ישעיהו, פרק נ״ד, פסוק א׳

A powerful message of comfort uses the intimate metaphor of family and motherhood to bring hope to a broken nation. The primary approach among commentators is that the image of a barren woman represents the city of Jerusalem, or the congregation of Israel, enduring the long period of exile. The nation is compared to a lonely, abandoned woman who has lost her children. However, she is not truly barren, as she had children in the past. The destruction caused by the exile simply left her in a state where she appears as though she never gave birth [שד״ל, מלבי״ם]. Furthermore, while she is abandoned, she is not an actual widow. Her husband, God, is alive and will eventually return to her [רד״ק, צאינה וראינה, אברבנאל].

From this low point of sadness, the prophet issues a series of joyful commands, urging the city to sing, open her mouth, and raise a loud voice of gladness. The sudden cause for celebration lies in the promise of future redemption and a dramatic change in fortunes. A sharp contrast is drawn between the desolate, abandoned Jerusalem and a married, settled woman. The married woman represents the nations of the world, such as Edom and Rome, who currently live in peace and security under the rule of their kings, much like a woman resting safely with her husband and children [רש״י, רד״ק, אבן עזרא]. In the future, this reality will completely flip. The children of desolate Jerusalem will multiply immensely, far outnumbering the children of the settled nations. This extraordinary population increase proves that the prophecy speaks of the final, future redemption, as the brief Babylonian exile did not provide enough time for such massive growth [שד״ל].

The imagery also highlights that Jerusalem will not experience the typical pains of labor, hinting at a deeper process of national revival. Normally, before a state is established and a nation is born, the people must endure the painful struggles of wars and turmoil. Jerusalem, however, will merit a peaceful gathering of exiles. Many children will come to her suddenly, without suffering, effort, or war, as if she gave birth without feeling any labor pains [מלבי״ם]. On an even deeper level, the very fact that she did not give birth during the exile becomes a reason to rejoice. This period of barrenness is actually viewed as an act of kindness, as it prevented the nation from raising wicked and lost children within a reality of impurity and exile. Because of this pause, when God eventually remembers her and alters the course of nature during the redemption, all the children born to her will be righteous and worthy [אהבת יהונתן, צוארי שלל].