Isaiah 65:15 · Bible study
Isaiah 65:15 Commentary: A Curse and a New Name
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does it mean that the wicked's name becomes a curse, and why does God give His servants another name? A study of judgment and new identity in Isaiah 65:15.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The wicked die and their name becomes a byword for judgment; God gives his servants a new, honorable name.
- Key words: “Curse” (sh e bû‛âh), oath/imprecation; “another name”, new identity bestowed by God.
- Main debate: Whether the “other name” is “Christian” (Barnes, Gill) or a symbolic new name within Israel (JFB, Cambridge).
- Theological theme: God’s justice separates the faithful from the rebellious; his covenant faithfulness creates a new identity for his people.
- Best use: A sobering call to examine whose side we are on, and a powerful promise that God can give a new name to anyone who trusts him.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
You will leave behind your name as a curse for My chosen ones, and the Lord GOD will slay you; but to His servants He will give another name.
WEB World English Bible 2000
You will leave your name for a curse to my chosen, and the Lord Yahweh will kill you. He will call his servants by another name,
KJV King James Version 1769
And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord God shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen; and the Lord Jehovah will slay thee; and he will call his servants by another name:
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And ye have left your name For an oath for My chosen ones, And the Lord Jehovah hath put thee to death, And to His servants He giveth another name.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto mine elect; for the Lord Jehovah will slay thee, and will call his servants by another name:
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And you shall leave your name for an execration to my elect: and the Lord God shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y dejaréis vuestro nombre por maldición á mis escogidos, y el Señor Jehová te matará; y á sus siervos llamará por otro nombre.
E deixarei vosso nome a meus eleitos como maldição; e o Senhor DEUS te matará; porém ele chamará aos seus servos por outro nome.
Vous laisserez votre nom en imprécation à mes élus;
und sollt euren Namen lassen meinen Auserwählten zum Schwur; und der Herr wird dich töten und seine Knechte mit einem andern Namen nennen,
En gijlieden zult uw naam Mijn uitverkorenen tot een vervloeking laten; en de Heere HEERE zal ulieden doden, maar Zijn knechten zal Hij met een anderen naam noemen;
E lascerete il vostro nome come una imprecazione fra i miei eletti: “Così il Signore, l’Eterno, faccia morir te!”; ma Egli darà ai suoi servi un altro nome,
I zostawicie imię wasze na przeklinanie wybranym moim, gdy was pomorduje panujący Pan, a sługi swe nazwie innem imieniem.
И оставите имя ваше избранным Моим для проклятия; и убьет тебя Господь Бог, а рабов Своих назовет иным именем,
你們必留下 自己的名，為我選民 指著賭咒。主 耶和華 必殺你們，另起別 名 稱呼 他的僕人。
And your name will become a curse to my people, and the Lord God will put you to death, and give his servants another name:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 65:15
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 on the main shape of this verse. The wicked who forsook God will leave their name as a curse, a formula used in oaths and imprecations (Barnes, Keil & Delitzsch). Their punishment is so severe that their name becomes a byword for divine judgment, much like “Make you like Zedekiah and Ahab” in Jeremiah 29:22 (Cambridge). On the other side, God will call his servants by another name, a new and honorable designation. Barnes and Gill identify this name as “Christian,” pointing to Acts 11:26. Cambridge and JFB caution against too literal a reading: the “other name” contrasts not with “Israel” but with derogatory titles like “Forsaken” (Isaiah 62:4), and may refer to the elect Jews’ restored status. Wesley notes simply that God will not let his people be called by a name that idolaters bear. All agree the verse sets the ultimate destinies of two groups in sharp relief.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Name 'Christian' (supersessionist reading): Barnes and Gill point to Acts 11:26, where believers were first called Christians, and argue the wicked of Isaiah are unbelieving Jews.
- Symbolic new name for restored Israel: JFB and Cambridge see the new name as metaphorical (e.g., 'Hephzibah,' 'Married' from Isa 62), applying the promise to the elect remnant of Israel.
