Isaiah 66:8
New International Version
Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.

New Living Translation
Who has ever seen anything as strange as this? Who ever heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a single day? Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment? But by the time Jerusalem’s birth pains begin, her children will be born.

English Standard Version
Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children.

Berean Standard Bible
Who has heard of such as this? Who has seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be delivered in an instant? Yet as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children.

King James Bible
Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

New King James Version
Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children.

New American Standard Bible
“Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be given birth all at once? As soon as Zion was in labor, she also delivered her sons.

NASB 1995
“Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons.

NASB 1977
“Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons.

Legacy Standard Bible
Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be brought forth through labor pains in one day? Can a nation be born all at once? As soon as Zion was in labor pains, she also gave birth to her sons.

Amplified Bible
“Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Or can a nation be brought forth in a moment? As soon as Zion was in labor, she also brought forth her sons.

Christian Standard Bible
Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day or a nation be delivered in an instant? Yet as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her sons.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day or a nation be delivered in an instant? Yet as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her sons.”

American Standard Version
Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? shall a nation be brought forth at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

Contemporary English Version
Who ever heard of such a thing or imagined it could happen? Can a nation be born in a day or come to life in a second? Jerusalem is like a mother who gave birth to her children as soon as she was in labor.

English Revised Version
Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? shall a nation be brought forth at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a country be born in one day? Can a nation be born in a moment? When Zion went into labor, she also gave birth to her children.

Good News Translation
Has anyone ever seen or heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a day? Zion will not have to suffer long, before the nation is born.

International Standard Version
Who has ever heard of such a thing? And who ever sees such things? Can a country be born in a single day, or can a nation be brought forth in a single moment? Yet no sooner was Zion in labor than she delivered her children.

Majority Standard Bible
Who has heard of such as this? Who has seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be delivered in an instant? Yet as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children.

NET Bible
Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen this? Can a country be brought forth in one day? Can a nation be born in a single moment? Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons!

New Heart English Bible
Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

Webster's Bible Translation
Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

World English Bible
Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she gave birth to her children.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Who has heard anything like this? Who has seen anything like these? Is earth caused to bring forth in one day? Is a nation born at once? For she has been pained, "" Zion has also borne her sons.

Young's Literal Translation
Who hath heard anything like this? Who hath seen anything like these? Is earth caused to bring forth in one day? Born is a nation at once? For she hath been pained, Zion also hath borne her sons.

Smith's Literal Translation
Who heard such as this? who saw such as these things? shall the earth be made to travail in one day? if a nation shall be brought forth at once? for Zion was pained, she also brought forth her sons.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who hath ever heard such a thing? and who hath seen the like to this? shall the earth bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be brought forth at once, because Sion hath been in labour, and hath brought forth her children?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Who has ever heard of such a thing? And who has seen anything like this? Will the earth give birth in one day? Or will a nation be born all at once? For Zion has been in labor, and she has given birth to her sons.

New American Bible
Who ever heard of such a thing, or who ever saw the like? Can a land be brought forth in one day, or a nation be born in a single moment? Yet Zion was scarcely in labor when she bore her children.

New Revised Standard Version
Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be delivered in one moment? Yet as soon as Zion was in labor she delivered her children.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? Or shall a nation be born in an hour? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Who has heard such as this and who sees things such as these? The Earth is in labor in one day and a people is born in one moment, because she was in labor and Zion bore her children
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things? Is a land born in one day? Is a nation brought forth at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, She brought forth her children.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Who has heard such a thing? and who has seen after this manner? Has the earth travailed in one day? or has even a nation been born at once, that Sion has travailed, and brought forth her children?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Rejoice with Jerusalem
7“Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before she was in pain, she delivered a boy. 8Who has heard of such as this? Who has seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be delivered in an instant? Yet as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children. 9Shall I bring a baby to the point of birth and not deliver it?” says the LORD. “Or will I who deliver close the womb?” says your God.…

Cross References
Revelation 12:5
And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was caught up to God and to His throne.

Romans 11:26
And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob.

Micah 4:10
Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor. For now you will leave the city and camp in the open fields. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies!

Zechariah 2:11
“On that day many nations will join themselves to the LORD, and they will become My people. I will dwell among you, and you will know that the LORD of Hosts has sent Me to you.

Psalm 22:27-28
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him. / For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations.

Jeremiah 30:6-7
Ask now, and see: Can a male give birth? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor and every face turned pale? / How awful that day will be! None will be like it! It is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be saved out of it.

Matthew 24:8
All these are the beginning of birth pains.

John 16:21
A woman has pain in childbirth because her time has come; but when she brings forth her child, she forgets her anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.

Hosea 1:10
Yet the number of the Israelites will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted. And it will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’

Galatians 4:26
But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.

