Isaiah 41:18

Isaiah 41:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
• New International Version (NIV)I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I will open rivers in desolate heights, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water.

Context of Isaiah 41:18

16You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, And a high wind will scatter them; But you will rejoice in the Lord, You will glory in the Holy One of Israel. 17“The poor and needy are seeking water, but there is none; Their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the Lord, will answer them Myself; I, the God of Israel, will not neglect them. I will open rivers on the barren heights And springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a reed-pool of water And the dry land springs of water. 19I will put the cedar in the wilderness, The acacia, the myrtle and the olive tree; I will place the juniper in the desert Together with the box tree and the cypress, 20So that they may see and know, And consider and understand together, That the hand of the Lord has done this, That the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Isaiah 41:18 word by word

אֶפְתַּ֤ח עַל־שְׁפָיִים֙ נְהָר֔וֹת וּבְת֥וֹךְ בְּקָע֖וֹת מַעְיָנ֑וֹת אָשִׂ֤ים מִדְבָּר֙ לַאֲגַם־מַ֔יִם וְאֶ֥רֶץ צִיָּ֖ה לְמוֹצָ֥אֵי מָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• I will openפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
• riversנָהָרnâhâr · riverH5104
• in high placesשְׁפִיshephîy · barenessH8205
• and fountainsמַעְיָןma‛yân ma‛yenô ma‛yânâh · springH4599
• in the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• of the valleysבִּקְעָהbiq‛âh · valleyH1237
• I will makeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
• a poolאֲגַם'ăgam · poolH98
• of waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• and the dryצִיָּהtsîyâh · drynessH6723
• landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• springsמוֹצָאmôtsâ' môtsâ' · exitH4161

Cross-references for Isaiah 41:18

• Isaiah 12:3Therefore with joy you will draw water From the springs of salvation.
• Isaiah 30:25On every lofty mountain and on every high hill there will be streams of water on the day of the great slaughter (the day of the Lord), when the towers fall [and all His enemies are destroyed].
• Isaiah 32:2Each [one of them] will be like a hiding place from the wind And a shelter from the storm, Like streams of water in a dry land, Like the shade of a huge rock in a parched and weary land [to those who turn to them].
• Isaiah 35:6Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the desert.
• Isaiah 43:19Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even put a road in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.
• Isaiah 44:3For I will pour out water on him who is thirsty, And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants;
• Isaiah 48:21They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts. He made the waters flow out of the rock for them; He split the rock and the waters flowed.
• Isaiah 49:9Saying to those who are bound and captured, ‘Go forth,’ And to those who are in [spiritual] darkness, ‘Show yourselves [come into the light of the Savior].’ They will feed along the roads [on which they travel], And their pastures will be on all the bare heights.
• Isaiah 58:11And the Lord will continually guide you, And satisfy your soul in scorched and dry places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
• Psalms 46:4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
• Psalms 78:15He split rocks in the wilderness And gave them abundant [water to] drink like the ocean depths.
• Psalms 105:41He opened the rock and water flowed out; It ran in the dry places like a river.
• Psalms 107:35He turns a wilderness into a pool of water And a dry land into springs of water;
• Ezekiel 47:1Then he [my guide] brought me back to the door of the house [the temple of the Lord]; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house (temple) toward the east, for the front of the temple was facing east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar.
• Joel 3:18And in that day The mountains will drip with sweet wine And the hills will flow with milk; And all the brooks and riverbeds of Judah will flow with water, And a fountain will go out from the house of the Lord To water the [desert] Valley of Shittim.
• Zechariah 14:8And in that day living waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea (Dead Sea) and half of them to the western sea (the Mediterranean); it will be in summer as well as in winter.

Commentaries on Isaiah 41:18

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18I will open rivers - That is, I will cause rivers to flow (see the note at Isaiah 35:7). The allusion here is doubtless to the miraculous supply of water in the desert when the Israelites had come out of Egypt. God then supplied their needs; and in a similar manner he would always meet his people, and would supply their needs as if rivers of pure water were made to flow from dry and barren hills. In high places - The word used here denotes properly…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-20Verses 10-20 God speaks with tenderness; Fear thou not, for I am with thee: not only within call, but present with thee. Art thou weak? I will strengthen thee. Art thou in want of friends? I will help thee in the time of need. Art thou ready to fall? I will uphold thee with that right hand which is full of righteousness, dealing forth rewards and punishments. There are those that strive with God's people, that seek their ruin. Let not God's people render…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18rivers … fountains … a pool of water … springs: These pictures would have been very meaningful to people who lived by farming and raising animals. In an agrarian culture (a farming society), water meant life. Rivers, springs, and pools were signs of safety, blessing, and hope. These images also suggest that rescue from the exile in Babylon would be like a second exodus (compare Exodus 15:27; 17:6).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. Alluding to the waters with which Israel was miraculously supplied in the desert after having come out of Egypt. high places--bare of trees, barren, and unwatered (Jr 4:11; 14:6). "High places ... valleys" spiritually express that in all circumstances, whether elevated or depressed, God's people will have refreshment for their souls, however little to be expected it might seem.Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 41:18

• Blessing
• Church

In the dictionaries

• Produce
• Valley
• Desert
• God
• Gods
• Height; Heights
• Isaiah
• Philosophy
• Pool; Pond; Reservoir
• Well

Commentaries on Isaiah 41

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings