Isaías 49:17-18

Already in vision the prophet sees the return of the exiles and calls on Zion to welcome her sons.

Instead of Thy childrenthe chief ancient Versions, and the important Babylonian Codex have "Thy builders" (בֹּנַיִךְ for בָּנַיךְ), a sense which is recommended both by the antithesis to "thy destroyers" &c., and the connexion with the previous verse. Yet it is doubtful if the reading on the whole is preferable to that of the received text. The latter at least is true to the fundamental image of the passage, which appears again in Isaías 49:20 f.

For shall make hasteread in the present tense (as R.V.) make haste.

thy destroyers &c. The expressions almost suggest that Jerusalem was still occupied by Chaldæan troops.