Isaiah 62 · Verse 6

Isaiah 62:6

I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence,
Isaiah 62:6, King James Version

Isaiah 62:6 in other translations

BSBOn your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD shall take no rest for yourselves,
WEBI have set watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem. They will never be silent day nor night. You who call on the LORD, take no rest,
ASVI have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that are Jehovah’s remembrancers, take ye no rest,
YLT‘On thy walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen, All the day, and all the night, Continually, they are not silent.' O ye remembrancers of Jehovah, Keep not silence for yourselves,
DARBYI have set watchmen upon thy walls, Jerusalem; all the day and all the night they shall never hold their peace: ye that put Jehovah in remembrance, keep not silence,
BBEI have put watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will not keep quiet day or night: you who are the Lord's recorders, take no rest,
WebsterI have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,

What does Isaiah 62:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. I--Isaiah speaking in the person of the Messiah. watchmen upon ... walls--image from the watches set upon a city's wall to look out for the approach of a messenger with good tidings (Is 52:7, 8); the good tidings of the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon, prefiguring the return from the present dispersion (compare Is 21:6-11; 56:10; Eze 3:17; 33:7). The watches in the East are announced by a loud cry to mark the vigilance of the watchmen. ye that ... mention ... Lord--Hebrew, "ye that are the Lord's remembrancers"; God's servants who by their prayers "put God in remembrance" of His promises (Is 43:26); we are required to remind God, as if God could, which He cannot, forget His promises (Psa 119:49; Jr 14:21).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence - The faithful, and in particular the priests and Levites, are exhorted by the prophet to beseech God with unremitted importunity (compare Luk 18:1, etc.) to hasten the redemption of Sion. The image in this place is taken from the temple service; in which there was appointed a constant watch, day and night, by the Levites: and among them this seems to have belonged particularly to the singers, see 1Chr 9:33. Now the watches in the east, even to this day, are performed by a loud cry from time to time of the watchmen, to mark the time, and that very frequently, and in order to show that they themselves are constantly attentive to their duty. Hence the watchmen are said by the prophet, Isa 52:8, to lift up their voice; and here they are commanded, not to keep silence; and the greatest reproach to them is, that they are dumb dogs; they cannot bark; dreamers; sluggards, loving to slumber, Isa 56:10. "The watchmen in the camp of the caravans go their rounds crying one after another, 'God is one, he is merciful:' and often add, 'Take heed to yourselves.'" Tavernier, Voyage de Perse, 54:1 chap. 10. The hundred and thirty-fourth Psalm gives us an example of the temple watch. The whole Psalm is nothing more than the alternate cry of two different divisions of the watch. The first watch addresses the second, reminding them of their duty; the second answers by a solemn blessing. The address and the answer seem both to be a set form, which each division proclaimed, or sung aloud, at stated intervals, to notify the time of the night: - First Chorus "Come on now, bless ye Jehovah, all ye servants of Jehovah; Ye that stand in the house of Jehovah in the nights; Lift up your hands towards the sanctuary, And bless ye Jehovah." Second Chorus "Jehovah bless thee out of Sion; He that made heaven and earth." "Ye who stand in the place of the watch, in the house of the sanctuary of the Lord; and ye praise through the nights;" - says the Chaldee paraphrase on the second line. And this explains what is here particularly meant by proclaiming, or making remembrance of, the name of Jehovah: the form, which the watch made use of on these occasions, was always a short sentence, expressing some pious sentiment, of which Jehovah was the subject; and it is remarkable, that the custom in the east in this respect also still continues the very same; as appears by the example above given from Tavernier. And this observation leads to the explanation of an obscure passage in the Prophet Malachi, Mal 2:12. "Jehovah will cut off the man that doeth this; The watchman and the answerer, from the tabernacles of Jacob; And him that presenteth an offering to Jehovah God of hosts." ער וענה er veoneh, the master and the scholar, says our translation, after the Vulgate: the son and the grandson, says the Syriac and Chaldee, as little to the purpose: Arias Montanus has given it vigilantem et respondentem, "the watchman and the answerer;" that is, the Levite and "him that presenteth an offering to Jehovah," that is, the priest. - L. Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence. Is not this clause an address to the ministers of Christ, to continue in supplication for the conversion of the Jewish people? Kimchi seems to think that the watchmen are the interceding angels!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 62:6-9
God's professing people must be a praying people. He is not displeased with us for being earnest, as men commonly are; he bids us to cry after him, and give him no rest, Luke 11:5,6. It is a sign that God is coming to a people in mercy, when he pours out a spirit of prayer upon them. See how uncertain our creature-comforts are. See also God's mercy in giving plenty, and peace to enjoy it. Let us delight in attending the courts of the Lord, that we may enjoy the consolations of his Spirit.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Isaiah 62:6 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

