Isaiah 54:2

Isaiah 54:2

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes.

a. ASV:  Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not: lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes.  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT:  Enlarge the place of thy tent, And the curtains of thy tabernacles they stretch out, Restrain not -- lengthen thy cords, And thy pins make strong.  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified:  Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes,  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. The Milstein Edition, Later Prophets, Isaiah: Broaden the place of your tent and let the curtains of your dwellings stretch out, stint not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs.  [THE ARTSCROLL SERIES\MILSTEIN EDITION THE LATTER PROPHETS, ISAIAH Ⓒ Copyright 2013 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ltd.]

e. Torah, Judaism and Jewish information on the web: www.chabad.org; Online English Translation of the Tanakh (Jewish Bible): Widen the place of your tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations, do not spare; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.  [English Translation, Ⓒ Copyright The Judaica Press All rights reserved.]

1. “Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations…”

a. Enlarge [Strong: 7337 rachab raw-khab' a primitive root; to broaden (intransitive or transitive, literal or figurative):--be an en-(make) large(-ing), make room, make (open) wide.]

b. [the] place [Strong: 4725 maqowm maw-kome' or maqom {maw-kome'}; also (feminine) mqowmah {mek-o-mah'}; or mqomah {mek-o-mah'}; from 6965; properly, a standing, i.e. a spot; but used widely of a locality (general or specific); also (figuratively) of a condition (of body or mind):--country, X home, X open, place, room, space, X whither(-soever).]

c. [of thy] tent [Strong: 168 'ohel o'-hel from 166; a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance):--covering, (dwelling)(place), home, tabernacle, tent.]

d. [and let them] stretch forth [Strong: 5186 natah naw-taw' a primitive root; to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application (as follows):--+ afternoon, apply, bow (down, - ing), carry aside, decline, deliver, extend, go down, be gone, incline, intend, lay, let down, offer, outstretched, overthrown, pervert, pitch, prolong, put away, shew, spread (out), stretch (forth, out), take (aside), turn (aside, away), wrest, cause to yield.]

e. [the] curtains [Strong: 3407 yriy`ah yer-ee-aw' from 3415; a hanging (as tremulous):--curtain.]

f. [of thine] habitations [Strong: 4908 mishkan mish-kawn' from 7931; a residence (including a shepherd's hut, the lair of animals, figuratively, the grave; also the Temple); specifically, the Tabernacle (properly, its wooden walls):--dwelleth, dwelling (place), habitation, tabernacle, tent.]

1). Combining Isaiah 54:1 with Isaiah 54:2 hints that increased population results in the stretching forth of the curtains and a verse in Jeremiah bolsters that line of thought, along with Isaiah 54:3 that says they will spread forth even into Gentile areas.

a). Isaiah 54:3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

b). Jeremiah 10:20 My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

2). There is a verse written earlier in Isaiah that possibly throws an interesting twist into this verse.

a). Isaiah 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

3). I understand the word picture that the heavens and all the stars we see above us at night are as a tent ceiling, a curtain spread out above us. I understand that, but if we combine the passages, is there room to see that the Scripture is possibly hinting to interplanetary colonization? Could we add with this the Messianic prophecy that the kingdom of Christ Jesus shall never stop increasing?

a). Isaiah 9:6, 7 For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to stablish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

b). increase [4766 * marbeh][Strong:  properly, increasing; as noun, greatness, or (adverbially) greatly:--great, increase.]

c). [NASB] “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace…”

4). His government will never stop increasing. I personally believe that this could possibly be, could possibly be a hint to interplanetary colonization in the Millennial kingdom and in the perfect age.  

2. “...spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes.”

a. spare [Strong: 2820 chasak khaw-sak' a primitive root; to restrain or (reflex.) refrain; by implication, to refuse, spare, preserve; also (by interch. with 2821) to observe:--assuage, X darken, forbear, hinder, hold back, keep (back), punish, refrain, reserve, spare, withhold.]

b. not [Strong: 408 'al al a negative particle (akin to 3808); not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing:--nay, neither, + never, no ,nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.]

c. lengthen [Strong: 748 'arak aw-rak' a primitive root; to be (causative, make) long (literally or figuratively):--defer, draw out, lengthen, (be, become, make, pro-)long, + (out-, over-)live, tarry (long).]

d. [thy] cords [Strong: 4340 meythar may-thar' from 3498; a cord (of a tent) (Compare 3499) or the string (of a bow):--cord, string.]

e. [and] strengthen [Strong: 2388 chazaq khaw-zak' a primitive root; to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restrain, conquer:--aid, amend, X calker, catch, cleave, confirm, be constant, constrain, continue, be of good (take) courage(-ous, -ly), encourage (self), be established, fasten, force, fortify, make hard, harden, help, (lay) hold (fast), lean, maintain, play the man, mend, become (wax) mighty, prevail, be recovered, repair, retain, seize, be (wax) sore, strengthen (self), be stout, be (make, shew, wax) strong(-er), be sure, take (hold), be urgent, behave self valiantly, withstand.]

f. [thy] stakes [Strong: 3489 yathed yaw-thade' from an unused root meaning to pin through or fast; a peg:--nail, paddle, pin, stake.]