Verse 2 announced that “a new name” would be given to Jerusalem, the capital city representing the whole land of Judah. This verse gives two new names that replace two old ones. A special feature here is the repetition of the phrase shall no more be termed, which is followed by two names that express the people of Judah’s current, negative view of themselves. In 49.14-23 and 54.6-7 they complained that the LORD had forsaken them and that their land was desolate. Now the prophet takes those key ideas and rejects the names “Forsaken” and “Desolate” for Jerusalem/Judah and gives new names. Thus he claims that future conditions in Judah will no longer be as they currently are. The people will not be abandoned, nor will their land remain empty and desolate, because God is going to fulfill his promises (compare 60.15).

The footnotes in Revised Standard Version give the Hebrew equivalents of the old and new names. Revised English Bible and New International Version place the last two Hebrew names in their text. We prefer that translators use names that express their meaning in the text, as in Revised Standard Version. Marking the four names as names may be done in several ways. In English we can use an initial capital letter to show these are proper nouns (so Revised Standard Version), and we can also place them between double quote marks to indicate this even more clearly (so Good News Translation). Some languages will have a specific marker to indicate a name, while others may need to render the names as statements (see the third example below).

You shall no more be termed Forsaken: This passive expression may be rendered as an active one by saying “They/People will no longer call you ‘Abandoned’” (similarly Bible en français courant).

And your land shall no more be termed Desolate: This line, which is parallel to the previous one, explicitly includes the whole land of Judah. The land is still Desolate because the Babylonians destroyed it in 587 B.C. For Desolate see the comments on 1.7. Bible en français courant renders this name as “the destroyed land.” Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch have “The Deserted Wife.” This is valid because of the feminine form of the Hebrew noun for Desolate as well as the earlier use of the “deserted wife” metaphor in 50.1 and 54.1-8.

The Hebrew particle ki rendered but at the beginning of the third line introduces a contrast between the old and new names. The new names promise a bright future for the people of Judah.

You shall be called My delight is in her reveals God’s pleasure with his people. His new relationship with them results in this new name. The Hebrew noun rendered delight is translated “purpose” in 44.28 and 46.10. There it spoke of God’s plan to use Cyrus as his agent to bring about the return of the exiles to Jerusalem. So the word for delight includes the sense of “purpose.” God delights in achieving his purpose for Judah. Bible en français courant renders My delight as “The Lord’s Pleasure,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “The Darling of God.” Good News Translation expresses this whole line clearly with “Your new name will be ‘God Is Pleased with Her.’”

And your land Married is parallel to the previous line. The verb phrase you shall be called is implied here. Married is another new name that replaces an old one. This name refers to the symbolic marriage between God and Judah. No longer will she be like an abandoned wife, but God will be like a husband to her. There will be a new and intimate relationship between God and his people. He will protect them and provide for them. Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version render Married as “Happily Married,” and New Jerusalem Bible says “The Wedded.”

For the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married: These two parallel lines repeat the ideas of delight and married in the previous two lines. The LORD delights in you means that he is pleased with his people. Good News Translation makes it explicit that Yahweh will be their husband by rendering and your land shall be married as “And [the LORD] will be like a husband to your land,” and so does Revised English Bible with “and to him your land will be linked in wedlock.” Like Revised Standard Version, Bible en français courant does not make this explicit by saying “and your land will have a husband,” and neither does New Jerusalem Bible with “and your country will have its wedding.” Translators may leave Judah’s wedding partner implied or make it explicit.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• You will no longer be referred to as “Forsaken,”
your land will no longer be named “Desolate.”
Instead you will be called “My Delight is in her,”
your land will be called “Married,”
because Yahweh is delighted in you,
and your land will be married to him again.

• “Abandoned” will no longer be your name,
“Desolate” will no longer be the name of your land.
Instead you will have a new name: “I delight in her”;
your land too will have a new name: “Married.”
For Yahweh delights in you,
and will be married to your land again.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .