Isaiah 40
40
God’s People Are Comforted
1“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!”
Says your God.
2“Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her,
That her warfare is ended,
That her iniquity is pardoned;
#Is. 61:7For she has received from the Lord’s hand
Double for all her sins.”
3#Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4–6; John 1:23The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
#(Mal. 3:1; 4:5, 6)“Prepare the way of the Lord;
#Ps. 68:4Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.
4Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
#Is. 45:2The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;
5The #Is. 35:2glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6The voice said, “Cry out!”
And he said, “What shall I cry?”
#Job 14:2; James 1:10; 1 Pet. 1:24, 25“All flesh is grass,
And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
7The grass withers, the flower fades,
Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
8The grass withers, the flower fades,
But #(John 12:34)the word of our God stands forever.”
9O Zion,
You who bring good tidings,
Get up into the high mountain;
O Jerusalem,
You who bring good tidings,
Lift up your voice with strength,
Lift it up, be not afraid;
Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”
10Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand,
And #Is. 59:16, 18His arm shall rule for Him;
Behold, #Is. 62:11; Rev. 22:12His reward is with Him,
And His work before Him.
11He will #Jer. 31:10; (Ezek. 34:23, 31); Mic. 5:4; (John 10:11, 14–16; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25)feed His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young.
12#Prov. 30:4Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
Measured heaven with a span
And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure?
Weighed the mountains in scales
And the hills in a balance?
13#Job 21:22; Rom. 11:34; (1 Cor. 2:16)Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord,
Or as His counselor has taught Him?
14With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him,
And #Job 36:22, 23taught Him in the path of justice?
Who taught Him knowledge,
And showed Him the way of understanding?
15Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket,
And are counted as the small dust on the scales;
Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.
16And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn,
Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering.
17All nations before Him are as #Dan. 4:35nothing,
And #Ps. 62:9they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.
18To whom then will you #Ex. 8:10; 15:11; 1 Sam. 2:2; Is. 46:5; (Mic. 7:18); Acts 17:29liken God?
Or what likeness will you compare to Him?
19#Ps. 115:4–8; Is. 41:7; 44:10; Hab. 2:18, 19The workman molds an image,
The goldsmith overspreads it with gold,
And the silversmith casts silver chains.
20Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution
Chooses a tree that will not rot;
He seeks for himself a skillful workman
#1 Sam. 5:3, 4; Is. 41:7; 46:7; Jer. 10:3To prepare a carved image that will not totter.
21#Ps. 19:1; Is. 37:26; Acts 14:17; Rom. 1:19Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who #Job 9:8; Ps. 104:2; Is. 42:5; 44:24; Jer. 10:12stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a #Job 36:29; Ps. 19:4tent to dwell in.
23He brings the #Job 12:21; Ps. 107:40; Is. 34:12; (1 Cor. 1:26–29)princes to nothing;
He makes the judges of the earth useless.
24Scarcely shall they be planted,
Scarcely shall they be sown,
Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth,
When He will also blow on them,
And they will wither,
And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.
25“To#(Deut. 4:15); Is. 40:18; (John 14:9; Col. 1:15) whom then will you liken Me,
Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes on high,
And see who has created these things,
Who brings out their host by number;
#Ps. 147:4He calls them all by name,
By the greatness of His might
And the strength of His power;
Not one is missing.
27#Is. 54:7, 8Why do you say, O Jacob,
And speak, O Israel:
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
And my just claim is passed over by my God”?
28Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
#Ps. 147:5; Eccl. 11:5; Rom. 11:33His understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31But those who #Is. 30:15; 49:23wait on the Lord
#(Job 17:9); Ps. 103:5; (2 Cor. 4:8–10, 16)Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
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Isaiah 40: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Isaiah 40
40
The Lord Returns to Jerusalem
1 “Comfort, comfort my people,”
says your#tn The pronominal suffix is second masculine plural. The identity of the addressee is uncertain: (1) God’s people may be addressed, or (2) the unidentified heralds commanded to comfort Jerusalem. God.
