Isaiah 40
40
Comfort My People
1Your God says to you:
“Comfort, comfort my people # 40:1 The Targum reads “You prophets, prophesy comfort, comfort to my people.” See Jer. 31:13, 20; Zeph. 3:14–17; 2 Cor. 1:3. with gentle, compassionate words. # 40:1 The Hebrew word nacham connotes deep emotion, compassionate words that give relief and tender consolation to people. Beginning in Isaiah 40, the prophet’s tone changed from that of his words throughout chs. 1–39. In a similar way, the New Testament brings us an even sweeter, more glorious message than the Old Testament (see 2 Cor. 3:9). The New Testament begins with John the Baptizer quoting from Isaiah 40, demonstrating that the time has come for the removal of our sins. Compare Isa. 40:3 and Mark 1:3. Isaiah 1–39 speaks of a worldwide desolation; Isaiah 40–66 speaks of a worldwide restoration. The later chapters of this book are described by some scholars as the “New Testament of Isaiah.” The New Testament has twenty-seven books, corresponding to Isaiah’s last twenty-seven chapters. An outline of the remainder of the book could be: The Book of Comfort (chs. 40–44), The Book of Cyrus (chs. 45–48), The Book of Messiah, the Servant of the Lord (chs. 49–55), The Book of Judah, the Victory of the Bride (chs. 56–66).
2Speak tenderly from the heart # 40:2 Or “Speak to the heart [to revive].” to revive those in Jerusalem, # 40:2 Scripture often contains multiple meanings and applications. Jerusalem here can also mean the church. The church does not replace Jerusalem (Israel), but can be viewed as a “new” Israel (see Gal. 6:16). Believers today find themselves in the New Jerusalem, where God and man have become one. See Gal. 4:26; Heb. 12:22.
and proclaim that their warfare is over. # 40:2 For the overcoming believer, the warfare of Romans 7 has ended as we become the victorious overcomers who move into Christ’s victory found in Romans 8. Our race begins at the finish line (see Rom. 6:5–7).
Her debt of sin is paid for, and she will not be treated as guilty. # 40:2 See John 19:30; Rom. 8:1; Col. 2:13–14; 1 Peter 3:18.
Prophesy to her that she has received from the hand of Yahweh
twice as many blessings as all her sins.” # 40:2 The Hebrew text is somewhat ambiguous. It could mean double punishment or double blessing. That is, they will receive from the hand of God twice what they have lost. Favor and mercy always triumph over judgment. God will excel in grace toward his people and give us back even more than what our sins took from us. See Ex. 22:4, 7, 9; Job 42:10; Isa. 61:7; Zech. 9:12; Rom. 5.
3A thunderous voice cries out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way for Yahweh’s arrival! # 40:3 Or “In the wilderness prepare the way for Yahweh’s arrival.” This was a prophecy of John the Baptizer and his ministry of calling people to repentance in preparation for the appearing of the Lord Jesus. Although John came in the spirit of Elijah, he worked no miracles. His prophecy was not to begin a road project but to prepare people’s hearts. Even now the voice of the Spirit is crying out in the wilderness of people’s souls, bringing them to repentance and faith in Christ.
Make a highway straight through the desert for our God! # 40:3 See John 14:6.
4Every valley will be raised up, every mountain brought low.
The rugged terrain will become level ground
and the rough places a plain.
5Then Yahweh’s radiant glory will be unveiled,
and all humanity # 40:5 Or “all flesh” (i.e., Jews and gentiles). will experience it together. # 40:5 Or “all flesh will see it as one.” See Rom. 8:19.
Believe it, for Yahweh has spoken his decree!” # 40:5 See Luke 3:5–6.
6A voice says, “Cry out!”
And I ask, “What should I say?”
“All people are as frail as grass,
and their elegance is like a wilting wildflower.
7The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of Yahweh blows upon it;
the people are just like grass!
8But even though grass withers and the flower fades,
the word of our God stands strong forever!” # 40:8 See Pss. 103:15–16; 119:89–90; James 1:9–11; 1 Peter 1:24–25.
Proclaim Good News
9Go up on a high mountain, you joyful messengers of Zion,
and lift up your voices with power.
You who proclaim joyous news to Jerusalem,
shout it out and don’t be afraid.
Say to the cities of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10Look! Here comes Lord Yahweh as a victorious warrior;
he triumphs with his awesome power. # 40:10 Or “his mighty arm rules for him.”
Watch as he brings with him his reward
and the spoils of victory to give to his people.
11He will care for you as a shepherd tends his flock,
gathering the weak lambs and taking them in his arms.
He carries them close to his heart
and gently leads those that have young. # 40:10–11 These verses are somewhat parallel to Eph. 4:11, where we can see the apostle’s “awesome power” (v. 10), the prophet’s “reward” (v. 10 and Matt. 10:41), the evangelist’s “spoils of victory [he gives] to his people” (v. 10), the pastor or “shepherd [who] tends his flock” (v. 11), and the teacher who “gently leads” into truth (v. 11).
The Infinite God
12Who has measured the waters of the sea
in the hollow of his hand
and used his hand-width to mark off the heavens?