עַל\־'al-onH5921
חוֹמֹתַ֣יִךְcho.mo.Ta.yikhwalls yourH2346
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗םye.ru.sha.LimO JerusalemH3389
הִפְקַ֙דְתִּי֙hif.Kad.tiI have appointedH6485
שֹֽׁמְרִ֔יםsho.me.RimwatchmenH8104
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
הַיּ֧וֹםhai.Yomthe dayH3117
וְכָל\־ve.kholand allH3605
הַלַּ֛יְלָהha.Lay.lahthe nightH3915
תָּמִ֖ידta.MidcontinuallyH8548
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
יֶחֱשׁ֑וּye.che.Shuthey will be silentH2814
הַמַּזְכִּרִים֙ha.maz.ki.RimO those [who] cause to rememberH2142
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אַל\־'al-[let] notH408
דֳּמִ֖יdo.MirestH1824
לָכֶֽם\׃la.Khem[belong] to you

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 62:6

  • Isaiah 52:8

    Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.

  • Ezekiel 3:17-21

    Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. …

  • Psalms 134:1-2

    A Song of degrees. Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:17

    Pray without ceasing.

  • Jeremiah 6:17

    Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.

  • Isaiah 56:10

    His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

  • Hebrews 13:17

    Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

  • Luke 11:5-13

    And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. …

  • Ezekiel 33:2-9

    Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. …

  • Psalms 74:2

    Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.

  • Genesis 32:26

    And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

  • Genesis 32:12

    And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
set watchmen.
52:8; 56:10; 2Ch 8:14; So 3:3; 5:7; Jer 6:17; Eze 3:17-21; 33:2-9
1Co 12:28; Eph 4:11,12; Heb 13:17
which.
1; Ps 134:1,2; Re 4:6-8
make mention of the Lord. or, are the Lord's remembrancers.
43:26; Ge 32:12; Nu 14:17-19; Ps 74:2,18; Ac 10:4,31
keep.
Ge 32:26; Mt 15:22-27; Lu 11:5-13; 18:1-8,39; 1Th 5:17; Re 6:10

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 62:5

    For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

  • Isaiah 62:6

    I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence,

  • Isaiah 62:7

    And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

Read all of Isaiah 62

Isaiah 62:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Sobre tus muros, oh Jerusalem, he puesto guardas; todo el día y toda la noche no callarán jamás. Los que os acordáis de Jehová, no ceséis,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Sur tes murailles, Jérusalem, j’ai établi des gardiens; ils ne se tairont jamais, de tout le jour et de toute la nuit. Vous qui faites se ressouvenir l’ Éternel, ne gardez pas le silence,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Auf deine Mauern, Jerusalem, habe ich Wächter bestellt; den ganzen Tag und die ganze Nacht werden sie keinen Augenblick schweigen. Ihr, die ihr Jehova erinnert, gönnet euch keine Ruhe
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Super muros tuos, Jerusalem, constitui custodes; tota die et tota nocte in perpetuum non tacebunt. Qui reminiscimini Domini, ne taceatis,