Isaiah 40:3

Isaiah 40:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
• New International Version (NIV)A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
• English Standard Version (ESV)A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.

Context of Isaiah 40:3

1“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. 2“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and announce to her that her time of hard service is over, her iniquity has been pardoned, and she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” A voice of one crying out: Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. 4Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth and the rough places, a plain. 5And the glory of the Lord will appear, and all humanity together will see it, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Isaiah 40:3 word by word

ק֣וֹל קוֹרֵ֔א בַּמִּדְבָּ֕ר פַּנּ֖וּ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יְהוָ֑ה יַשְּׁרוּ֙ בָּעֲרָבָ֔ה מְסִלָּ֖ה לֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• of him that criethקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call outH7121
• in the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
• Prepareפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
• ye the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• make straightיָשַׁרyâshar · to smoothH3474
• in the desertעֲרָבָה‛ărâbâh · plainH6160
• a highwayמְסִלָּהmesillâh · highwayH4546
• for our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for Isaiah 40:3

• Matthew 3:1In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
• Mark 1:2As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way.
• Luke 3:2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, God’s word came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
• John 1:23He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord — just as Isaiah the prophet said.”
• Isaiah 35:8A road will be there and a way; it will be called the Holy Way. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for the one who walks the path. Fools will not wander on it.
• Isaiah 57:14He said, “Build it up, build it up, prepare the way, remove every obstacle from my people’s way.”
• Isaiah 62:10Go out, go out through the city gates; prepare a way for the people! Build it up, build up the highway; clear away the stones! Raise a banner for the peoples.
• Malachi 3:1“See, I am going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way before me. Then the Lord you seek will suddenly come to his temple, the Messenger of the covenant you delight in — see, he is coming,” says the Lord of Armies.
• Malachi 4:5Look, I am going to send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
• Luke 1:16He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.
• Isaiah 11:15The Lord will divide the Gulf of Suez. He will wave his hand over the Euphrates with his mighty wind and will split it into seven streams, letting people walk through on foot.
• Isaiah 43:19Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.
• Isaiah 49:11I will make all my mountains into a road, and my highways will be raised up.
• Psalms 68:4Sing to God! Sing praises to his name. Exalt him who rides on the clouds — his name is the Lord — and celebrate before him.

Commentaries on Isaiah 40:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3The voice of him that crieth to the wilderness "A voice crieth, In the wilderness" - The idea is taken from the practice of eastern monarchs, who, whenever they entered upon an expedition or took a journey, especially through desert and unpractised countries, sent harbingers before them to prepare all things for their passage, and pioneers to open the passes, to level the ways, and to remove all impediments. The officers appointed to superintend such…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The voice of him that crieth - Lowth and Noyes render this, A voice crieth,‘ and annex the phrase in the wilderness‘ to the latter part of the sentence: A voice crieth, In the wilderness prepare ye the way of Yahweh.‘ The Hebrew (קורא קול qôl qôrē' ) will bear this construction, though the Vulgate and the Septuagint render it as in our common version. The sense is not essentially different, though the parallelism seems to require the translation…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3A voice of one calling: In Malachi 3:1, this person (possibly the Elijah of Malachi 4:5) was God's messenger who prepared the way for God's coming. In the Gospels, people identified this announcer as John the Baptist (Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23). Prepare the way … make a straight highway: The announcer's message would speed up God's coming (see Isaiah 35:8). As God made a way for Israel through the Red Sea (Isaiah 43:16), a way would also…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. crieth in the wilderness--So the Septuagint and Mt 3:3 connect the words. The Hebrew accents, however, connect them thus: "In the wilderness prepare ye," &c., and the parallelism also requires this, "Prepare ye in the wilderness," answering to "make straight in the desert." Matthew was entitled, as under inspiration, to vary the connection, so as to bring out another sense, included in the Holy Spirit's intention; in Mt 3:1, "John the Baptist…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 40:3

• Herald
• Highways
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• John
• Minister, Christian
• Proclamation
• Prophecy
• Quotations and Allusions
• Readings, Select
• Straight

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Bosom
• Carry
• Cry
• Desert
• Feed
• Highway
• John the Baptist
• Renew

Commentaries on Isaiah 40

• 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