Isaiah 65:18 · Bible study
Isaiah 65:18 Commentary: Joy in God's New Creation
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore how God creates Jerusalem as a joy, the call to rejoice, and how this shapes hope for the new creation and present faith.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God creates a new Jerusalem and people who are themselves embodiments of joy, calling his followers to respond with eternal gladness.
- Key words: “create” (bōrē’, God’s unique creative act), “rejoice” (śûś, gîl, commands to celebrate), “joy” (gîlâ, māśôś, nouns describing the city and people).
- Main debate: The timing of fulfillment, already realized in the return from exile, unfolding in the church age, or reserved for the future new creation.
- Theological theme: God as Creator not only of the cosmos but of a redeemed community characterized by joy, a foretaste of the new heavens and new earth.
- Best use: Teaching on biblical hope, joy in suffering, the nature of the new creation, and the corporate call to celebrate God’s work.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight.
WEB World English Bible 2000
But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for, behold, I create Jerusalem to be a delight, and her people a joy.
KJV King James Version 1769
But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create; for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
But joy ye, and rejoice for ever, that I am Creator, For, lo, I am creating Jerusalem a rejoicing, And her people a joy.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create. For behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But you shall be glad and rejoice for ever in these things, which I create: for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and the people thereof joy.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Mas os gozaréis y os alegraréis por siglo de siglo en las cosas que yo crío: porque he aquí que yo crío á Jerusalem alegría, y á su pueblo gozo.
Porém vós ficai contentes e alegrai-vos para sempre naquilo que eu crio; porque eis que crio a Jerusalém uma alegria, e a seu povo um contentamento.
Réjouissez-vous plutôt et soyez à toujours dans l’ allégresse,
sondern sie werden sich ewiglich freuen und fröhlich sein über dem, was ich schaffe. Denn siehe, ich will Jerusalem schaffen zur Wonne und ihr Volk zur Freude,
Maar weest gijlieden vrolijk, en verheugt u tot in der eeuwigheid in hetgeen Ik schep; want ziet, Ik schep Jeruzalem een verheuging, en haar volk een vrolijkheid.
Rallegratevi, sì, festeggiate in perpetuo per quanto io sto per creare; poiché, ecco, io creo Gerusalemme per il gaudio, e il suo popolo per la gioia.
Owszem weselcie się, a radujcie się na wieki wieków z tego, co Ja stworzę; bo oto Ja stworzę Jeruzalem na radość, a lud jego na wesele.
А вы будете веселиться и радоваться вовеки о том, что Я творю: ибо вот, Я творю Иерусалим веселием и народ его радостью.
你們當 因 我 所 造的 永遠 歡喜 快樂；因 我 造 耶路撒冷 為人所喜，造其中的居民 為人所樂。
But men will be glad and have joy for ever in what I am making; for I am making Jerusalem a delight, and her people a joy.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 65:18
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 65:18 calls God's people to respond with lasting joy to the divine act of creating a new Jerusalem and a new people. Barnes emphasizes that the joy is forever, not momentary but eternal, given ceaseless cause by God's work. Gill sees the verse encompassing both the conversion of individuals (new creatures) and the broader gospel age, especially the first and last periods of the church. The Targum renders it “rejoice in the world of worlds, which I create,” pointing to the age to come. Keil and Delitzsch note that the promise reaches its high point here: God turns Jerusalem into “exulting” and her people into “joy,” so thoroughly that former troubles are forgotten. Matthew Henry applies it to the gospel church on earth and finally to the triumphant church in heaven. Across these sources, the core is clear: God takes the initiative to create joy, and his people are summoned to share in that joy now and always.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Fulfilled in the return from exile: The immediate context of Isaiah 65 addresses the remnant returning to a rebuilt Jerusalem (v. 21-22). Joy would characterize the post-exilic community.
- Fulfilled in the church age: The gospel creates spiritual joy in believers (1 Peter 1:8). The church is the new Jerusalem (Galatians 4:26). The promises apply now through faith.
- Fulfilled in the future new creation: The setting of ‘new heavens and new earth’ (v. 17) and the absence of weeping and crying (v. 19) point to the eternal state after Christ’s return (Revelation 21:1-4).
