“That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.”
My Notes
What Does Isaiah 66:11 Mean?
Isaiah uses nursing imagery to describe the restored Jerusalem's relationship with her people: "suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations... milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory." The city is portrayed as a mother nursing her children, providing consolation and glory as naturally as a mother provides milk.
The imagery is intimate, physical, and deeply feminine. Consolation is compared to breast milk—warm, sustaining, given from the mother's own body. Glory is compared to abundance of supply—more than enough, overflowing, rich. The restored Jerusalem doesn't just provide for her people; she nourishes them from her own substance.
The verbs "suck" and "milk out" suggest active reception: the people aren't passive recipients. They draw from the consolation that's offered. They press in for the glory that's available. God's restoration provides the supply, but the people must do the drinking. The breast is offered; the child must nurse.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Does the nursing imagery surprise you? How does it change your picture of God's consolation—from distant to intimate?
- 2.Are you 'satisfied' spiritually—truly nourished—or are you running on empty? What would full satisfaction look like?
- 3.The people have to actively 'suck' and 'milk out'—they receive by pressing in. How actively are you drawing from what God offers?
- 4.What does it mean to you that God uses a woman's body as the metaphor for divine comfort?
Devotional
Isaiah uses the most intimate, physical, feminine image available: a nursing mother. Jerusalem's restoration will feed her people like a mother feeds her infant—with consolation drawn from her own body, with glory that flows in abundance. Warm. Close. Sustaining. More than enough.
This verse is for women, written in women's language. The consolation of God isn't cold or distant. It's as close as a mother's body to her infant. It's as warm as milk. It's as abundant as a nursing mother's supply to a hungry child. If you've ever nursed a baby—or been held close enough to feel that kind of sustenance—you know what Isaiah is describing. That's what God's consolation feels like. That close.
The word "satisfied" is important. Not just fed. Satisfied. The kind of satisfaction that comes from being fully nourished at the deepest level—physical, emotional, spiritual. The restored Jerusalem produces a satisfaction that leaves nothing lacking. You suck and are full. You drink and are delighted.
If you're spiritually hungry—if you've been running on empty, if the consolation you need hasn't been coming from the sources you've tried—this verse invites you to draw from God's supply. He offers consolation and glory, but you have to press in. The breast is available. But the nursing requires you to come close, to be vulnerable, to receive what only intimate proximity can provide.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breast of her consolations,.... This, according to our version, expresses…
That ye may suck - The same figure occurs in Isa 60:16; and substantidally in Isa 49:23. See the note at those places.…
With the abundance of her glory "From her abundant stores" - For מזיז mizziz, from the splendor, two MSS. and the old…
The prophet, having denounced God's judgments against a hypocritical nation, that made a jest of God's word and would…
Comp. ch. Isa 60:16.
abundance The Heb. word (zîz) is of uncertain interpretation. It is found again only in Psa 50:11;…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture