• Jehovah God Has Mercy on a Remnant
    Isaiah’s Prophecy—Light for All Mankind I

    • ‘The Sprouting of Jehovah’

      5, 6. (a) How does Isaiah describe the peaceful time that follows the coming tempest? (b) What is the meaning of the term “sprout,” and what does this indicate about the land of Judah?

      5 Isaiah’s tone becomes warm as he looks beyond the coming tempest to a more peaceful time. He writes: “In that day what Jehovah makes sprout [“the sprouting (sprout) of Jehovah,” footnote] will come to be for decoration and for glory, and the fruitage of the land will be something to be proud of and something beautiful for those of Israel who have escaped.”​—Isaiah 4:2.

      6 Isaiah here speaks of restoration. The Hebrew noun rendered “sprout” refers to ‘that which springs up, a shoot, a branch.’ It is associated with prosperity, increase, and blessings from Jehovah. Isaiah thus paints a picture of hope​—the approaching desolation will not last forever. With Jehovah’s blessing, the once-prosperous land of Judah will again bring forth abundant fruitage.a​—Leviticus 26:3-5.

  • Jehovah God Has Mercy on a Remnant
    Isaiah’s Prophecy—Light for All Mankind I

    • a Some scholars suggest that the phrase ‘sprout of Jehovah’ is an allusion to the Messiah, who would not appear until after the restoration of Jerusalem. In the Aramaic Targums, the paraphrase of this expression reads: “The Messiah [Christ] of Jehovah.” Interestingly, the same Hebrew noun (tseʹmach) is later used by Jeremiah when he speaks of the Messiah as “a righteous sprout” raised up to David.​—Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15.