What is clear: God himself creates a people and a place that are defined by joy, and he calls his followers to respond with gladness that lasts forever.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of Jerusalem | Jerusalem represents the people of God, the community of the redeemed, as a city characterized by joy. | Some equate Jerusalem directly with the earthly city in a future millennium, while others see it as a symbol for the church or the heavenly Jerusalem (Galatians 4:26, Revelation 21). |
| Timing of fulfillment | The promise originates in Isaiah’s context and anticipates a future era of blessing for God’s people. | Preterists see partial fulfillment in the return from Babylon; amillennialists apply it to the church age; premillennialists to a future messianic kingdom; and some to the eternal state. All recognize an ultimate fulfillment beyond the present age. |
| Human response to the promise | God’s people are commanded to rejoice, the joy is a commanded response to God’s creative act, not an optional emotion. | The extent to which this joy is present vs. future varies: some stress present foretaste through faith, others focus on full realization only in the new creation. |
| Connection to the gospel | The verse points to salvation as God’s work, a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). | Whether the primary referent is the conversion of individuals, the founding of the church, or the cosmic renewal, each tradition prioritizes a different layer of meaning. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The verse sits within Isaiah 65, a chapter that contrasts the fate of rebellious Israel with the hope of God's faithful servants. Verses 11, 16 pronounce judgment on those who forsake the Lord, leaving their name as a curse. Then the tone shifts sharply at verse 17: “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth.” The former troubles will be forgotten. Into this cosmic renewal, verse 18 inserts a specific focus on Jerusalem and its people.
Jerusalem, the city of God, often appears in prophetic literature as the locus of divine presence and human flourishing. Here it is not rebuilt by human hands but created by God himself. The Hebrew verb bōrē (create) is a participle, suggesting an action underway or imminent, God is on the point of doing something unprecedented. The interlinear renders it “am about to create,” which matches the prophetic anticipation of a new era. The commands “be glad and rejoice” (Hebrew śîśû wəgîlû) are plural imperatives, addressed to the whole community of God's people. This is not an individual command but a corporate summons to celebrate what God alone can bring about.
The two nouns describing Jerusalem and its people, gîlâ (rejoicing) and māśôś (joy), are synonyms for exuberant happiness. They echo earlier joy passages in Isaiah (e.g., Isaiah 12, 51) and anticipate the complete removal of weeping and crying in verse 19. The creation is so thorough that God himself joins the celebration: “I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people” (v. 19). This vision of mutual joy between God and his people is the heartbeat of the new creation hope.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Isaiah 65:18. The Hebrew text is stable across major manuscripts, with minor differences in pointing (e.g., the Masoretic tradition shows śîśû with a conjunctive waw in some witnesses, but the meaning is unaffected). The verse is consistently preserved in the Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsa*) with the same consonants.
Reception History
Christian interpreters have consistently read Isaiah 65:18 as a promise of joy rooted in the new creation. The early church saw in the “new heavens and new earth” the hope of resurrection and eternal life. Augustine, in the City of God, applied the image of a rejoicing Jerusalem to the church, the city of God present in history yet awaiting its full form. Medieval commentators, building on Gregory the Great, used the verse to speak of the soul’s gladness in the heavenly homeland. Protestant reformers like Calvin and Luther emphasized the spiritual nature of the kingdom and the believer’s present joy in Christ. Matthew Henry’s commentary, still widely used, applies the verse both to the gospel church and to the church triumphant. The verse also appears in hymns and liturgical prayers that celebrate the joy of the redeemed, such as “Joy to the World” (which echoes the broader Isaianic hope). In modern theology, the verse often supports a holistic view of salvation that includes the renewal of all creation.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God creates a new reality. The verse opens with a divine act: God creates Jerusalem as rejoicing and her people as joy. This is not mere renovation but a new creation, as verse 17 announces new heavens and a new earth. The source of hope is what God does, not what we achieve.
- God’s people are called to respond with lasting joy. The imperatives “be glad and rejoice for ever” are a command to align our emotions with God’s work. The joy is not a passing feeling but a settled, eternal response to what God has done and will do.
- This joy overflows into the present. While the full fulfillment awaits the new creation, believers already taste this joy through the gospel, the presence of Christ, and the community of the church. The joy of the new Jerusalem begins now in the lives of those who belong to him.
Five-point outline
- Introduce the context: Isaiah 65 contrasts judgment on the rebellious with hope for the faithful. Verse 18 is the pivot from curse to blessing.
- Define the creation: God creates Jerusalem as “a rejoicing” and her people as “a joy.” These nouns name the very essence of the new city and its inhabitants.
- Emphasize the duration: “Forever”, the joy is unending because the One who creates it is eternal. No second exile, no final tragedy.
- Show the present implication: The imperatives are for the listeners of Isaiah’s day and for us. We are to rejoice in what God is creating, even when we cannot see it fully.
- Connect to the new covenant: This creation finds its ultimate yes in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). The church as the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21) is the community of joy that anticipates the new creation.
