Isaiah 66 · Verse 8

Isaiah 66:8

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.
Isaiah 66:8, King James Version

Isaiah 66:8 in other translations

BSBWho has heard of such as this? Who has seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be delivered in an instant? Yet as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children.
WEBWho 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.
ASVWho hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? shall a nation be brought forth at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
YLTWho hath heard anything like this? Who hath seen anything like these? Is earth caused to bring forth in one day? Born is a nation at once? For she hath been pained, Zion also hath borne her sons.
DARBYWho hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Can a land be made to bring forth in one day? shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her sons.
BBEWhen has such a story come to men's ears? who has seen such things? will a land come to birth in one day? will a nation be given birth in a minute? For when Zion's pains came on her, she gave birth to her children straight away.
WebsterWho 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.

What does Isaiah 66:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. earth--rather, to suit the parallelism, "is a country (put for the people in it) brought forth in one day?" [Lowth]. In English Version it means, The earth brings forth its productions gradually, not in one day (Mr 4:28). at once--In this case, contrary to the usual growth of the nations by degrees, Israel starts into maturity at once. for--rather, "is a nation born at once, that Zion has, so soon as she travailed, brought forth?" [Maurer].

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 Who hath seen "And who hath seen" - Twenty MSS., (four ancient), of Kennicott's, and twenty-nine of De Rossi's, and two ancient of my own, and the two oldest editions, with two others, have ומי umi, adding the conjunction ו vau; and so read all the ancient versions. And who hath seen?

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 66:5-14

The prophet turns to those that trembled at God's word, to comfort and encourage them. The Lord will appear, to the joy of the humble believer, and to the confusion of hypocrites and persecutors. When the Spirit was poured out, and the gospel went forth from Zion, multitudes were converted in a little time. The word of God, especially his promises, and ordinances, are the consolations of the church. The true…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 66:5-14 →

Isaiah 66:8 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.

מִֽי\־mi-who?H4310
שָׁמַ֣עsha.Ma'has he heardH8085
כָּזֹ֗אתka.Zotlike thisH2063
מִ֤יmiwho?H4310
רָאָה֙ra.'Ahhas he seenH7200
כָּאֵ֔לֶּהka.'E.lehlike theseH428
הֲי֤וּחַלha.Yu.chal¿ will it be brought forthH2342
אֶ֙רֶץ֙'e.retza landH776
בְּי֣וֹםbe.Yomin a dayH3117
אֶחָ֔ד'e.ChadoneH259
אִם\־'im-or?H518
יִוָּ֥לֵֽדyi.Va.ledwill it be bornH3205
גּ֖וֹיGoya nationH1471
פַּ֣עַםPa.'ama timeH6471
אֶחָ֑ת'e.ChatoneH259
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
חָ֛לָהCha.lahshe was in laborH2342
גַּם\־gam-alsoH1571
יָלְדָ֥הYal.dahshe gave birth toH3205
צִיּ֖וֹןtzi.YonZionH6726
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
בָּנֶֽיהָ\׃ba.Nei.hachildren herH1121

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

Cross references for Isaiah 66:8

  • Isaiah 64:4

    For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

  • 1 Corinthians 2:9

    But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

  • Isaiah 49:20-22

    The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell. Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been? Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

  • Romans 15:18-21

    For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation: But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
hath heard.
64:4; 1Co 2:9
shall a nation.
49:20-22; Ac 2:41; 4:4; 21:20; Ro 15:18-21

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

Context

  • Isaiah 66:7

    Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.

  • Isaiah 66:8

    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.

  • Isaiah 66:9

    Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.

Read all of Isaiah 66

Isaiah 66:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
¿Quién oyó cosa semejante? ¿quién vió cosa tal? ¿parirá la tierra en un día? ¿nacerá una nación de una vez? Pues en cuanto Sión estuvo de parto, parió sus hijos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Qui a entendu une chose pareille? Qui a vu de telles choses? Fera-t-on qu’un pays enfante en un seul jour? Une nation naîtra-t-elle en une fois? Car aussitôt que Sion a été en travail, elle a enfanté ses fils.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Wer hat solches gehört, wer hat dergleichen gesehen? Kann ein Land an einem Tage zur Welt gebracht, oder eine Nation mit einem Male geboren werden? Denn Zion hat Wehen bekommen und zugleich ihre Kinder geboren.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Quis audivit umquam tale? et quis vidit huic simile? numquid parturiet terra in die una, aut parietur gens simul, quia parturivit et peperit Sion filios suos?