Isaiah 60:18 Meaning and Explanation
“Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →A city usually depends on walls, guards, and closed gates for safety. Isaiah gives those familiar features new names: Salvation and Praise. The verse addresses a deep human longing for a home where harm no longer enters and where security leads people to honor God.
Isaiah promises a future condition in which Zion is free from violence and ruin. Her security comes from God's saving care, and her entrances are marked by praise to him.
The Context of Isaiah 60:18
Isaiah 60 speaks to Zion as a city restored by the LORD's glory. After calling her to arise and shine, the chapter describes nations and kings coming to her light, scattered sons and daughters returning, offerings brought to the LORD's altar, and the beautifying of his sanctuary. Earlier verses mention rebuilt walls, continually open gates, mercy after affliction, and officers characterized by peace and righteousness. Verse 18 gathers these promises into a picture of life within secure borders. The following verses continue the vision with the LORD as everlasting light and mourning brought to an end.
What Does Isaiah 60:18 Mean?
The verse begins with what will no longer be heard: "Violence," "wasting," and "destruction." Isaiah speaks of more than a quiet city. He names the sounds and effects of oppression, devastation, and loss that have marked a wounded land. "Thy land" and "thy borders" make the promise concrete: God's peace reaches the places where people live, travel, work, and belong. The contrast then turns to walls and gates. Walls ordinarily defend a city, while gates regulate its coming and going. In this promised city, their very names declare what preserves and fills the community. Salvation surrounds it, and Praise marks its entrances.
Verse 18 follows the LORD's promise to replace poorer materials with better ones and to make Zion's officers peace and her exactors righteousness. Peace and righteous rule therefore belong with the end of violence. The chapter does not present Zion's restoration as private comfort detached from public life. It includes land, borders, leadership, worship, returning families, and an ordered city. The open gates in verse 11 are not signs of carelessness. They belong to a city whose safety rests in the LORD's favor and whose life is directed toward his glory. Isaiah's vision gives hope that God can heal what violence has damaged and establish a people in enduring peace.
The names Salvation and Praise connect this promise to the LORD himself. Earlier in the chapter Zion is told that she will know the LORD as her Saviour and Redeemer. Her walls bear the name Salvation because the safety described here is his gift and work. Praise belongs at the gates because those who enter and dwell in such mercy have reason to acknowledge him. The final vision of Scripture also describes a holy city in which God dwells with his people and sorrow is ended. Isaiah 60:18 helps us see biblical hope as embodied and communal: God brings peace to a people and makes their shared life a witness to his saving goodness.
Bible Verses Related to Isaiah 60:18
“In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.”
- Isaiah 26:1
“The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.”
- Isaiah 33:5-6
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.”
- Psalm 122:6-9
“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
- Revelation 21:23-27
Where Isaiah 60:18 Echoes in Scripture
Revelation 21:23-27 strongly echoes Isaiah 60:19-20 and develops the chapter's city vision. The later passage portrays the holy city in the light of God's glory, with nations bringing their glory into it and with no defiling thing entering. Its picture of secure, holy access helps illuminate why Isaiah can call Zion's gates Praise: the city's life is openly ordered toward God's glory and protected from what destroys.
How to Apply Isaiah 60:18 Today
This promise lets us bring the reality of violence and ruin before God without pretending they are small matters. We can pray for homes, neighborhoods, churches, and nations to be shaped by peace and righteousness, including the integrity of those who hold authority. In our own shared spaces, praise can become a fitting response to every evidence of God's preserving mercy: gratitude for protection, welcome offered with wisdom, repair after injury, and truthful acknowledgment of the Redeemer. The verse also keeps hope larger than temporary human arrangements. God intends a peace that reaches the life of a people, not merely a momentary escape from trouble.
Reflection & Prayer
Where do violence, waste, or fear most need to be named honestly in our prayers and shared life? Consider one way to seek peace with righteousness in a place entrusted to us. Prayer: "LORD, our Saviour and Redeemer, bring your healing peace where harm has taken root. Teach us to receive your care with grateful praise, and guide our communities in righteousness."