2 “Speak kindly to#tn Heb “speak to the heart of Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is personified as a woman. Jerusalem,#map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. and tell her
that her time of warfare is over,#tn Heb “that she is filled [with] her warfare.” Some understand צָבָא (tsavah, “warfare”) as meaning “hard service” or “compulsory labor” in this context.
that her punishment is completed.#tn Heb “that her punishment is accepted [as satisfactory].”
For the Lord has made her pay double#tn Heb “for she has received from the hand of the Lord double.” The principle of the double portion in punishment is also seen in Jer 16:18; 17:18 and Rev 18:6. For examples of the double portion in Israelite law, see Exod 22:4, 7, 9 (double restitution by a thief) and Deut 21:17 (double inheritance portion for the firstborn). for all her sins.”
3 A voice cries out,
“In the wilderness clear a way for the Lord;
construct in the desert a road for our God.
4 Every valley must be elevated,
and every mountain and hill leveled.
The rough terrain will become a level plain,
the rugged landscape a wide valley.
5 The splendor#tn Or “glory.” The Lord’s “glory” is his theophanic radiance and royal splendor (see Isa 6:3; 24:23; 35:2; 60:1; 66:18-19). of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people#tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); NAB, NIV “mankind”; TEV “the whole human race.” will see it at the same time.
For#tn Or “indeed.” the Lord has decreed it.”#tn Heb “the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
6 A voice says, “Cry out!”
Another asks,#tn Heb “and he says.” Apparently a second “voice” responds to the command of the first “voice.” “What should I cry out?”
The first voice responds:#tn The words “the first voice responds” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The first voice tells the second one what to declare. “All people are like grass,#tn Heb “all flesh is grass.” The point of the metaphor is explained in v. 7.
and all their promises#tn Heb “and all his loyalty.” The antecedent of the third masculine suffix is בָּשָׂר (basar, “flesh”), which refers collectively to mankind. The LXX, apparently understanding the antecedent as “grass,” reads “glory,” but חֶסֶד (khesed) rarely, if ever, has this nuance. The normal meaning of חֶסֶד (“faithfulness, loyalty, devotion”) fits very well in the argument. Human beings and their faithfulness (verbal expressions of faithfulness are specifically in view; cf. NRSV “constancy”) are short-lived and unreliable, in stark contrast to the decrees and promises of the eternal God. are like the flowers in the field.
7 The grass dries up,
the flowers wither,
when the wind sent by the Lord#tn The Hebrew text has רוּחַ יְהוָה (ruakh yehvah), which in this context probably does not refer to the Lord’s personal Spirit. The phrase is better translated “the breath of the Lord,” or “the wind of [i.e., sent by] the Lord.” The Lord’s sovereign control over nature, including the hot desert winds that dry up vegetation, is in view here (cf. Ps 147:18; Isa 59:19). blows on them.
Surely humanity#tn Heb “the people” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). is like grass.
8 The grass dries up,
the flowers wither,
but the decree of our God is forever reliable.”#tn Heb “but the word of our God stands forever.” In this context the divine “word” specifically refers to his decreed promise assuring Jerusalem that her suffering is over and his glorious return imminent (vv. 1-5).
9 Go up on a high mountain, O herald Zion!
Shout out loudly, O herald Jerusalem!#tn The second feminine singular imperatives are addressed to personified Zion/Jerusalem, who is here told to ascend a high hill and proclaim the good news of the Lord’s return to the other towns of Judah. Isa 41:27 and 52:7 speak of a herald sent to Zion, but the masculine singular form מְבַשֵּׂר (mÿvaser) is used in these verses, in contrast to the feminine singular form מְבַשֶּׂרֶת (mÿvaseret) employed in 40:9, where Zion is addressed as a herald.
Shout, don’t be afraid!
Say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10 Look, the sovereign Lord comes as a victorious warrior;#tn Heb “comes as a strong one”; ASV “will come as a mighty one.” The preposition בְּ (bet) here carries the nuance “in the capacity of.” It indicates that the Lord possesses the quality expressed by the noun. See GKC 379 §119.i and HALOT 104 s.v. בְּ.
his military power establishes his rule.#tn Heb “his arm rules for him” (so NIV, NRSV). The Lord’s “arm” symbolizes his military power (see Isa 51:9-10; 63:5).
