Isaiah 66:8 (WEB)
Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she gave birth to her children.
As quoted in the map (KJV)
Isaiah 66:8 (KJV)
Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
Key words
- מִי־שָׁמַע כָּזֹאתmi-shama kazot · Hebrew
- 'Who hath heard such a thing?' — the birth is unprecedented.
- חָלָה גַּם־יָלְדָה צִיּוֹן אֶת־בָּנֶיהָchalah gam-yaledah Tsiyyon et-baneha · Hebrew
- 'as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children' — here the mother is the city and the children are a people.
Why it matters
Verse 7 spoke of an individual woman bearing a son; verse 8 speaks of Zion bearing children, a nation born in a day. Pitre observes that the identity of the mother is deliberately ambiguous, a woman and a city at once (p 120), which is why the prophecy can be fulfilled both in Mary's birth of the Messiah and in the birth of a people. The Targum and the rabbis read the passage of the Messiah's birth; Revelation 12 uses its Greek wording for the Woman in heaven.
Fathers and councils · 5
Cyril of Jerusalem
“And again, she says, Who knoweth such things? or who hath seen it thus? did ever a land bring forth in one day? or was ever a nation born all at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.” — editor's note: Ib. lxvi. 8.
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Eusebius of Caesarea
“Hath the earth brought forth in one day, and hath a nation been born at once?”” — editor's note: Isa. lxvi. 8.
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Justin Martyr
“Be glad, all ye that mourn for her, that ye may suck and be filled with the breast of her consolation, that having suck ye may be delighted with the entrance of His glory.’ ”” — editor's note: Isa. lxvi. 5–11.
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Jerome
“Before Sion travails she brings forth children, and a nation is born at once.” — editor's note: Isa. lxvi. 7, 8.
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Aphrahat
“And lo! her travail-pains are near; as Isaiah said, Who hath seen anything like this and who hath heard such things as these? that the earth should travail in one day, and a people should be born in one hour?” — editor's note: Is. lxvi. 8.
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Cross-references · 9
Cited together in Church History I.4.
Cited together in Church History I.4.
Cited together in Church History I.4.
Cited together in Church History I.4.
Cited together in Dialogue with Trypho Chapter 85.
Cited together in Dialogue with Trypho Chapter 85.
Cited together in Dialogue with Trypho Chapter 85.
Cited together in Church History I.4.
Cited together in Church History I.4.