He notes that Jesus quoted only the liberty clause at Nazareth, yet the vengeance belongs equally to his work. Wherever God delivers his people, that deliverance involves judgment on those who oppose him.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator clarifies that “the acceptable year of the Lord” means a year of Jehovah’s favour, not merely an acceptable time. He adds that the vengeance is directed against Israel’s oppressors, possibly also against the nation’s own sinful members, and that the clause about comforting mourners belongs to the following verse.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight that the preacher's message contains both the season of God's favor and the certainty of His judgment. Yet the comfort promised is directed specifically to those who mourn, implying that the announcement of vengeance is not for them but for the unrepentant.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that the acceptable year of the Lord is not a literal twelve months but the entire time of Christ's earthly ministry and the whole Gospel age, which he compares to the Jubilee year of release and atonement. The day of vengeance refers to Christ's punishment of sin, his overthrow of Satan, and God's judgment on the Jews and ultimately on all the wicked. Christ comforts those who mourn over afflictions, sin, and the sins of others through his Spirit, word, and the discovery of pardoning grace.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws a sharp contrast between the long “acceptable year” of grace that began with Christ’s first coming and the brief “day of vengeance” at His return. Jesus stopped reading before that clause because the age of judgment is not yet. The saints call Him “our God” as the One who will avenge them.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argues that the speaker in this passage is not the prophet Isaiah but the Servant of Jehovah, the Messiah. They base this on the prophet's consistent self-effacing style and the fact that the same attributes appear in earlier servant passages. The word "anointed" further hints at the Messiah, whom Jesus later claimed to fulfill.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the speaker here is not the prophet himself but the Messiah. The anointing described and the power to actually bestow salvation and judgment are too great for any mere human. Only the unique Servant of Jehovah could claim to accomplish all this.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry's key point is that Jesus Christ is the best interpreter of this passage, since He read it in the synagogue at Nazareth and applied it directly to Himself. Christ was anointed with the Spirit without measure to proclaim a joyful spiritual jubilee, just as Isaiah was sent to proclaim liberty to the captives in Babylon.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley argues that God's vengeance is necessary for delivering His people. It is not optional: rescuing the church requires God to take action against its enemies, particularly the spiritual ones—Satan, sin, and death.