Isaiah 64:10
Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
Original Language Analysis
עָרֵ֥י
cities
H5892
עָרֵ֥י
cities
Strong's:
H5892
Word #:
1 of 9
a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)
קָדְשְׁךָ֖
Thy holy
H6944
קָדְשְׁךָ֖
Thy holy
Strong's:
H6944
Word #:
2 of 9
a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity
הָי֣וּ
H1961
הָי֣וּ
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
3 of 9
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
מִדְבָּ֣ר
are a wilderness
H4057
מִדְבָּ֣ר
are a wilderness
Strong's:
H4057
Word #:
4 of 9
a pasture (i.e., open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert
צִיּוֹן֙
Zion
H6726
צִיּוֹן֙
Zion
Strong's:
H6726
Word #:
5 of 9
tsijon (as a permanent capital), a mountain of jerusalem
מִדְבָּ֣ר
are a wilderness
H4057
מִדְבָּ֣ר
are a wilderness
Strong's:
H4057
Word #:
6 of 9
a pasture (i.e., open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert
הָיָ֔תָה
H1961
הָיָ֔תָה
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
7 of 9
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
Cross References
Isaiah 1:7Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.Luke 21:24And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
Historical Context
This describes the devastation following Babylon's destruction in 586 BC. The 'holy cities' reduced to wilderness made the need for restoration concrete and urgent.
Questions for Reflection
- What 'holy places' in your life have become wilderness?
- How does physical desolation reflect spiritual condition?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
'Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.' The concrete reality of judgment: holy cities ('arei qodsheka' - plural, referring to all significant places) have become wilderness. Zion and Jerusalem specifically named are 'desolation' (shemamah - horror, devastation). Physical reality matches spiritual condition.