Isaiah 64:10 · Bible study
Isaiah 64:10 Commentary: Holy Cities Laid Waste
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Isaiah call the ruined cities 'holy'? This study unpacks the lament over Jerusalem's desolation and God's holiness in judgment.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The prophet laments that the cities belonging to God have become uninhabited ruins, highlighting the magnitude of judgment and the need for restoration.
- Key words: "Holy cities" (cities consecrated to God), "wilderness" (uninhabited land), "desolation" (complete ruin).
- Main debate: Whether "holy cities" refers to all the cities of Judah or to the upper and lower parts of Jerusalem.
- Theological theme: The paradox of God's holy possession experiencing judgment, and the persistence of covenant relationship even in discipline.
- Best use: A passage for lament, confession, and hope in God's restoration, suitable for times of personal or communal loss.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wasteland and Jerusalem a desolation.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
KJV King James Version 1769
Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Thy holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Thy holy cities have been a wilderness, Zion a wilderness hath been, Jerusalem a desolation.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Thy holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
The city of thy sanctuary is become a desert, Sion is made a desert, Jerusalem is desolate.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Tus santas ciudades están desiertas, Sión es un desierto, Jerusalem una soledad.
Tuas santas cidades se tornaram um deserto; Sião se tornou um deserto; Jerusalém está assolada.
Notre maison sainte et glorieuse,
Die Städte deines Heiligtums sind zur Wüste geworden; Zion ist zur Wüste geworden, Jerusalem liegt zerstört.
Uw heilige steden zijn een woestijn geworden, Sion is een woestijn geworden, Jeruzalem een verwoesting.
Le tue città sante sono un deserto; Sion è un deserto, Gerusalemme, una desolazione.
Miasta świętobliwości twojej obrócone są w pustynię, Syon w pustynię, a Jeruzalem w spustoszenie obrócone.
Города святыни Твоей сделались пустынею; пустынею стал Сион; Иерусалим опустошен.
你的聖 邑 變為 曠野。錫安 變為 曠野；耶路撒冷 成為荒場。
Your holy towns have become a waste, Zion has become a waste, Jerusalem is a mass of broken walls.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the phrase 'thy holy cities' (or 'Your holy cities') refers to the cities of Judah that belonged to God and were therefore considered holy. The plural form is unusual since Jerusalem alone is typically called 'the holy city' (Isaiah 48:2). The Cambridge Bible notes that the LXX and Vulgate substitute the singular, but most scholars retain the plural. Keil and Delitzsch argue that 'the whole of Canaan was the land of Jehovah' and thus all its cities were holy. Barnes suggests the cities are called holy because they pertained to God's people and were the location of his worship. The verse is part of a communal lament spoken from the perspective of the exiles near the end of the Babylonian captivity. The triple repetition, cities, Zion, Jerusalem, emphasizes the completeness of the devastation. Despite God's judgment, the people still address God as 'your' holy cities, affirming that the land remains his. This sets up the appeal in the following verses for God to act again for his people.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Cities of Judah: The land is holy (Zech 2:12); thus all its cities are holy (Keil, Barnes).
- Upper and lower Jerusalem: The parallelism with Zion and Jerusalem suggests the two parts of one city (Vitringa, JFB).
- Jewish and Christian reading: Gill applies it also to Roman destruction; broader tradition reads it as exile context.
What is clear: The cities are in ruins because of God's judgment, yet they remain God's possession, and the lament appeals to him for restoration.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'holy cities' | Commentators agree the term reflects God's ownership and consecration of the land. | Some (Barnes, Keil) take it as the cities of Judah; others (Vitringa, JFB) as the upper and lower parts of Jerusalem. The plural is unusual, and LXX/Vulgate have singular. |
| Timing of the destruction | All see it as referring to the Babylonian destruction of 586 BC, spoken from the exile perspective. | Some (Gill) also apply it to the Roman destruction in AD 70; but most limit it to the Babylonian context. |
| Holiness and judgment | The holy status of the cities does not protect them from judgment when the people are unfaithful. | Some emphasize the judgment as a temporary discipline (Keil); others see it as a more final desolation that only God's mercy can reverse. |
| Function of the lament | The verse is part of a prayer of confession and appeal for restoration. | Some see it as purely retrospective (Barnes); others as both retrospective and anticipatory of future restoration (Keil-Delitzsch). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah prophesied in the 8th century BC, but in chapters 40, 66 he frequently projects forward to the Babylonian exile. This passage (Isaiah 63:7, 64:12) is a prayer of the community during the exile, confessing sin and pleading for restoration. The destruction described matches the historical events of 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar burned the temple, broke down the walls, and carried the people into captivity (2 Kings 25:9; 2 Chronicles 36:19). The land lay desolate for seventy years to fulfill the Sabbath rest for the land (2 Chronicles 36:21). The phrase 'holy cities' reflects the Old Testament understanding that the land of Canaan was sacred territory (Zechariah 2:12; Psalm 78:54). Jerusalem, as the location of the temple, was especially holy, but the plural suggests that all the cities of Judah shared in that holiness because they were part of God's inheritance.
The lament echoes the book of Lamentations (1:1, 4) and Psalm 79, where the psalmist mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. The people acknowledge their sin (v.6) and humbly appeal to God as Father and Potter (v.8). The stark contrast between 'holy' and 'wilderness' underscores the depth of judgment: even God's own possession has become desolate. Yet the very act of prayer shows that the covenant relationship is not broken; the people still claim God as their own. This verse stands as a raw expression of anguish and hope.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note that the LXX and Vulgate substitute the singular for the plural 'cities,' likely simplifying the unusual phrase. The Masoretic Text consistently has the plural (`ârê), which the majority of English translations follow. No other significant textual variants are reported in the consulted sources.