Look, his reward is with him;
his prize goes before him.#tn As the Lord returns to Jerusalem as a victorious warrior, he brings with him the spoils of victory, called here his “reward” and “prize.” These terms might also be translated “wages” and “recompense.” Verse 11 indicates that his rescued people, likened to a flock of sheep, are his reward.
11 Like a shepherd he tends his flock;
he gathers up the lambs with his arm;
he carries them close to his heart;#tn Heb “in his bosom” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV), an expression which reflects closeness and protective care.
he leads the ewes along.
The Lord is Incomparable
12 Who has measured out the waters#tn The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has מי ים (“waters of the sea”), a reading followed by NAB. in the hollow of his hand,
or carefully#tn Heb “with a span.” A “span” was the distance between the ends of the thumb and the little finger of the spread hand” (BDB 285 s.v. זֶרֶת). measured the sky,#tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
or carefully weighed#tn Heb “or weighed by a third part [of a measure].” the soil of the earth,
or weighed the mountains in a balance,
or the hills on scales?#sn The implied answer to the rhetorical questions of v. 12 is “no one but the Lord. The Lord, and no other, created the world. Like a merchant weighing out silver or commodities on a scale, the Lord established the various components of the physical universe in precise proportions.
13 Who comprehends#tn Perhaps the verb is used metonymically here in the sense of “advises” (note the following line). the mind#tn In this context רוּחַ (ruakh) likely refers to the Lord’s “mind,” or mental faculties, rather than his personal Spirit (see BDB 925 s.v.). of the Lord,
or gives him instruction as his counselor?#tn Heb “or [as] the man of his counsel causes him to know?”
14 From whom does he receive directions?#tn Heb “With whom did he consult, so that he gave discernment to him?”
Who#tn Heb “and taught him.” The vav (ו) consecutive with prefixed verbal form continues the previous line. The translation employs an interrogative pronoun for stylistic reasons. teaches him the correct way to do things,#tn The phrase אֹרַח מִשְׁפָּט (’orakh mishpat) could be translated “path of justice” (so NASB, NRSV), but in this context, where creative ability and skill is in view, the phrase is better understood in the sense of “the way that is proper or fitting” (see BDB 1049 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 6); cf. NIV, NCV “the right way.”
or imparts knowledge to him,
or instructs him in skillful design?#tn Heb “or the way of understanding causes him to know?”sn The implied answer to the rhetorical questions in vv. 13-14 is, “No one.” In contrast to Marduk, the creator-god of Mesopotamian myths who receives help from the god of wisdom, the Lord neither needs nor receives any such advice or help. See R. Whybray, Heavenly Counsellor (SOTSMS), 64-77.
15 Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales.
He lifts#tn Or “weighs” (NIV); NLT “picks up.” the coastlands#tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV, NLT). as if they were dust.
16 Not even Lebanon could supply enough firewood for a sacrifice;#tn The words “for a sacrifice” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
its wild animals would not provide enough burnt offerings.#sn The point is that not even the Lebanon forest could supply enough wood and animals for an adequate sacrifice to the Lord.
17 All the nations are insignificant before him;
they are regarded as absolutely nothing.#tn Heb “[as derived] from nothing and unformed.”
18 To whom can you compare God?
To what image can you liken him?
19 A craftsman casts#tn Heb “pours out”; KJV “melteth.” an idol;
a metalsmith overlays it with gold
and forges silver chains for it.