What is clear: God will execute judgment on those who reject him and will give his faithful servants a new, honorable identity that sets them apart.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of 'my chosen' | Almost all commentators agree that 'my chosen' refers to the faithful remnant among God's people (cf. Isa 65:9). | Some (Barnes, Gill) identify them more specifically with the New Testament church; others (JFB, Cambridge) see them as believing Jews in a future restoration. |
| Meaning of 'curse' (sh e bû‛âh) | The word refers to an oath or imprecation; the name of the wicked is used as a formula for cursing others. | Whether the actual curse formula is given in the following clause ('and the Lord Yahweh shall slay you') is disputed. Keil and Delitzsch argue the grammar of the perfect tense makes it unlikely; Cambridge suggests it could be a partial quotation. |
| Meaning of 'another name' | The new name signifies a new, honorable status and separation from the wicked. | Barnes and Gill say the name is 'Christian' (Acts 11:26). JFB sees it as a restored status for elect Israel (Hephzibah, Beulah from Isa 62). Cambridge insists the name is not necessarily a literal renaming but a change in reputation. |
| Time of fulfillment | The verse refers to a future divine judgment that brings about a clear separation of destinies. | Is this fulfilled in the return from Babylon (Matthew Henry), in the first century destruction of Jerusalem (Gill, Barnes), or in a still-future day (JFB)? Traditions differ. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 65 is God’s answer to his people’s complaint. The chapter opens with God saying he was found by those who did not seek him, while Israel persisted in rebellion. Verses 11, 12 describe the offense: those who “prepare a table for Fortune” and “fill up mixed wine to Destiny”, references to the Canaanite gods Gad and Meni (Psalm 16:4; Habakkuk 2:19). They mixed pagan worship with the worship of Yahweh. The result is a judgment of sword and slaughter, because when God called they did not answer.
Verses 13, 15 form five antitheses that spell out the reversal. The servants of God will eat, drink, and rejoice; the rebellious will hunger, thirst, and be shamed. Verse 15 rises to the climax: the wicked’s name will be left as a curse for the chosen. In the ancient Near East, curses were often formulaic, someone wishing misfortune on another would say, “May God make you like so-and-so.” Barns notes that the word for “curse” (sh e bû‛âh) means both “oath” and “imprecation,” and that the name of the wicked becomes a proverb of divine wrath (cf. Jeremiah 29:22). The word “chosen” (bechirai) in Isaiah refers to the faithful remnant from Jacob (Isaiah 65:9).
The second half of the verse shifts: God will kill the wicked (hemiteka, a Hiphil verb meaning “put to death”) and will call his servants by another name. The name “Lord Yahweh” (Adonai Yahweh) emphasizes that the God of salvation and judgment has the power to carry out both threat and promise (Keil & Delitzsch). The “other name” connects to Isaiah 62:2, where Jerusalem receives a new name from Yahweh’s own mouth. In that context, names like “Forsaken” are replaced with “Hephzibah” (“my delight is in her”). The call is not only a change of label but a change of identity and standing before God.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note no major textual variants that affect interpretation. However, two minor points arise. Adam Clarke observes that the Septuagint and Targum read vehemithechem (“shall slay you,” plural) instead of the Masoretic singular “shall slay thee.” The Cambridge Bible notes that the Septuagint (Codex Vaticanus) reads “On my servants shall be called a new name,” changing “his” to “my” and altering the verb. Keil and Delitzsch discuss the grammar of the curse formula and the difficulty of the conjunction “and” (וַ) in the phrase “and the Lord Jehovah shall slay you.” These variants suggest a tradition that smoothed the syntax or adjusted pronouns for consistency, but they do not change the meaning of the passage.
Reception History
This verse has been read across centuries as a key text on God’s separation of the righteous and the wicked. Early Christian writers saw the “other name” as the name “Christian”, a fulfillment of the prophecy that a new people of God would emerge (Acts 11:26; cf. 1 Peter 4:16). Jewish interpreters often understood the new name as the restoration of Israel’s honorable status after exile, referring to names like “Hephzibah” in Isaiah 62. Reformation commentators such as Gill and Matthew Henry applied the curse to unbelieving Jews and the new name to the church. Wesley simply notes that God will not let his servants share the name of idolaters. In modern scholarship, the verse is often used to illustrate the theme of divine reversal: those who reject God become a warning, while those who serve him receive a new identity that marks them as his own.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The legacy of the wicked: Your name becomes a curse., Those who reject God leave behind a reputation so terrible that their name is used as a formula for cursing. Their life becomes a warning (Proverbs 10:7).
- The judgment of God: The Lord Yahweh will slay you., God himself executes the sentence. The use of “Adonai Yahweh” underscores his sovereignty to bring about both salvation and destruction.
- The new identity of God’s servants: Called by another name., God’s people receive a name that is honorable and separates them from the wicked. This is a gift of grace (Isaiah 62:2; Acts 11:26).
Five-point outline
- The contrast between two groups: “my servants” and those who forsake the Lord.
- The consequence of rebellion: a name that becomes a byword for judgment.
- The finality of judgment: “the Lord God shall slay thee.”
- The gracious provision: God gives his servants a new name.
- The hope of a new beginning: the new name leads to blessing and oath-taking “by the God of truth” (v. 16).
Illustration hooks
- A public scandal: the name of a company or individual becomes synonymous with corruption, so people say “Don’t pull an Enron.” In the same way, the wicked leave a name that becomes a curse.
- A name change at marriage: a bride taking her husband’s name symbolizes a new identity and belonging. God’s new name for his servants marks them as his own.
