Isaiah 62:5
“For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →God's joy in Zion mirrors the bridegroom's tender joy in his bride; her sons too will claim her with a lover's covenant.
Context
The bridal metaphor deepens, comparing God's union with Zion to a young man's passionate devotion to his virgin bride. The sons' marriage to Zion reflects her restoration to fruitfulness and covenant.
What Does Isaiah 62:5 Mean?
There is a joy in the bridegroom that the text wants us to feel, a joy that is not restrained or ceremonial but fervent and whole-hearted. He 'rejoiceth over the bride,' a Hebrew word (ranan) that carries singing, exultation, loud gladness. This is how God rejoices over Zion, not with the distant approval of a judge but with the tender, passionate delight of a lover. Her restoration is his joy. And her sons, the people born of her faith, will marry her in turn, claiming her as their own, renewing the covenant with each generation.
Christ is the bridegroom who rejoices over his bride, the church. He does not love us grudgingly or from duty but with the full, exultant joy of one who has chosen us freely and delights in our presence. We are the object of his affection, and he does not hide that delight from us. In him, we are restored not just to wholeness but to union, to intimate belonging.
In the Original Language
ranan (רָנַן), 'rejoiceth' -- to sing, to cry out in joy, to exult, to shout for gladness
Application
Do you believe that God rejoices over you with the full joy of a bridegroom? Sit with that image today, letting his delight replace any sense of being merely tolerated.