Reception History
This verse has been read both as a historical lament for Jerusalem's destruction and as a typological warning. In Jewish tradition, it aligns with the readings for Tisha B'Av, commemorating the temple's destruction. Christian interpreters such as Matthew Henry saw it as a model for penitential prayer, applying the description of desolation to the state of the church or the individual soul separated from God by sin. The stark language of 'wilderness' and 'desolation' has also informed hymns of lament and writings on spiritual desolation. The verse's placement within Isaiah 63-64 has been used as an example of corporate confession and hope in God's covenantal faithfulness.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The holy belongs to God. The cities are called holy not because of their inherent virtue but because they belong to God. He set apart the land and its people. In judgment, God does not abandon his claim; the ruins still bear his name.
- The holy can be laid waste. Neither the temple nor the holy city was immune to judgment. God disciplines his own people when they rebel. The physical devastation reflects spiritual reality: sin brings desolation.
- The holy can be restored. The lament is not the final word. It moves toward confession and a plea for God's intervention. The people cling to God's identity as Father and Potter, trusting that he can rebuild from ruins.
Five-point outline
- God's ownership: The cities are "Your holy cities," reminding us that everything belongs to him.
- Sin's consequence: The destruction is the result of covenant unfaithfulness.
- Lament as prayer: The people cry out honestly, not hiding their pain from God.
- Hope in relationship: They still call God "you" and "our Father." The relationship remains.
- Anticipation of restoration: The prayer prepares the way for God to act again.
Illustration hooks
- A family home that has fallen into disrepair after years of neglect. The structure still carries memories and meaning, but it no longer functions as a home. Restoration requires both acknowledging the loss and taking action.
- A familiar place in your town that was once beautiful but is now abandoned or ruined. It strikes a particular sadness because you remember what it was.
- The experience of walking through an old church building that has been closed or is now a museum. The sacred space feels empty, yet its history points to something greater.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God's own city could be destroyed, what hope is there for us when we face judgment or tragedy?
- How can we call something holy when it is ruined? Does God still value what is broken?
- Is it okay to lament and question God when we suffer, even when we know our suffering is the result of our own sin?
Leading a Discussion
This passage invites us into raw, honest prayer. The people of God do not hide their pain or sugarcoat their situation. They name the devastation, cities wasted, temple burned, and they bring it directly to God. Let your group know that lament is a biblical and faithful response to suffering.
Discussion questions
- Read Isaiah 64:10-11. What images stand out to you? Why might the prophet call the ruined cities "holy"?
- What does the phrase "Your holy cities" tell us about God's relationship to the land and to his people?
- How does the devastation described here relate to the confession of sin in verses 6-7?
- In what ways is this lament similar to psalms like Psalm 79 or the book of Lamentations?
- How does the people's appeal to God as Father and Potter (v.8) give hope in the midst of desolation?
- When have you felt that something holy in your life was laid waste? How did you pray in that situation?
- What does this passage teach us about the relationship between God's holiness and his judgment? How does it affect how we approach God in times of trouble?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Kings 25:9 | He burned Yahweh’s house, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He burned every great house with fire. |
| II Chronicles 36:19 | They burned God’s house, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all of its valuable vessels. |
| II Chronicles 36:21 | to fulfill Yahweh’s word by Jeremiah’s mouth, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. As long as it lay desolate, it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years. |
| Psalms 79:1 | A Psalm by Asaph. God, the nations have come into your inheritance. They have defiled your holy temple. They have laid Jerusalem in heaps. |
| Psalms 79:7 | for they have devoured Jacob, and destroyed his homeland. |
| Isaiah 1:7 | Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. Strangers devour your land in your presence and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. |
| Lamentations 1:1 | How the city sits solitary, that was full of people! She has become as a widow, who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave! |
| Lamentations 1:4 | The roads to Zion mourn, because no one comes to the solemn assembly. All her gates are desolate. Her priests sigh. Her virgins are afflicted, and she herself is in bitterness. |
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
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws attention to the prophetic perspective: Isaiah speaks as if he stands with the exiles near the end of the Babylonian captivity, describing the desolation they actually see. The mention of "holy cities" refers to the wasted towns across the land, and Zion itself lies ruined after seventy years of abandonment.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights that the phrase "Thy holy cities" is unique to this passage and that both the Septuagint and Vulgate change it to the singular. He argues there is no need to follow them, because the land itself is holy and the same description can apply to all its cities.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes point out that even the cities once set apart for God's worship now lie in complete ruin. This desolation is total: Zion has become a wilderness, and Jerusalem a desert, stripped of all former sacred glory.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that the holy cities are not just physically destroyed but emptied of true religion and godliness. Even Zion and Jerusalem, the most sacred places, are left desolate. This ruin, which fulfills the prophecy in Micah, continues to this day under Turkish control.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB argues that "holy cities" points to a single city, Jerusalem, divided into upper and lower sections. He supports this reading over the idea that it means all Judean cities, finding it better aligned with the passage's parallel structure.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stresses that all of Canaan's cities, not just Jerusalem, were considered holy because the entire land belonged to Jehovah. The temple's destruction was the worst calamity, as it was the earthly dwelling where God's holiness and glory had been transplanted from heaven. The people's question is whether God can still restrain His mercy in the face of such devastation.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that the prophet's plea for God to tear open the heavens and descend is not a request for a gentle theophany but for an overwhelming, visible eruption of divine terror that would dissolve mountains and crush every enemy. The desperate cry seeks a sensory revelation powerful enough to shatter unbelief and compel acknowledgment from all who oppose God.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that the people's confession of sin does more than admit wrongdoing: it justifies God in sending affliction. By owning themselves utterly unclean and unworthy, they clear God of all blame and, paradoxically, open the only door left for mercy, since no human intercessor remains.