Isaiah 65:20

King James Version (KJV)

There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

Adam Clarke
Bible Commentary

Thence "There" - For משם mishsham, thence, the Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read שם sham, there.

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Albert Barnes
Notes on the Whole Bible

There shall be no more thence - The Septuagint, the Syriac, and the Vulgate, read this, ‹There shall not be there.‘ The change requires the omission of a single letter in the present Hebrew text, and the sense seems to demand it. The design of the prophet here is, to describe the times of happiness and prosperity which would succeed the calamities under which the nation had been suffering. This he does by a great variety of images, all denoting substantially the same thing. In Isaiah 65:17, the change is represented to be as great as if a new heaven and a new earth should be created; in this verse the image is, that the inhabitants would reach a great age, and that the comparatively happy times of the patriarchs would be restored; in Isaiah 65:21, the image is taken from the perfect security in their plans of labor, and the fact that they would enjoy the fruit of their toil; in Isaiah 65:25, the image employed is that taken from the change in the nature of the animal creation. All these are poetic images designed as illustrations of the general truth, and, like other poetic images, they are not to be taken literally.

An infant of days - A child; a sucking child. So the Hebrew word, עול ‛ûl denotes. The Septuagint renders it, ‹Nor shall there be there anymore an untimely birth ( ἄωρος aōros ) and an old man who has not filled up his time.‘ The idea is not that there should be no infant in those future times - which would be an idea so absurd that a prophet would not use it even in poetic fiction - but that there will not be an infant who shall not fill up his days, or who will be short-lived. All shall live long, and all shall be blessed with health, and continual vigor and youth.

Nor an old man that hath not filled his days - They shall enjoy the blessings of great longevity, and that not a longevity that shall be broken and feeble, but which shall be vigorous and happy. In further illustration of this sentiment, we may remark,

1. That there is no reason to suppose that it will be literally fulfilled even in the millenium. If it is to be regarded as literally to be fulfilled, then for the same reason we are to suppose that in that time the nature of the lion will be literally changed, and that he will eat straw like the ox, and that the nature of the wolf and the lamb will be so far changed that they shall lie down together Isaiah 65:25. But there is no reason to suppose this; nor is there any good reason to suppose that literally no infant or child will die in those times, or that no old man will be infirm, or that all will live to the same great age.

2. The promise of long life is regarded in the Bible as a blessing, and is an image, everywhere, of prosperity and happiness. Thus the patriarchs were regarded as having been highly-favored people, because God lengthened out their days; and throughout the Scriptures it is represented as a proof of the favor of God, that a man is permitted to live long, and to see a numerous posterity (see Genesis 45:10; Psalm 21:4; Psalm 23:6; Psalm 128:6 (Hebrew); Psalm 91:16; Proverbs 3:2-14; Proverbs 17:6.

3. No one can doubt that the prevalence of the gospel everywhere would greatly lengthen out the life of man. Let anyone reflect on the great number that are now cut off in childhood in pagan lands by their parents, all of whom would have been spared had their parents been Christians; on the numbers of children who are destroyed in early life by the effects of the intemperance of their parents, most of whom would have survived if their parents had been virtuous; on the numbers of young men now cut down by vice, who would have continued to live if they had been under the influence of the gospel; on the immense hosts cut off, and most of them in middle life, by war, who would have lived to a good old age if the gospel had prevailed and put a period to wars; on the million who are annually cut down by intemperance and lust, and other raging passions, by murder and piracy, or who are punished by death for crime; on the million destroyed by pestilential disease sent by offended heaven on guilty nations; and let him reflect that these sources of death will be dried up by the prevalence of pure virtue and religion, and he will see that a great change may yet take place literally in the life of man.

4. A similar image is used by the classic writers to denote a golden age, or an age of great prosperity and happiness. Thus the Sybil, in the Sybilline Oracles, B. vii., speaking of the future age, says, Στήσει δὲ τὸ γένος, ὡς πάρος ἦν σοι Stēsei de to genos hōs paros ēn soi - ‹A race shall be restored as it was in the ancient times.‘ So Hesiod, describing the silver age, introduces a boy as having reached the age of an hundred years, and yet but a child:

Ἀλλ ̓ ἑκατόν μὲν παῖς ἔτεα παρὰ μητέρι κεδνρ,

Ἐτρέφετ ἀτάλλων υέγα νήπιος ὦ ἔνι οἴκῳ.

All' hekaton men tais etea para mēteri kednr Etrephet atallōn mega nēpios ō eni oikō For the child shall die an hundred years old - That is, he that is an hundred years old when he dies, shall still be a child or a youth. This is nearly the same sentiment which is expressed by Hesiod, as quoted above. The prophet has evidently in his eye the longevity of the patriarchs, when an individual of an hundred years of age was comparatively young - the proportion between that and the usual period of life then being about the same as that between the age of ten and the usual period of life now. We are not, I apprehend, to suppose that this is to be taken literally, but it is figurative language, designed to describe the comparatively happy state referred to by the prophet, as if human life should be lengthened out to the age of the patriarchs, and as if he who is now regarded as an old man, should then be regarded as in the vigor of his days. At the same time it is true, that the influence of temperance, industry, and soberness of life, such as would exist if the rules of the gospel were obeyed, would carry forward the vigor of youth far into advancing years, and mitigate most of the evils now incident to the decline of life.

The few imperfect experiments which have been made of the effect of entire temperance and of elevated virtue; of subduing the passions by the influence of the gospel, and of prudent means for prolonging health and life, such as the gospel will prompt a man to use, who has any just view of the value of life, show what may yet be done in happier times. It is an obvious reflection here, that if such effects are to be anticipated from the prevalence of true religion and of temperance, then he is the best friend of man who endeavors most sedulously to bring others under the influence of the gospel, and to extend the principles of temperance and virtue. The gospel of Christ would do more to prolong human life than all other causes combined; and when that prevails everywhere, putting a period, as it must, to infanticide, and war, and intemperance, and murder, and piracy, and suicide, and duelling, and raging and consuming passions, then it is impossible for the most vivid imagination to conceive the effect which shall be produced on the health and long life, as well as on the happiness of mankind.

But the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed - The sense of this appears to be, ‹not all who reach to a great age shall be judged to be the friends and favorites of God. Though a sinner shall reach that advanced period of life, yet he shall be cursed of God and shall be cut down in his sins. He shall be held to be a sinner and shall die, and shall be regarded as accursed.‘ Other interpretations of this expression may be seen in Poole and in Vitringa. The above seems to me to be the true exposition.

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Matthew Henry
Concise Bible Commentary

In the grace and comfort believers have in and from Christ, we are to look for this new heaven and new earth. The former confusions, sins and miseries of the human race, shall be no more remembered or renewed. The approaching happy state of the church is described under a variety of images. He shall be thought to die in his youth, and for his sins, who only lives to the age of a hundred years. The event alone can determine what is meant; but it is plain that Christianity, if universal, would so do away violence and evil, as greatly to lengthen life. In those happy days, all God's people shall enjoy the fruit of their labours. Nor will children then be the trouble of their parents, or suffer trouble themselves. The evil dispositions of sinners shall be completely moritified; all shall live in harmony. Thus the church on earth shall be full of happiness, like heaven. This prophecy assures the servants of Christ, that the time approaches, wherein they shall be blessed with the undisturbed enjoyment of all that is needful for their happiness. As workers together with God, let us attend his ordinances, and obey his commands.

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SDA Bible Commentary (limited)
Volume 1-7

20. Infant of days. That is, an infant who dies being but a few days old. Many expositors have been greatly perplexed over this verse inasmuch as it presupposes the continuance of death and sin at a time when they believe these would have been abolished. The perplexity has been expressed thus: “What is most remarkable in the description is that death and sin are represented as still continuing” (Pulpit). The answer to this problem has already been given (see on v. 17). Isaiah describes the new heavens and the new earth in terms of how these conditions would have been brought about with respect to the nation of Israel.

