Isaiah 61

The Anointed One's Proclamation

1The Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is upon me, because Yahweh has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound,

2to proclaim the year of Yahweh’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,

3to appoint for those who mourn in Zion — to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, a mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit; and they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, that he may be glorified.

The Restoration of Zion

4They will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise up the former desolations; they will renew the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.

5Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks, and foreigners will be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

6But you will be called the priests of Yahweh; it will be said of you, ‘Ministers of our God.’ You will eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory you will boast.

7Instead of your shame there will be a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will shout for joy over their share; therefore in their land they will possess a double portion, and everlasting joy will be theirs.

8For I am Yahweh, who loves justice, who hates robbery with a burnt offering; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will cut an everlasting covenant with them.

9Their offspring will be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples; all who see them will acknowledge them, that they are a seed Yahweh has blessed.

Rejoicing in Garments of Salvation

10I will greatly rejoice in Yahweh; my whole being will exult in my God, for he has clothed me with garments of salvation, he has wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11For as the earth brings forth its sprout, and as a garden makes its seedlings spring up, so the Lord Yahweh will make righteousness and praise spring up before all the nations.

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Cross-references in this chapter

Where this passage connects across Scripture — each link typed and reasoned, part of the AIT Bible Nexus Chart.

The Anointed One's Proclamation

• quotation Luke 4:18 — Jesus reads this passage in the Nazareth synagogue and declares it fulfilled in himself.
• allusion Leviticus 25:10 — The year of Yahweh's favor with liberty to captives draws on the Jubilee proclamation of liberty.
• allusion Matthew 11:5 — Jesus' answer to John the Baptist echoes the good news preached to the poor as the mark of the anointed one.
• allusion Matthew 5:4 — The beatitude promising comfort to mourners echoes the mission to comfort all who mourn.
• thematic Isaiah 42:1 — Both describe the Spirit of Yahweh placed upon the anointed servant sent for a mission of justice and comfort.

The Restoration of Zion

• allusion Exodus 19:6 — The people being called priests of Yahweh echoes the covenant designation of Israel as a kingdom of priests.
• allusion Isaiah 55:3 — Both promise an everlasting covenant that Yahweh cuts with his restored people.
• thematic 1 Peter 2:9 — Peter applies the priestly-people motif to believers, echoing this designation.

Rejoicing in Garments of Salvation

• allusion Isaiah 59:17 — Both use the imagery of being clothed with garments of salvation and righteousness.
• allusion Isaiah 45:8 — Both use agricultural imagery of the earth causing righteousness to spring up.
• allusion Revelation 21:2 — The imagery of a bride adorned for her marriage echoes the bridegroom-and-bride adornment metaphor here.