- The shame of betrayal: Judas Iscariot’s name is used in curses and is rarely given to children today. His legacy is a warning.
Questions your congregation is asking
- What legacy am I leaving? Will my name be remembered for faithfulness or for something else?
- Can God give a new name to someone whose past is shameful?
- How do I know that I am counted among “God’s servants” and not among those who will leave a curse?
Leading a Discussion
This verse shows God making a final separation between those who serve him and those who rebel. The wicked do not simply die; their name becomes a curse. The servants do not merely survive; they receive a new identity. Use these questions to help your group trace the contrast and apply it to their lives.
Discussion questions
- Read Isaiah 65:11, 16 as a group. What patterns do you see in the way God contrasts his servants and the rebellious?
- The word “curse” in verse 15 can mean “oath” or “imprecation.” How does the example in Jeremiah 29:22 help you understand what it means for a name to become a curse?
- What does it suggest about God that he gives “another name” to his servants? Why is a new name significant in Scripture (see Genesis 32:28; Isaiah 62:2; Revelation 2:17)?
- Some commentators (like Barnes) see “another name” as the name “Christian.” Others understand it as a change in status like “Hephzibah” from Isaiah 62:4. How does each view help you appreciate the hope in this verse?
- How does this passage challenge the idea that all people share the same ultimate destiny? What does it teach about the seriousness of rejecting God?
- If you are a follower of Christ, what “new name” have you received? How does knowing that God calls you something new affect the way you live today?
- How can we as a community help people whose reputations are weighed down by past sin to experience the new identity God offers?
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)
| Proverbs 10:7 | The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot. |
| Isaiah 62:2 | The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. You will be called by a new name, which Yahweh’s mouth will name. |
| Isaiah 65:9 | I will bring offspring out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains. My chosen will inherit it, and my servants will dwell there. |
| Isaiah 65:12 | I will destine you to the sword, and you will all bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, you didn’t answer. When I spoke, you didn’t listen; but you did that which was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I didn’t delight.” |
| Isaiah 65:22 | They will not build and another inhabit. They will not plant and another eat; for the days of my people will be like the days of a tree, and my chosen will long enjoy the work of their hands. |
| Isaiah 66:15 | For, behold, Yahweh will come with fire, and his chariots will be like the whirlwind; to give his anger with fierceness, and his rebuke with flames of fire. |
| Jeremiah 29:22 | A curse will be taken up about them by all the captives of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, ‘Yahweh make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;’ |
| Zechariah 8:13 | It shall come to pass that, as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Don’t be afraid. Let your hands be strong.” |
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 points out a textual variation in the pronoun number: the Hebrew text reads "thee," singular, but the Septuagint and Chaldee versions read "you," plural. He highlights this difference in the ancient witnesses.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes says the name of the disobedient people would be used in solemn oaths, so that those who wanted to bind a promise would pray to suffer the same punishment. Because the old name became a curse, God gave his true people a new, honored name—likely "Christian"—to replace the reproached one.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible Schools notes a key distinction about the promise of a new name in this passage. They argue that God's servants are not given a different national name like Israel, but names that contrast with their current condition, such as Forsaken. The promise should not be taken too literally or tied too closely to the preceding threat against idolaters.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes point out that the wicked will leave behind a name used by God's chosen people as a curse, a byword for judgment. Meanwhile, God will give His servants a new name, showing He replaces the cursed with the blessed.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill sees the curse as the Jews' infamous reputation for unbelief and dishonesty, and the slaying as God's judgment culminating in eternal death. He then focuses on the new name given to believers: Christians, a title first used at Antioch. This new name replaces the old curse and marks God's people.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the name "Jew" became a curse formula, while God's chosen ones receive a new name. He distinguishes the elect, believing Jews who will inherit the land from the unbelieving "ye." The prophet passes from God's words to his own without signaling, so deeply did he identify with God.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlights the five sharp antitheses between the servants of Jehovah and the rebellious ones. They note that the title "Adonai" is joined with "Jehovah" to affirm God's power to carry out both judgment and salvation. The commentators also explain that the "God of Amen" means God who turns every promise into a certain reality.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes that the wicked will leave behind only a name used as a curse, while God gives His servants a different name entirely. He sees this name change as pointing to the new covenant, where God's people are no longer called Israel but receive a name derived from Christ.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sets the fate of persistent unbelievers against the blessing of God's servants as a deliberate contrast. His distinctive point is that God's judgment comes with ordered precision: those who are numbered for the sword are counted out by divine commission, leaving no room for escape or resistance.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses that the "curse" makes the names of sinners into proverbial examples of God's wrath on the wicked. At the same time, God will not let His own people be called by a name that idolaters use, keeping them distinct.