A dramatic call of comfort and encouragement rings out to Jerusalem as the time of redemption arrives. The city is urged to wake from her deep sleep of sorrow, recognize her eternal victory, and return to her former greatness [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד]. This repeated urging to awaken serves a dual purpose. First, it hints at the two distinct exiles the nation endured [אברבנאל]. Second, it acts as a direct response from God to an earlier plea for Him to awaken and use His strength. God answers that the awakening actually depends on the city itself; Jerusalem must rouse herself using her own power [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].
As the city awakens, a clear parallel is drawn between the restoration of Zion and the restoration of Jerusalem. Zion is instructed to put on the strength she had been stripped of for so long, reclaiming her pride and royalty [רד״ק, צאינה וראינה, שד״ל]. This strength represents the inner, spiritual power of the city, encompassing its fortress, the Temple, the priesthood, the high court, and its royal leadership [מלבי״ם], echoing the heroism of the Second Temple era [אברבנאל]. In contrast, Jerusalem, representing the city as a whole, is told to wear garments of splendor. These garments symbolize external, physical success, such as wealth and population growth [מלבי״ם], as well as the holiness and prophecy that defined the First Temple era [אברבנאל]. On an allegorical level, Zion symbolizes the devoted scholars who excel in clarifying Jewish law, while Jerusalem represents the masses, whose beautiful garments are the commandments they faithfully fulfill [אהבת יהונתן].
The message concludes with a powerful promise that foreign powers will never again enter the city to rule over it [מצודת דוד]. Specifically, it declares that the uncircumcised, referring to the kingdom of Edom, and the impure, referring to the kingdom of Ishmael, will be barred. Although the latter nation is careful about physical cleanliness, their actions remain impure. These two empires fought over and ruled the city alternately since its destruction, but from the day of redemption, they will never pass through it again [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. A further distinction suggests that the uncircumcised will be blocked from the general limits of Jerusalem, while the impure will be kept out of the even more sacred, inner sanctum of Zion [מלבי״ם].
Regarding when this vision comes to pass, a minority view suggests it refers to the historical return from the Babylonian exile [שד״ל]. However, the primary approach among commentators is that this prophecy deals exclusively with the final, future redemption. The proof lies in the absolute guarantee that foreign rulers will never again enter the city, a promise that was clearly not met after the return from Babylon. Therefore, it must point to an ultimate, unbreakable future reality [אבן עזרא].