Isaiah 54:6 - Exposition

For the Lord hath called thee ; i.e. recalled thee to himself—summoned thee to return, and once more resume the office of a wife . As a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit ; i.e. as one whom her husband has cast off, and whose spirit is grieved by the repudiation. No doubt a large number of the captives had the same spirit of penitence as Daniel ( Daniel 9:5-19 ). A wife of youth . One wooed and won in youth, therefore more dearly loved, more regretfully repudiated, more joyfully restored when seen to be penitent. When thou wast refused ; rather, when she has been cast off. Jehovah takes back Israel into the old relationship, as a man takes back "the wife of his youth," when she has been for a long time " cast off. "