What Does Isaiah 49:18 Mean in the King James?
Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Restoration here is the scattered becoming the very beauty you wear, bound close like a bride’s adornment.
THE MEANING
You are addressed as one who can lift your eyes and see what is gathering. What comes toward you does not stay a crowd at a distance: it becomes your adornment, worn and bound close like a bride’s jewels. The LORD stakes this promise on his own life.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The scattered are beyond recovery, and whatever returns must remain outside you. Here, what is gathered becomes intimate belonging, worn close.
THE ROOT
תִּלְבָּשִׁי
tilbashî
GROWS FROM
לבשׁ
l-b-sh
לָבַשׁ (lavash): to put on clothing, to wear.
“clothe thee” in this verse is tilbashî. The Hebrew verb places the gathered people in the role of what is worn. Their return becomes something held close to the one receiving them, not a crowd remaining at a distance.
ALSO GROWS
lavash: to wear or clothe
לָבַשׁ
The base verb names the act of putting something on; here that act becomes an image for receiving the gathered people.
levush: garment, clothing
לְבוּשׁ
The same root names what is worn: those coming to you become a garment-like adornment held near.
וּתְקַשְּׁרִים
u-teqashrim
GROWS FROM
קשר
q-sh-r
קָשַׁר (qashar): to bind, tie, or fasten together.
“bind them on thee” in this verse is u-teqashrim. The second verb draws the image closer: the returning ones are not only worn but fastened onto the wearer. The root carries the force of people being tied together, and here that attachment takes the form of a bride’s adornment.
ALSO GROWS
qashar: to bind or tie
קָשַׁר
This is the root verb behind the fastening in the verse: the people are attached, not merely nearby.
qesher: bond or tie; also conspiracy
קֶשֶׁר
The noun carries the same idea of being bound together, showing how much stronger this image is than simple arrival.
נִקְבְּצוּ
niqbetsu
GROWS FROM
קבץ
q-b-ts
קָבַץ (qavats): to collect or gather into one place.
“gather themselves together” in this verse is niqbetsu. The verse first presents the people as gathered, then turns that gathering into wearing and binding. Restoration does not leave them as a distant crowd; it brings them into the life of the one they gather around.
ALSO GROWS
qibbets: he gathered, collected
קִבֵּץ
This verb form shows the root’s action of drawing separate things together.
meqabēts: one who gathers
מְקַבֵּץ
The same root can name the gatherer, making the movement toward restored closeness an active gathering.
THE PATTERN
Restoration gathers the scattered until they become the beloved’s adornment.
Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.THE THREAD
The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.The same root קבץ (q-b-ts, “gather”) drives both verses. Here, those gathered become your adornment; there, the LORD names himself as the gatherer and widens the gathering beyond the outcasts already brought near.
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