Isaiah 61:2 announces that God has a set time for showing his favor to his people, and that he will also act with justice against wrong. It also promises that God will comfort everyone who grieves. The words come from the prophet Isaiah, who speaks in the voice of one anointed by the Spirit of the Lord to bring good news to people in distress. The message was first directed to exiled and struggling Israelites, and Christians have long read it as pointing toward the ministry of Jesus.
To proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn…
Isaiah 61:2 (WEB)
What Isaiah 61:2 Means
The verse begins with “the year of the LORD’s favor,” a phrase that refers to a time when God shows undeserved kindness and restores what has been lost. Isaiah’s hearers would have connected it with the Jubilee year described in Leviticus 25, when debts were canceled and land returned to its families. The idea is that God acts in history at the right moment, and his favor is not random or merely hoped for.
The verse then speaks of “the day of vengeance of our God.” In this context, vengeance means God’s righteous judgment against injustice and oppression, not petty anger. It is the other side of his favor: when God restores the faithful, he also sets things right against those who have harmed them. The verse does not describe God’s judgment as something we carry out, and it does not promise that every wrong will be corrected on our timetable.
Finally, the verse says God will “comfort all who mourn.” This is a promise of consolation, not a guarantee that grief will vanish or that trouble will never come. The verse describes God’s character as one who attends to sorrow and does not ignore it. Read carefully, it offers hope and God’s presence in mourning rather than an instant cure for pain.
The Context of Isaiah 61:2
Isaiah 61 belongs to the latter part of the book of Isaiah, which addresses Judah after the exile and the return from Babylon. The prophet speaks to a community dealing with ruined cities, broken families and discouragement. The surrounding verses describe the healing of the brokenhearted, the release of captives, and the rebuilding of “the old ruins,” so verse 2 is part of a larger picture of restoration.
Because verse 2 sits between a commission to proclaim good news and a vision of rebuilding, it reads as an announcement that God’s favor is already at work. The comfort it promises is tied to a concrete hope for a community being made new. Seen this way, the verse is less a private assurance and more a public declaration that God is restoring his people.
Key Phrases in Isaiah 61:2
Psalm 34:18
The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
(WEB)
This psalm pairs God’s nearness with the broken-hearted, showing that the comfort promised to mourners rests on his close presence with those who are hurting. It deepens the personal side of Isaiah’s promise.
Luke 4:18-19
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed, 19 and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
(WEB)
Jesus reads Isaiah’s words in the synagogue and declares them fulfilled in himself. These verses show how early Christians understood the year of the Lord’s favor as coming into focus through his life and ministry.
A Short Prayer From Isaiah 61:2
Lord, you are faithful to your promises and you see the sorrow we carry. Thank you that your favor comes at the right time and that your justice is good and true. When grief fills our days, comfort us with your presence and remind us that you are near. Help us trust your timing and rest in your care as you restore what has been broken. Amen.
