ÉsaïeChapitre 26

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On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; he makes salvation its walls and rampart.

Open the gates, and let the righteous nation enter, the nation that keeps faith.

You keep in perfect peace the mind that is steadfast, because it trusts in you.

Trust in the LORD forever, for in the LORD, the LORD himself, is an everlasting rock.

For he has brought down those who dwell on high, the lofty city. He lays it low, lays it low to the ground, casts it down to the dust.

Feet trample it down, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy.

The path of the righteous is level; you make straight the way of the righteous.

Yes, LORD, in the path of your judgments we wait for you; your name and your renown are the desire of our soul.

My soul longs for you in the night; my spirit within me seeks you at dawn. For when your judgments come upon the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

Though the wicked is shown favor, he never learns righteousness; in the land of uprightness he does wrong and does not see the majesty of the LORD.

LORD, your hand is lifted high, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame; let the fire meant for your enemies consume them.

LORD, you will establish peace for us, for everything we have accomplished you have done for us.

LORD our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but by you alone do we confess your name.

The dead do not live; the departed do not rise. Therefore you punished them and destroyed them, and wiped out every memory of them.

You have enlarged the nation, LORD, you have enlarged the nation; you have gained glory for yourself; you have extended all the borders of the land.

LORD, in distress they sought you; when your discipline was upon them, they poured out a whispered prayer.

Like a pregnant woman about to give birth, writhing and crying out in her pain, so were we in your presence, LORD.

We were with child, we writhed, but we gave birth only to wind. We have brought no salvation to the earth, and no one is born to inhabit the world.

Your dead will live; my dead body will rise. Awake and sing for joy, you who dwell in the dust! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the departed.

Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the wrath has passed.

See, the LORD is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their sin. The earth will uncover the blood shed on it and will conceal her slain no longer.

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Résumé2

Chapitre 26

Main Theme: A song of praise expressing trust in God as the eternal rock, and hope in resurrection and judgment.

Content: The chapter is a song sung in Judah about the strong city that God has given his people, contrasted with the lofty city that will be humbled to dust. The people are urged to trust in the Lord forever, for he is the eternal rock. The prophet expresses longing for God and his righteous judgments. The chapter culminates in a promise that the dead shall live and rise again, while the people are encouraged to seek refuge until God's wrath has passed.

Key Words/Images:

The Strong City (v.1): God's city of salvation with walls and ramparts, symbolizing security for the righteous people.
Eternal Rock (v.4): The Lord as an unchanging foundation for eternal trust.
Perfect Peace (v.3): The deep peace (shalom shalom) given to those who trust in God.
Dew from the Light (v.19): God's life-giving power that awakens the dead to life.
Hide Yourself a Little While (v.20): An encouragement to seek refuge while God's judgment is carried out over the earth.

Contexte historique

Historical and Cultural Context for Isaiah 26

Places

The chapter opens with a song to be sung "in the land of Judah" and describes a "strong city" (עִיר עָז, ir oz) in contrast to "the lofty city" (קִרְיָה נִשְׂגָּבָה, qirya nisgava) that will be destroyed (vv. 1, 5). The strong city represents Jerusalem or the restored Zion, while the lofty city likely points to a hostile world power. Many scholars identify this with Babylon, Nineveh, or another oppressive city symbolizing human arrogance. The contrast between the exalted city brought low "into the dust" and God’s city that stands firm reflects a recurring theme in Isaiah’s apocalyptic section (chapters 24–27).

Key Terms

The expression שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם (shalom shalom, "peace, peace") in verse 3 is an intensified form expressing perfect and enduring peace. This doubling is characteristic of Hebrew poetry and emphasizes the completeness of the peace God gives to those who trust in Him. The name of God יָהּ יְהוָה (Yah YHVH) in verse 4 combines the short form and full form of God’s name, which is unusual and underscores God’s eternal and unchanging nature as "an everlasting rock" (צוּר עוֹלָמִים, tsur olamim).

The term רְפָאִים (refaim) in verses 14 and 19 refers to the dead in the underworld (Sheol). In Canaanite culture, the refaim were associated with deified ancestors, but in ancient Israel it simply denoted the deceased who live a shadowy existence. Verse 19 contains a remarkable resurrection text where "טַל אוֹרֹת" (tal orot, "the dew of light") will awaken the dead—an image that links God’s life-giving power to nature’s renewal.

Events and Customs

The image of the woman in labor in verses 17–18 was a well-known metaphor in the ancient Near East for crisis and distress. The people describe their own helplessness: they have had pains, but "have given birth only to wind"—they were unable to bring salvation into the world. This contrasts with God’s promise of resurrection in verse 19. The exhortation in verse 20 to go into rooms and shut the doors recalls the Passover account in Exodus 12, where the Israelites were to stay inside while the Lord’s judgment passed over Egypt. This allusion reinforces the idea of divine protection during the time of wrath.

Personnages

Aucun personnage connu dans ce chapitre.

Mots-clés8

Peace — A state of harmony and absence of conflict, often associated with God's protection and blessing.
Righteousness — The principle of acting rightly and justly, in accordance with God's laws and will.
Lord — A title often used to refer to God in the Old Testament, especially in prophetic texts such as Isaiah.
Salvation — God's act of saving humanity from sin and its consequences, as well as granting eternal life and restored fellowship with Him.
Strength — The ability to face adversity and challenges with power and endurance, often given by God to believers.
Nation — A community of people who share a common culture, history, and territory, and are subject to a particular government.
Judgment — God's righteous evaluation and treatment of human actions and hearts, both individually and collectively.
Death — The end of physical life on earth, and a transition to either eternal life with God or eternal separation from Him.