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Isaiah 26:15

ESV But you have increased the nation, O LORD, you have increased the nation; you are glorified; you have enlarged all the borders of the land.
NIV You have enlarged the nation, LORD; you have enlarged the nation. You have gained glory for yourself; you have extended all the borders of the land.
NASB You have increased the nation, Lord, You have increased the nation, You are glorified; You have extended all the borders of the land.
CSB You have added to the nation, Lord. You have added to the nation; you are honored. You have expanded all the borders of the land.
NLT O Lord, you have made our nation great; yes, you have made us great. You have extended our borders, and we give you the glory!
KJV Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.

What does Isaiah 26:15 mean?

Earlier in the chapter Isaiah stated utter confidence that the Lord would establish peace for Israel. He has brought peace before, and He will eventually bring permanent peace to the nation (Isaiah 26:12).

It's not that Israel has never been defeated, conquered, or enslaved. God's people have often been under the thumb of foreign rulers. The prophet has proclaimed that in every case those rulers have died and been wiped from recollection by the Lord. God has remained, and so have His people Israel. The Lord has restored them repeatedly, as they have returned in faithfulness to Him (Isaiah 26:13–14).

This verse concludes this thought. It's not that Israel and Judah have merely survived these defeats by other nations. The Lord has caused His people to thrive in real and practical ways. The numbers of the Israelites continue to increase on the land. The Lord also expands their borders. Although Israel and Judah seemed to be facing extinction once more during Isaiah's time, the prophet knew that God would restore them to peace and prosperity once more. The time would come when God would bless them both forever.

In a similar way, believers in Jesus know that even though they can be hurt, and killed in this life, their ultimate victory in Christ is completely assured:
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal" -–2 Corinthians 4:16–18.
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