Because of the Servant’s work (Isaiah 53), Zion is restored to her husband (54:4-5). That restoration is marked by the outbreak of song (54:1-3) but also by a series of negations.
Verse 4 begins with three clauses that all begin with the Hebrew particle lo , “not”: Do not fear, you will not be ashamed, you will not be confounded. It continues with parallel clauses that promise deletion of memory: “the same of your youth you will forget” and “the reproach of your widowhood you will not remember.” Isaiah refers to two periods of Israel’s history: She was shamed by her early infidelities, she was reproached because of her Husband’s departure/death. Both of these she will forget.
The waters that Yahweh promises (55:1) might as well be from the river of Lethe. In the joy of reunion with her Husband, Zion forgets all the prior shame and pain of her adulteries and her abandonment.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