20 To make a contribution one selects wood that will not rot;#tn The first two words of the verse (הַמְסֻכָּן תְּרוּמָה, hamsukan tÿrumah) are problematic. Some take מְסֻכָּן as an otherwise unattested Pual participle from סָכַן (sakhan, “be poor”) and translate “the one who is impoverished.” תְּרוּמָה (tÿrumah, “contribution”) can then be taken as an adverbial accusative, “with respect to a contribution,” and the entire line translated, “the one who is too impoverished for such a contribution [i.e., the metal idol of v. 19?] selects wood that will not rot.” However, מְסֻכָּן is probably the name of a tree used in idol manufacturing (cognate with Akkadian musukkanu, cf. H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 133). מְסֻכָּן may be a scribal interpretive addition attempting to specify עֵץ (’ets) or עֵץ may be a scribal attempt to categorize מְסֻכָּן. How an idol constitutes a תְּרוּמָה (“contribution”) is not entirely clear.
he then seeks a skilled craftsman
to make#tn Or “set up” (ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NASB “to prepare.” an idol that will not fall over.
21 Do you not know?
Do you not hear?
Has it not been told to you since the very beginning?
Have you not understood from the time the earth’s foundations were made?
22 He is the one who sits on the earth’s horizon;#tn Heb “the circle of the earth” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
its inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him.#tn The words “before him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
He is the one who stretches out the sky like a thin curtain,#tn The otherwise unattested noun דֹּק (doq), translated here “thin curtain,” is apparently derived from the verbal root דקק (“crush”) from which is derived the adjective דַּק (daq, “thin”; see HALOT 229 s.v. דקק). The nuance “curtain” is implied from the parallelism (see “tent” in the next line).
and spreads it out#tn The meaning of the otherwise unattested verb מָתַח (matakh, “spread out”) is determined from the parallelism (note the corresponding verb “stretch out” in the previous line) and supported by later Hebrew and Aramaic cognates. See HALOT 654 s.v. *מתה. like a pitched tent.#tn Heb “like a tent [in which] to live”; NAB, NASB “like a tent to dwell (live NIV, NRSV) in.”
23 He is the one who reduces rulers to nothing;
he makes the earth’s leaders insignificant.
24 Indeed, they are barely planted;
yes, they are barely sown;
yes, they barely take root in the earth,
and then he blows on them, causing them to dry up,
and the wind carries them away like straw.
25 “To whom can you compare me? Whom do I resemble?”
says the Holy One.#sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
26 Look up at the sky!#tn Heb “Lift on high your eyes and see.”
Who created all these heavenly lights?#tn The words “heavenly lights” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the following lines.
He is the one who leads out their ranks;#tn Heb “the one who brings out by number their host.” The stars are here likened to a huge army that the Lord leads out. Perhaps the next line pictures God calling roll. If so, the final line may be indicating that none of them dares “go AWOL.” (“AWOL” is a military acronym for “absent without leave.”)
he calls them all by name.
Because of his absolute power and awesome strength,
not one of them is missing.
27 Why do you say, Jacob,
Why do you say, Israel,
“The Lord is not aware of what is happening to me,#tn Heb “my way is hidden from the Lord” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
My God is not concerned with my vindication”?#tn Heb “and from my God my justice passes away”; NRSV “my right is disregarded by my God.”
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is an eternal God,
the creator of the whole earth.#tn Heb “the ends of the earth,” but this is a merism, where the earth’s extremities stand for its entirety, i.e., the extremities and everything in between them.
He does not get tired or weary;
there is no limit to his wisdom.#sn Exiled Israel’s complaint (v. 27) implies that God might be limited in some way. Perhaps he, like so many of the pagan gods, has died. Or perhaps his jurisdiction is limited to Judah and does not include Babylon. Maybe he is unable to devise an adequate plan to rescue his people, or is unable to execute it. But v. 28 affirms that he is not limited temporally or spatially nor is his power and wisdom restricted in any way. He can and will deliver his people, if they respond in hopeful faith (v. 31a).
29 He gives strength to those who are tired;
to the ones who lack power, he gives renewed energy.
30 Even youths get tired and weary;
even strong young men clumsily stumble.#tn Heb “stumbling they stumble.” The verbal idea is emphasized by the infinitive absolute.
31 But those who wait for the Lord’s help#tn The words “for the Lord’s help” are supplied in the translation for clarification. find renewed strength;
they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings,#tn Heb “they rise up [on] wings like eagles” (TEV similar).
they run without growing weary,
they walk without getting tired.
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