4 Every valley H1516 shall be exalted, H5375 and every mountain H2022 and hill H1389 shall be made low: H8213 and the crooked H6121 shall be made straight, H4334 and the rough places H7406 plain: H1237
Every G3956 valley G5327 shall be G2071 filled, G4137 and G2532 every G3956 mountain G3735 and G2532 hill G1015 shall be brought low; G5013 and G2532 the crooked G4646 shall be made G1519 straight, G2117 and G2532 the rough G5138 ways G3598 shall be made G1519 smooth; G3006
Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Remove H5493 the diadem, H4701 and take off H7311 the crown: H5850 this shall not be the same: H2063 exalt H1361 him that is low, H8217 and abase H8213 him that is high. H1364
For the day H3117 of the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 shall be upon every one that is proud H1343 and lofty, H7311 and upon every one that is lifted up; H5375 and he shall be brought low: H8213 And upon all the cedars H730 of Lebanon, H3844 that are high H7311 and lifted up, H5375 and upon all the oaks H437 of Bashan, H1316 And upon all the high H7311 mountains, H2022 and upon all the hills H1389 that are lifted up, H5375 And upon every high H1364 tower, H4026 and upon every fenced H1219 wall, H2346
I will go H3212 before H6440 thee, and make H3474 the crooked places H1921 straight: H3474 H3474 I will break in pieces H7665 the gates H1817 of brass, H5154 and cut in sunder H1438 the bars H1280 of iron: H1270
Cast abroad H6327 the rage H5678 of thy wrath: H639 and behold H7200 every one that is proud, H1343 and abase H8213 him. Look H7200 on every one that is proud, H1343 and bring him low; H3665 and tread down H1915 the wicked H7563 in their place. Hide H2934 them in the dust H6083 together; H3162 and bind H2280 their faces H6440 in secret. H2934
I will make waste H2717 mountains H2022 and hills, H1389 and dry up H3001 all their herbs; H6212 and I will make H7760 the rivers H5104 islands, H339 and I will dry up H3001 the pools. H98 And I will bring H3212 the blind H5787 by a way H1870 that they knew H3045 not; I will lead H1869 them in paths H5410 that they have not known: H3045 I will make H7760 darkness H4285 light H216 before H6440 them, and crooked things H4625 straight. H4334 These things H1697 will I do H6213 unto them, and not forsake H5800 them.
I tell G3004 you, G5213 this man G3778 went down G2597 to G1519 his G846 house G3624 justified G1344 rather than G2228 the other: G1565 for G3754 every one G3956 that exalteth G5312 himself G1438 shall be abased; G5013 and G1161 he that humbleth G5013 himself G1438 shall be exalted. G5312
He raiseth up H6965 the poor H1800 out of the dust, H6083 and lifteth up H7311 the beggar H34 from the dunghill, H830 to set H3427 them among princes, H5081 and to make them inherit H5157 the throne H3678 of glory: H3519 for the pillars H4690 of the earth H776 are the LORD'S, H3068 and he hath set H7896 the world H8398 upon them.
Let the wilderness H4057 and the cities H5892 thereof lift up H5375 their voice, the villages H2691 that Kedar H6938 doth inhabit: H3427 let the inhabitants H3427 of the rock H5553 sing, H7442 let them shout H6681 from the top H7218 of the mountains. H2022
And all the trees H6086 of the field H7704 shall know H3045 that I the LORD H3068 have brought down H8213 the high H1364 tree, H6086 have exalted H1361 the low H8217 tree, H6086 have dried H3001 up the green H3892 tree, H6086 and have made the dry H3002 tree H6086 to flourish: H6524 I the LORD H3068 have spoken H1696 and have done H6213 it.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Isaiah 40
Commentary on Isaiah 40 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 40
At this chapter begins the latter part of the prophecy of this book, which is not only divided from the former by the historical chapters that come between, but seems to be distinguished from it in the scope and style of it. In the former part the name of the prophet was frequently prefixed to the particular sermons, besides the general title (as 2:1; 7:3; 13:1); but this is all one continued discourse, and the prophet not so much as once named. That consisted of many burdens, many woes; this consists of many blessings. There the distress which the people of God were in by the Assyrian, and their deliverance out of that, were chiefly prophesied of; but that is here spoken of as a thing past (52:4); and the captivity in Babylon, and their deliverance out of that, which were much greater events, of more extensive and abiding concern, are here largely foretold. Before God sent his people into captivity he furnished them with precious promises for their support and comfort in their trouble; and we may well imagine of what great use to them the glorious, gracious, light of this prophecy was, in that cloudy and dark day, and how much it helped to dry up their tears by the rivers of Babylon. But it looks further yet, and to greater things; much of Christ and gospel grace we meet with in the foregoing part of this book, but in this latter part we shall find much more; and, as if it were designed for a prophetic summary of the New Testament, it begins with that which begins the gospels, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness' (40:3), and concludes with that which concludes the book of the Revelation, "The new heavens and the new earth,' (66:22). Even Mr. White acknowledges that, as all the mercies of God to the Jewish nation bore some resemblance to those glorious things performed by our Saviour for man's redemption, so they are by the Spirit of God expressed in such terms as show plainly that while the prophet is speaking of the redemption of the Jews he had in his thoughts a more glorious deliverance. And we need not look for any further accomplishment of these prophecies yet to come; for if Jesus be he, and his kingdom be it, that should come, we are to look for no other, but the carrying on and completing of the same blessed work which was begun in the first preaching and planting of Christianity in the world.
In this chapter we have,
And we, through patience and comfort of this scripture, may have hope.
Isa 40:1-2
We have here the commission and instructions given, not to this prophet only, but, with him, to all the Lord's prophets, nay, and to all Christ's ministers, to proclaim comfort to God's people.
Isa 40:3-8
The time to favour Zion, yea, the set time, having come, the people of God must be prepared, by repentance and faith, for the favours designed them; and, in order to call them to both these, we have here the voice of one crying in the wilderness, which may be applied to those prophets who were with the captives in their wilderness-state, and who, when they saw the day of their deliverance dawn, called earnestly upon them to prepare for it, and assured them that all the difficulties which stood in the way of their deliverance should be got over. It is a good sign that mercy is preparing for us if we find God's grace preparing us for it, Ps. 10:17. But it must be applied to John the Baptist; for, though God was the speaker, he was the voice of one crying in the wilderness, and his business was to prepare the way of the Lord, to dispose men's minds for the reception and entertainment of the gospel of Christ. The way of the Lord is prepared,
Isa 40:9-11
It was promised (v. 5) that the glory of the Lord shall be revealed; that is it with the hopes of which God's people must be comforted. Now here we are told,
Isa 40:12-17
The scope of these verses is to show what a great and glorious being the Lord Jehovah is, who is Israel's God and Saviour. It comes in here,
Isa 40:18-26
The prophet here reproves those,
Isa 40:27-31
Here,