Ezekiel 37:21-22
you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take the Israelites out of the nations to which they have gone, and I will gather them from all around and bring them into their own land. / I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them. Then they will no longer be two nations and will never again be divided into two kingdoms.

Acts 2:41
Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the believers that day.

1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. / Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Zephaniah 3:9-10
For then I will restore pure lips to the peoples, that all may call upon the name of the LORD and serve Him shoulder to shoulder. / From beyond the rivers of Cush My worshipers, My scattered people, will bring Me an offering.

Romans 8:22
We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time.


Treasury of Scripture

Who has heard such a thing? who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

hath heard

Isaiah 64:4
For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

1 Corinthians 2:9
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

shall a nation

Isaiah 49:20-22
The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell…

Acts 2:41
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Acts 4:4
Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

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Born Children Earth Forth Heard Nation Once Soon Travailed Zion
Isaiah 66
1. The glorious God will be served in humble sincerity
5. He comforts the humble by showing the confusion of their enemies
7. With the marvelous growth
10. And the gracious benefits of the church
15. God's severe judgments against the wicked
18. The Gentiles shall have an holy church
24. And see the damnation of the wicked














Who has ever heard of such a thing?
This phrase introduces a sense of wonder and amazement. In the Hebrew text, the word "heard" (שָׁמַע, shama) implies not just the act of hearing but also understanding and heeding. The rhetorical question emphasizes the unprecedented nature of what is about to be described. Historically, this sets the stage for a miraculous event, something beyond human experience or expectation, inviting the reader to consider the divine power and sovereignty of God.

Who has ever seen such things?
The word "seen" (רָאָה, ra'ah) in Hebrew suggests not only physical sight but also perception and insight. This phrase reinforces the extraordinary nature of the event, calling attention to the fact that it is beyond the realm of normal human experience. It challenges the reader to recognize the hand of God in the unfolding of history, encouraging faith in His ability to accomplish the impossible.

Can a country be born in a day or a nation be delivered in an instant?
The imagery of a country or nation being born in a day is a powerful metaphor for sudden and miraculous transformation. The Hebrew word for "born" (יָלַד, yalad) typically refers to the natural process of childbirth, yet here it is used to describe a supernatural event. The phrase "delivered in an instant" underscores the immediacy and divine intervention involved. Historically, this can be seen as a prophetic reference to the restoration of Israel, a theme that resonates deeply within the conservative Christian perspective, highlighting God's faithfulness to His promises.

Yet as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children
"Zion" is a term rich with historical and theological significance, often representing the city of Jerusalem or the people of Israel. The imagery of labor and childbirth is used to convey the idea of struggle followed by joy and fulfillment. The Hebrew word for "labor" (חָבַל, chaval) suggests both pain and anticipation. The phrase "gave birth to her children" signifies the fulfillment of God's promises and the realization of His plans. In a conservative Christian context, this can be seen as a foreshadowing of the ultimate redemption and restoration through Christ, encouraging believers to trust in God's perfect timing and sovereign will.

(8) Shall the earth be made . . .--Better, Shall a land be made to travail. The usually slow processes of national development are contrasted with the supernatural rapidity of the birth and growth of the new Israel.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Who
מִֽי־ (mî-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

has heard
שָׁמַ֣ע (šā·ma‘)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

of such as this?
כָּזֹ֗את (kā·zōṯ)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

Who
מִ֤י (mî)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

has seen
רָאָה֙ (rā·’āh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

such things?
כָּאֵ֔לֶּה (kā·’êl·leh)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

Can a country
אֶ֙רֶץ֙ (’e·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

be born
הֲי֤וּחַל (hă·yū·ḥal)
Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2342: To twist, whirl, to dance, to writhe in pain, fear, to wait, to pervert

in a
אֶחָ֔ד (’e·ḥāḏ)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

day
בְּי֣וֹם (bə·yō·wm)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

or
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

a nation
גּ֖וֹי (gō·w)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

be delivered
יִוָּ֥לֵֽד (yiw·wā·lêḏ)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

in an instant?
פַּ֣עַם (pa·‘am)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6471: A beat, foot, anvil, occurrence

Yet
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

as soon as Zion
צִיּ֖וֹן (ṣî·yō·wn)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6726: Zion -- a mountain in Jerusalem, also a name for Jerusalem

was in labor,
חָ֛לָה (ḥā·lāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 2342: To twist, whirl, to dance, to writhe in pain, fear, to wait, to pervert

she gave birth to
יָלְדָ֥ה (yā·lə·ḏāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

her children.
בָּנֶֽיהָ׃ (bā·ne·hā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 1121: A son


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 66:8 Who has heard such a thing? Who (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 66:7
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