What is the meaning of Isaiah 51:21? Therefore now hear this - “Therefore” ties verse 21 to the warning in verses 17-20: Jerusalem has drained “the cup of the LORD’s wrath” (v.17). The word signals a turning point—because judgment has accomplished its purpose, God now speaks comfort. - “Now” underscores urgency; the moment for relief has arrived (cf. Isaiah 55:6; 2 Corinthians 6:2). - “Hear” is the same summons the LORD uses throughout Scripture when He wants His people to receive life-giving truth (Deuteronomy 32:1; Isaiah 46:3; Revelation 2:7). Listening is the first step toward restoration. - “This” points ahead to verses 22-23, where God promises to take the cup from their hand and place it in the hand of their tormentors—assurance that deliverance is imminent. you afflicted one - The phrase addresses Zion—God’s covenant people—crushed by exile, oppression, and shame (Isaiah 49:13; Lamentations 1:12). - Their affliction is real yet purposeful: the LORD disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6; Psalm 119:67). - Even in hardship, He never forgets His own (Psalm 34:19; Exodus 3:7). He sees, names, and comforts the afflicted, reminding them they are still His treasured possession. - This tender designation foreshadows later promises: “O afflicted city, lashed by storms… I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise” (Isaiah 54:11-12). drunken, but not with wine - The imagery recalls 51:17—Jerusalem staggered because she “drank to the dregs” the cup of divine wrath. Their stupor is spiritual and emotional, not alcoholic (Isaiah 29:9-10). - Scripture often pictures judgment as forced intoxication: Jeremiah 25:15-16; Psalm 60:3; Revelation 16:19. Here God explains why His people reel: judgment, not self-indulgence. - Yet the sentence is temporary. Verse 22 announces, “Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering.” Ultimately, Christ drains that cup for us (Matthew 26:39), securing freedom from condemnation (Romans 8:1). - Practical takeaway: when life leaves us reeling, the cause may be divine correction meant to drive us back to the One who offers true soberness and peace (1 Peter 5:10). summary Isaiah 51:21 is God’s compassionate call to a battered, bewildered people. Having allowed severe discipline, He now commands them to listen because relief is on the way. He identifies them as “afflicted,” proving He knows their pain, and describes their staggering condition as the result of His righteous judgment, not mere excess. The verse prepares hearts for the promise that follows: God Himself will remove the cup of wrath and restore His people. In Christ, that promise finds its fullest expression, assuring believers that the same Lord who disciplines also delivers, comforts, and restores. |
    |