Isaiah 9 · Verse 3

Isaiah 9:3

Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

Isaiah 9:3, King James Version

Isaiah 9:3 in other translations

BSB	You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people rejoice before You as they rejoice at harvest time, as men rejoice in dividing the plunder.
WEB	You have multiplied the nation. You have increased their joy. They rejoice before you according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the plunder.
ASV	Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased their joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
YLT	Thou hast multiplied the nation, Thou hast made great its joy, They have joyed before Thee as the joy in harvest, As men rejoice in their apportioning spoil.
DARBY	Thou hast multiplied the nation, hast increased its joy: they joy before thee like to the joy in harvest; as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
BBE	You have made them very glad, increasing their joy. They are glad before you as men are glad in the time of getting in the grain, or when they make division of the goods taken in war.
Webster	Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

What does Isaiah 9:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

3. multiplied ... nation--primarily, the rapid increase of Israelites after the return from Babylon; more fully and exhaustively the rapid spread of Christianity at first. not increased the joy--By a slight change in the Hebrew, its (joy) is substituted by some for not, because "not increased the joy" seems opposite to what immediately follows, "the joy," &c. Hengstenberg, retains not thus: "Whose joy thou hadst not increased," (that is, hadst diminished). Others, "Hast thou not increased the joy?" The very difficulty of the reading, not, makes it less likely to be an interpolation. Horsley best explains it: The prophet sees in vision a shifting scene, comprehending at one glance the history of the Christian Church to remotest times--a land dark and thinly peopled--lit up by a sudden light--filled with new inhabitants--then struggling with difficulties, and again delivered by the utter and final overthrow of their enemies. The influx of Gentile converts (represented here by "Galilee of the Gentiles") soon was to be followed by the growth of corruption, and the final rise of Antichrist, who is to be destroyed, while God's people is delivered, as in the case of Gideon's victory over Midian, not by man's prowess, but by the special interposition of God. before thee--a phrase taken from sacrificial feasts; the tithe of harvest was eaten before God (De 12:7; 14:26). as men rejoice ... divide ... spoil--referring to the judgments on the enemies of the Lord and His people, which usually accompany revelations of His grace.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 3 And not increased the joy "Thou hast increased their joy" - Eleven MSS. of Kennicott's and six of De Ross's, two ancient, read לו lo, it, according to the Masoretical correction, instead of לא lo, not. To the same purpose the Targum and Syriac. The joy in harvest - כשמחת בקציר kesimchath bakkatsir. For בקציר bakkatsir one MS. of Kennicott's and one of De Rossi's have קציר katsir, and another הקציר hakkatsir, "the harvest;" one of which seems to be the true, reading, as the noun preceding is in regimine.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 9:1-7

The Son that should be born, and his kingdom. (Is. 9:1-7) The judgments to come upon Israel, and on the enemies of the kingdom of Christ. (Is. 9:8-21) Verses 1-7 The Syrians and Assyrians first ravaged the countries here mentioned, and that region was first favoured by the preaching of Christ. Those that want the gospel, walk in darkness, and in the utmost danger. But when the gospel comes to any place, to any soul…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 9:1-7 →

Isaiah 9:3 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.

הִרְבִּ֣יתָhir.Bi.tayou will multiplyH7235

הַגּ֔וֹיha.Goythe nationH1471

ל֖וֹloto it

הִגְדַּ֣לְתָּhig.Dal.tayou will magnifyH1431

הַשִּׂמְחָ֑הha.sim.Chahthe rejoicingH8057

שָׂמְח֤וּsa.me.Chuthey will rejoiceH8055

לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙le.fa.Nei.kha<to> before youH6440

כְּשִׂמְחַ֣תke.sim.Chatlike [the] rejoicingH8057

בַּקָּצִ֔ירba.ka.Tzirat the harvestH7105

כַּאֲשֶׁ֥רka.'a.Sherjust asH834

יָגִ֖ילוּya.Gi.lupeople are gladH1523

בְּחַלְּקָ֥םbe.cha.le.Kamwhen divide theyH2505

שָׁלָֽל\׃sha.LalplunderH7998

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

Cross references for Isaiah 9:3

Isaiah 35:10
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 26:15
Thou hast increased the nation, O Lord, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.
Isaiah 65:18
But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
Isaiah 66:10
Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:
Psalms 119:162
I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.
Jeremiah 31:12-14
Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all. Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord.
Jeremiah 31:7
For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.
1 Peter 1:8
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
Isaiah 61:7
For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
Isaiah 25:9
And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
1 Samuel 30:16
And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
Psalms 4:7
Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

hast multiplied.
26:15; 49:20-22; Ne 9:23; Ps 107:38; Ho 4:7; Zec 2:11; 8:23; 10:8
not increased the joy. or, to him increased the joy. theyjoy.
12:1; 25:9; 35:2,10; 54:1; 55:12; 61:7,10; 65:18; 66:10; Ps 4:7
Ps 126:5,6; Jer 31:7,12-14; Ac 8:8; Php 4:4; 1Pe 1:8
according.
16:9,10
and as men.
Jud 5:3; 1Sa 30:16; 2Ch 20:25-28; Ps 119:162; Lu 11:22

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

Context

Isaiah 9:2
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Isaiah 9:3
Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
Isaiah 9:4
For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

Read all of Isaiah 9

Isaiah 9:3 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Aumentando la gente, no aumentaste la alegría. Alegraránse delante de ti como se alegran en la siega, como se gozan cuando reparten despojos.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Car tu as cassé le joug qui pesait sur elle, et la verge de son épaule, le bâton de son oppresseur, comme au jour de Madian.
German Elberfelder 1871	Du hast die Nation vermehrt, hast ihr groß gemacht die Freude; sie freuen sich vor dir, gleich der Freude in der Ernte, wie man frohlockt beim Verteilen der Beute.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Multiplicasti gentem, et non magnificasti lætitiam. Lætabuntur coram te, sicut qui lætantur in messe; sicut exsultant victores capta præda, quando dividunt spolia.