Speak you comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry to her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she has received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins.
comfortably.
Genesis 34:3 And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.
2 Chronicles 30:22 And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.
Hosea 2:14 Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.
warfare, or, appointed time
Psalm 102:13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.
Song of Solomon 2:11-13 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; …
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
and her iniquity
Isaiah 12:1 And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
Isaiah 33:24 And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.
Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
double
Isaiah 61:7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
Job 42:10-12 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before…
Jeremiah 16:18 And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things.
and proclaim to her that her forced labor has been completed;
The "forced labor" refers to the period of exile and suffering experienced by the Israelites, particularly during the Babylonian captivity. This phrase signifies the end of their punishment and the beginning of a new era of freedom. Theologically, it points to God's sovereignty in determining the duration of discipline and His faithfulness in fulfilling His promises (Jeremiah 29:10).
her iniquity has been pardoned.
This declaration of pardon indicates a divine act of forgiveness. In the Old Testament, iniquity often required atonement through sacrifice, but here it is freely pardoned by God. This foreshadows the ultimate forgiveness through Jesus Christ, who provides atonement for sin (Hebrews 9:26). The concept of pardon is central to the covenant relationship between God and His people (Psalm 103:12).
For she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.
The phrase "double for all her sins" can be understood as receiving a full measure of punishment, emphasizing the completeness of God's justice. It also suggests that the punishment was sufficient and that restoration is now possible. This reflects the biblical principle of reaping what one sows (Galatians 6:7) and highlights God's righteousness. The "hand of the LORD" signifies His direct involvement and control over the events, underscoring His authority and the certainty of His promises.
“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem” (Isaiah 40:2)
• God Himself initiates the conversation. After long seasons of judgment, He does not wait for Israel to find the right words; He supplies them. Compare Isaiah 40:1, “Comfort, comfort My people...” and Zechariah 1:13, where the LORD answers the angel “with gracious and comforting words.”
• “Tenderly” points to the heart, recalling Hosea 2:14, where God allures His wayward people into the wilderness to “speak comfort” to them.
• The tone previews Christ’s own gentleness (Matthew 11:28-30). Just as Jesus calls the weary to rest, the prophetic voice calls the exiles home.
• Application: whenever God’s people have felt disciplined or distant, His first word back is still comfort—never condemnation without hope (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
“…and proclaim to her that her forced labor has been completed…”
• “Forced labor” pictures the seventy-year Babylonian exile (Jeremiah 29:10). The hard service is over; the prison doors are open (Lamentations 4:22).
• This literally happened when Cyrus permitted the Jews to return (Ezra 1:1-4). The prophecy is history.
• Spiritually, it foreshadows the greater emancipation announced by Jesus: “He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives” (Luke 4:18).
• God keeps exact accounts. When the time of discipline ends, it ends—no extra day is added (Jeremiah 25:12).
“…her iniquity has been pardoned.”
• Pardon means the debt is cancelled, not merely reduced. See Isaiah 1:18: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”
• The basis is substitutionary atonement, later detailed in Isaiah 53:5-6. God never overlooks sin; He covers it (Psalm 32:1).
• For every believer, this finds its climax at the cross: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:7).
• Notice the order: God removes the burden (labor) and erases the record (iniquity). He deals with both consequence and cause.
“For she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.”
• “Double” echoes the Old Testament principle of restitution (Exodus 22:4). Israel’s chastening matched, even exceeded, her offenses—no one can accuse God of leniency.
• Jeremiah 16:18 affirms this: “I will repay them double for their iniquity.” Yet discipline comes “from the hand of the LORD,” underscoring His personal involvement and His limit: the same hand that strikes also heals (Hosea 6:1).
• There is also a nuance of overflowing mercy: after discipline, God’s blessings often arrive in multiplied form (Isaiah 61:7 speaks of “double portion” joy).
• Revelation 18:6 applies the same imagery to Babylon’s judgment, proving God’s scales are perfectly balanced—whether for punishment or reward.
Isaiah 40:2 announces God’s turning point with His people. He speaks gently, declares the exile finished, pardons guilt, and acknowledges that just discipline has run its full course. Historically fulfilled in the return from Babylon, the verse also foreshadows the gospel—where Jesus ends our slavery to sin, secures full forgiveness, and turns divine indignation into lasting comfort.
(2) Speak ye comfortably . . .--Literally, Speak ye to the heart. The command is addressed to the prophets whom Isaiah contemplates as working towards the close of the exile, and carrying on his work. In Haggai 1:13, Haggai 2:9, and Zechariah 1:13; Zechariah 2:5-10; Zechariah 9:9-12, we may rightly trace the influence of the words as working out their own fulfilment.That her warfare is accomplished.--The time of war, with all its suffering, becomes the symbol of sufferings apart from actual war. The exile was one long campaign with enemies who were worse than the Babylonian conquerors. In Job 7:1; Job 14:14, the word is applied (rendered by "appointed time") to the battle of life from its beginning to its end. This, too, may be noted as one of the many parallelisms between Isaiah and Job. . . .
Verse 2. - Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; literally, speak ye to the heart of Jerusalem. Address her inmost feelings, her very spirit and soul. Her warfare is accomplished... is pardoned... hath received. These perfects can only be viewed as "perfects of prophetic certainty." According to every theory of the authorship of Isaiah 40-46, they were written before the close of the Captivity, when Israel's warfare was not yet accomplished, her iniquity not yet fully pardoned. Isaiah, however, sees all as already accomplished in the Divine counsels, and so announces it to the people. Israel's warfare, her long term of hard service (comp. Job 7:1), will assuredly come to an end; she will thoroughly turn to God, and then her iniquity will be pardoned, she will be considered to have suffered enough. Double. "It was the ordinary rule under the Law that 'for all manner of trespass' a man condemned by the judges should pay double" (Kay; comp. Exodus 22:9). Heathen legislators adopted the same rule for certain offences (Arist, 'Eth. Nic.,' 3:5, § 8). It is not here intended to assert that the law of Divine judgment is to exact double; but only to assure Israel that, having been amply punished, she need fear no further vengeance (comp. Isaiah 61:7).