Who knows the exact weight of all the dust of the earth # 40:12 Or “Who has weighed the dust of the earth in a basket [third of an ephah]?” The Creator can never be measured by his creation; he is infinitely greater.
and has weighed all the mountains and hills on his scale?
13Who fully understands the Spirit of Yahweh # 40:13 See Eph. 1:17.
or is wise enough to counsel him? # 40:13 See Rom. 11:34; 1 Cor. 2:16.
14Whom does he consult to be enlightened?
Who teaches him the ways of justice? # 40:14 Or “Who teaches him the right way to do things?” or “Who gives him insight to make right decisions?”
Who imparts knowledge to him
or shows him the true path of wisdom? # 40:14 That is, who is capable enough to show God how to skillfully design his plan or give him the wisdom needed to carry it out? He is too wise to make a mistake. These verses show us God’s heart of love (v. 11), God’s hand of power (v. 12), and God’s mind of wisdom (vv. 13–14).
15Even the nations are to him like a drop # 40:15 The Hebrew word used for “drop” is not a drop of water but a drop of myrrh. Myrrh was harvested by piercing a tree and collecting drops of sap in a bucket. Nations are more than a drop of water but rather are like myrrh dropping into a bucket. in a bucket,
regarded as nothing more than dust on a scale.
He picks up the islands like fine grains of sand.
16All of Lebanon’s trees # 40:16 Lebanon was known for its lumber and forests. are not enough firewood for him,
nor are all its animals enough for a burnt offering.
17The nations are nothing in his eyes;
he regards them as absolutely nothing. # 40:17 Or “from nothing but emptiness” (as though they didn’t exist).
Idols Cannot Be Compared to God
18Who even comes close to being compared to God? # 40:18 This is the Hebrew word ‘el, “the mighty God.”
How could you ever compare God to an idol?
19A craftsman forms # 40:19 Or “melts [pours out].” an idol-god,
then a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and forges its silver chains. # 40:19 The Hebrew clause is uncertain.
20The one who is poor and cannot afford silver or gold # 40:20 The Hebrew clause is uncertain.
chooses a tree # 40:20 Adam and Eve chose the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. See Jer. 10:3–4. that will not rot,
then seeks a skilled workman
to make an idol that will not topple.
Fear Not
21Don’t you realize that God is the Creator?
Don’t you hear the truth? # 40:21 Or “Do you not know? Do you not hear?” These two questions (imperfect tense) are best seen as invitations rather than surprise over their ignorance. See Young, Book of Isaiah, vol. 3, 40–66.
Haven’t you been told this from the beginning?
Haven’t you understood this
since he laid a firm foundation for the earth? # 40:21 See Ps. 24:2.
22He sits enthroned high above the circle of the earth; # 40:22 The “circle of the earth” could not only mean that the earth is round but also be a reference to the circular orbit of the earth.
to him the people of earth are like grasshoppers!
He stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
spreading it open like a tent to live in. # 40:22 See Ex. 25:8.
23He reduces rulers to nothing
and makes the elite of the earth as nothing at all.
24They barely get planted and barely take root in their position of power
when the Lord blows on them and they wither away,
carried off like straw in the stormy wind.
God Above All Others
25The Holy One asks:
“Can you find anyone or anything to compare to me?
Where is the one equal to me?”
26Lift up your eyes to the sky and see for yourself.
Who do you think created the cosmos? # 40:26 See Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:15–16.
He lit every shining star and formed every glowing galaxy,
and stationed them all where they belong.
He has numbered, counted, and given each one a name.
They shine because of God’s incredible power
and awesome might; not one fails to appear!
27Why, then, O Jacob’s tribes, would you ever complain?
And my chosen Israel, why would you say,
“Yahweh isn’t paying attention to my situation. # 40:27 Or “My way is hidden from Yahweh.”
He has lost all interest in what happens to me”? # 40:27 Or “My decisions are passed over.”
28Don’t you know? Haven’t you been listening?
Yahweh is the one and only everlasting God,
the Creator of all you can see and imagine!
He never gets weary or worn out.
His intelligence is unlimited;
he is never puzzled over what to do!
29He empowers the feeble
and infuses the powerless with increasing strength.
30Even young people faint and get exhausted;
athletic ones # 40:30 Or “young men.” may stumble and fall.
31But those who entwine their hearts with Yahweh # 40:31 Or “wait on Yahweh.” The Hebrew word for “wait” means to “tie,” “twist,” “bind,” or “entwine [to make a rope].” Waiting on God is never passive; it is binding our hearts to who God is as we wait for God’s plan to unfold.
will experience divine strength. # 40:31 Or “will grow new feathers like eagles” (LXX) or “renew their strength.” An eagle has the longest lifespan of any bird. See Ps. 103:5.
They will rise up on soaring wings and fly like eagles,
run their races without growing weary,
and walk through life without giving up. # 40:31 Or “without fainting.” The outer court is where we walk, the Holy Place is where we run, and we soar like eagles into the heavenly realm in the Holy of Holies (see Heb. 10:19).
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Isaiah 40: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationIsaiah 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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