Isaiah 40
40
Comfort, Proclaim Good News
1“Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God.
2Speak kindly to the heart of Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed. For she has received from Adonai’s hand double for all her sins.
3A voice cries out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of Adonai, Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4Every valley will be lifted up, every mountain and hill made low, the rough ground will be a plain and the rugged terrain smooth.
5The glory of Adonai will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together.” For the mouth of Adonai has spoken.
6A voice is saying, “Cry out!” So I said, “What shall I cry out?” “All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
7The grass withers, the flower fades. For the breath of Adonai blows on it. Surely the people are grass.
8The grass withers, the flower fades. But the word of our God stands forever.”
9Get yourself up on a high mountain, you who bring good news to Zion! Lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good news to Jerusalem! Lift it up! Do not fear! Say to the cities of Judah: “Behold your God!”
10Look, Adonai Elohim comes with might, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.
11Like a shepherd, He tends His flock. He gathers the lambs in His arms carries them in his bosom, and gently guides nursing ewes.
Who Is Like Him?
12Who has measured the waters in the palm of His hand, or measured out heaven with a span, or calculated the dust of the earth in a measure, or weighed the mountains in scales, or the hills in a balance?
13Who can fathom the Ruach Adonai? Or instruct Him as His counselor?
14With whom did He consult, and who instructed Him? Who taught Him in the path of justice or taught Him knowledge? Who informed Him about the way of understanding?
15Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and count as a speck of dust on the scales. Behold, the islands weigh as fine dust.
16Lebanon is not enough to burn, or its animals enough for a burnt offering.
17All the nations are as nothing before Him. By Him they are accounted null and void.
18To whom then will you liken God? To what likeness will you compare Him?
19To an idol? A craftsman casts it, a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it.
20One too poor for such an offering chooses wood that will not rot. He looks for a skilled craftsman to prepare him an idol that will not totter.
21Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22He sits above the circle of the earth— its inhabitants are like grasshoppers— He stretches out the skies like a curtain, spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
23He reduces princes to nothing. He makes the judges of the earth a confusion.
24Scarcely are they planted, scarcely are they sown, scarcely their stem takes root in the earth, when He blows on them and they wither, and a storm carries them off as stubble.
25“To whom then will you liken Me? Or who is My equal?” says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes on high, and see! Who created these? The One who brings out their host by number, the One who calls them all by name. Because of His great strength and vast power, not one is missing.
27Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, “My way is hidden from Adonai, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?
28Have you not known? Have you not heard? Adonai is the eternal God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not grow tired or weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives strength to the weary, and to one without vigor He adds might.
30Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall,
31but they who wait for Adonai will renew their strength. They will soar up with wings as eagles. They will run, and not grow weary. They will walk, and not be faint.
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Isaiah 40: TLV
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Isaiah 40
40
Promise of Salvation
1#The “voices” of vv. 3, 6 are members of the heavenly court addressing the prophet; then v. 1 can be understood as the Lord addressing them. It is also possible to translate, with the Vulgate, “Comfort, give comfort, O my people” (i.e., the exiles are called to comfort Jerusalem). The juxtaposition of “my people” and “your God” recalls the covenant formulary. Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
2Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service#Service: servitude (cf. Jb 7:1) and exile. has ended,
that her guilt is expiated,
That she has received from the hand of the Lord
double for all her sins.
3A voice proclaims:#A description of the return of the exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem (Zion). The language used here figuratively describes the way the exiles will take. The Lord leads them, so their way lies straight across the wilderness rather than along the well-watered routes usually followed from Mesopotamia to Israel. Mt 3:3 and gospel parallels adapt these verses to the witness of John the Baptizer to Jesus.
In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!#Mt 3:3; Mk 1:3; Lk 2:27; Jn 1:23.
4Every valley shall be lifted up,
every mountain and hill made low;
The rugged land shall be a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
5Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
6A voice says, “Proclaim!”
I answer, “What shall I proclaim?”
“All flesh is grass,
and all their loyalty like the flower of the field.#Jb 8:12; 14:2; Ps 37:2; Sir 14:18; Jas 1:10; 1 Pt 1:24.
7The grass withers, the flower wilts,
when the breath of the Lord blows upon it.”
“Yes, the people is grass!
8The grass withers, the flower wilts,
but the word of our God stands forever.”
9Go up onto a high mountain,
Zion, herald of good news!#Herald of good news: i.e., of the imminent restoration of the people to their land. This theme of the proclamation of the good news occurs elsewhere in Second Isaiah; cf. also 41:27; 52:7.
Cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Cry out, do not fear!
Say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
10Here comes with power
the Lord God,
who rules by his strong arm;
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
11Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
Carrying them in his bosom,
leading the ewes with care.#Is 49:9–10; 63:11; Ez 34:23; 37:24; Jn 10:11.
Power of God and the Vanity of Idols
12Who has measured with his palm the waters,
marked off the heavens with a span,
held in his fingers the dust of the earth,
weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?#The implicit answer is “the hand of the Lord” (v. 2). Waters…heavens…earth: together form the universe; cf. Gn 1:1–2. Span: the distance between the extended little finger and the thumb. Fingers: lit., “three fingers” (i.e., thumb, index, and middle).
13Who has directed the spirit of the Lord,
or instructed him as his counselor?#Wis 9:13; Rom 11:34; 1 Cor 2:16; Jb 38:1–11.
14Whom did he consult to gain knowledge?
Who taught him the path of judgment,
or showed him the way of understanding?
15See, the nations count as a drop in the bucket,
as a wisp of cloud on the scales;
the coastlands weigh no more than a speck.#Drop…wisp of cloud…a speck: the smallest constituent parts of the cosmic waters, heavens, and earth mentioned in v. 12.
16Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,#Lebanon…fuel: the famed cedars would not be enough to keep the fires of sacrifice burning.
nor its animals be enough for burnt offerings.
17Before him all the nations are as nought,
as nothing and void he counts them.
18To whom can you liken God?#Acts 17:29.
With what likeness can you confront him?
19An idol? An artisan casts it,
the smith plates it with gold,
fits it with silver chains.#Chains: needed to hold the idol steady when carried in processions; cf. v. 20; Jer 10:4. #Ps 115:4–7; Jer 10:4.
20Is mulberry wood the offering?
A skilled artisan picks out
a wood that will not rot,
Seeks to set up for himself
an idol that will not totter.#Is 44:13.
21Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Was it not told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the founding of the earth?
22The one who is enthroned above the vault of the earth,
its inhabitants like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a veil
and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in,#Ps 104:2.
23Who brings princes to nought
and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.
24Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely their stem rooted in the earth,
When he breathes upon them and they wither,
and the stormwind carries them away like straw.
25To whom can you liken me as an equal?
says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes on high
and see who created#Created: see note on Gn 1:1–2:3. By name: for he is their Creator. these:
He leads out their army and numbers them,
calling them all by name.
By his great might and the strength of his power
not one of them is missing!#Ps 147:4–5.
27Why, O Jacob, do you say,#The exiles, here called Jacob-Israel (Gn 32:29), must not give way to discouragement: their Lord is the eternal God.
and declare, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is God from of old,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
29He gives power to the faint,
abundant strength to the weak.
30Though young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
31They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength,
they will soar on eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.
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