The resurrection and state of immortality would have been preceded by a period in which adherence to the laws of God and cooperation with the divine program would have largely banished sickness and premature death. It is this feature that Isaiah emphasizes in this present verse. His language is poetic, but the general meaning seems clear. His first point of observation is with regard to infant mortality. There would be no infant deaths.

Filled his days. That is, there would be no premature deaths. Old men would not die until they had lived out their allotted span.

Child. Heb. na‘ar, “a lad,” “a youth.” The third group, the youth, is now mentioned. The statement concerning them parallels those concerning the other groups. The young people, too, would not die until they had lived out the allotted span. The span is here placed at 100 years. Why this particular figure was chosen is not made clear. It was doubtless a round number, and in the time of Isaiah represented a figure well above the average span of life. According to Ps. 90:10, of which Moses is thought to have been the author, man’s span was 70 years. A few attained to 80 years. Of the kings of Judah from Rehoboam to Jehoiakim whose approximate length of life can be calculated, the average age at death was about 47 years. An age of 100 years for Isaiah’s contemporaries would thus be considerably above the age that the average man hoped to reach.

The promises here made to Israel on the condition that they would cooperate with the divine program may be compared with the promises to them at the time of the Exodus. At that time the Lord promised to take away all sickness (Deut. 7:15). Upon the fulfillment of the “conditions,” the promise was verified to them. “There was not one feeble person among their tribes” (Ps. 105:37; see further COL 288). The same promises of longevity and immunity from suffering were now once again offered Israel, and upon the same conditions.

The conditions here describedâ€”a spiritually revived Israel at last working in harmony with Heaven’s plan, and inheriting a once more productive Palestine (Isa. 65:9, 10)â€”would have preceded the final eradication of sin and sinners, the resurrection, and subsequent immortality for the righteous. Isaiah is setting forth the steps leading up to these final events as they would have been fulfilled to the nation of Israel.

With the failure of Israel and the consequent fulfillment of these promises in the Christian church (PK 713, 714), certain features will be altered, but the final climatic eventâ€”the new heavens and the new earth, in which dwelleth righteousnessâ€”is still the blessed hope of the saints today (2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21:1, 2). For this the church has long prayed (Matt. 6:10).

Some have understood the clause, “the child shall die an hundred years old,” to mean that at the age of 100 a man would be regarded as a mere youth. They believe that the comparison is with conditions in this world before the Flood: “Men before the flood lived many hundreds of years, and when one hundred years old were considered but youths” (4SG 156). However, the use of the word “die” (Heb. muth) to describe the transition from youth to adulthood would be most unusual. Since the passage can be understood without difficulty by ascribing to muth its normal meaning, it seems better to avoid an involved and uncertain interpretation of the word.

Accursed. In contrast with the blessings enjoyed by the righteous, the sinner, even should he attain to old age, would be accursed.

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Ellen G. White
Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, 67-70

One of these fanatical persons labored with some success to turn my friends and even my relatives against me. Because I had faithfully related that which was shown me respecting his unchristian course, he circulated falsehoods to destroy my influence and to justify himself. My lot seemed hard. Discouragements pressed heavily upon me; and the condition of God's people so filled me with anguish that for two weeks I was prostrated with sickness. My friends thought I could not live; but brethren and sisters who sympathized with me in this affliction met to pray for me. I soon realized that earnest, effectual prayer was offered in my behalf. Prayer prevailed. The power of the strong foe was broken, and I was released, and immediately taken off in vision. In this view I saw that if I felt a human influence affecting my testimony, no matter where I might be, I had only to cry to God, and an angel would be sent to my rescue. I already had one guardian angel attending me continually, but when necessary, the Lord would send another to raise me above the power of every earthly influence. 1T 67.1

*****

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Ellen G. White
In Heavenly Places, 372.5

“Be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create,” the Lord exhorts; “for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.... And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.... They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 65:18-25). HP 372.5

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Isaiah 65:20