Illustration hooks
- Building a garden from scratch: A person buys a barren piece of land and transforms it into a lush garden. Every time they walk through it, they feel joy because they created it. God creates Jerusalem as his garden of joy.
- A child’s handmade gift: A child spends hours making a card for a parent. The parent’s joy is not in the card’s quality but in the child’s act of creation and love. God delights in his creation of a joyful people.
- Restoring a neglected house: A family moves into a run-down house and renovates it into a warm home. The joy of inhabiting the restored place is akin to God’s people dwelling in the city he has made for them.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “If the world is so broken, how can I really experience this kind of joy?”
- “Does this promise apply to me now, or only after death?”
- “What does it mean for God to ‘create’ joy, does that mean I don’t have to try?”
Leading a Discussion
Isaiah 65:18 is a call to joy that rests entirely on God’s creative power. The verse follows a promise of new heavens and a new earth, and it invites God’s people to begin rejoicing even before the full reality appears. This small-group guide will help you explore the foundations of biblical joy and how it shapes our present hope.
Discussion questions
- Read Isaiah 65:17, 19. What does God “create” in these verses, and how does that shape your understanding of verse 18?
- The Hebrew words for “rejoice” (śûś and gîl) appear as commands. Why do you think God commands his people to be glad? Is joy something we can produce by will?
- Verse 18 says God creates Jerusalem “a rejoicing” and her people “a joy.” What does it mean for a city or a people to be joy themselves, rather than simply having joy?
- In what ways have you experienced a taste of this kind of joy in your own life, perhaps in worship, community, or answered prayer?
- How does the promise that former troubles will be forgotten (v. 17) help you face current struggles? What does it take to let go of old griefs?
- Some Christians see this promise fulfilled in the church age, others in a future earthly kingdom, and others in the eternal state. How does each view affect the way you live out this joy today?
- The verse calls for a corporate response (“be glad and rejoice,” plural). How can your small group or church grow together in this God-given joy rather than leaving it as a private feeling?
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 67:3 | let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you. |
| Psalms 67:5 | Let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you. |
| Psalms 96:10 | Say among the nations, “Yahweh reigns.” The world is also established. It can’t be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity. |
| Psalms 96:13 | before Yahweh; for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, the peoples with his truth. |
| Psalms 98:1 | A Psalm. Sing to Yahweh a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. |
| Psalms 98:9 | Let them sing before Yahweh, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. |
| Isaiah 12:4 | In that day you will say, “Give thanks to Yahweh! Call on his name! Declare his doings among the peoples! Proclaim that his name is exalted! |
| Isaiah 12:6 | Cry aloud and shout, you inhabitant of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is great among you!” |
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 argues that the phrase "rejoice for ever in that which I create" actually points to the age to come, not just ongoing delight in whatever God makes. He connects this to Isaiah's description of the Messiah as "the father of the age to come."
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that the joy God gives his people is not a fleeting happiness but a permanent one, and that true religion never produces gloom or melancholy. It brings seriousness and soberness, yet these are fully compatible with lasting joy and a clear conscience, grounded in the hope of eternal life.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools commentary notes that the prophet’s most soaring vision arises from the promise that former troubles will be completely forgotten. In the new creation, everything exists to serve the well‑being of God’s restored people, a thought that inspires the highest flight of prophetic imagination.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
But be you glad and reioyce for euer in the things that I shall create: for beholde, I will create Ierusalem, as a reioycing and her people as a ioye,
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill sees the joy God commands here as grounded in what He actively creates: new converts made spiritually alive by divine power, and ultimately the entire gospel age with its new world of grace. This new creation, including the future conversion of Israel, is itself the cause for everlasting gladness.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB connects the Old Testament promise of everlasting joy in Zion to the New Testament call for constant rejoicing. For him, the prophet's vision finds its spiritual fulfillment in the believer's ongoing joy, which the apostle Paul later commands as a permanent attitude.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argues that the new heaven and new earth will be so overwhelmingly glorious that no one will even remember the old ones, let alone wish them back. They see this as the promise's highest point, where God turns Jerusalem into perpetual joy and shares in that joy Himself.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees these promises fulfilled in two stages: partially when the Jews returned from exile and were settled in peace, but fully in the gospel church, both militant on earth and ultimately triumphant in heaven. He directs believers to find this new creation in the graces and comforts they already have through Christ.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that the word "you" in this passage addresses the church under both the Old Testament law and the New Testament gospel. The same body of believers is being spoken to, not just New Testament Christians.