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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!

Context of Isaiah 40:3

1Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, 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, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way,
• Luke 3:2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
• John 1:23He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said."
• Isaiah 35:8And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.
• Isaiah 57:14And it shall be said, "Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people's way."
• Isaiah 62:10Go through, go through the gates; prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway; clear it of stones; lift up a signal over the peoples.
• Malachi 3:1"Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
• Malachi 4:5"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
• Luke 1:16And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God,
• Isaiah 11:15And the Lord will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt, and will wave his hand over the River with his scorching breath, and strike it into seven channels, and he will lead people across in sandals.
• Isaiah 43:19Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
• Isaiah 49:11And I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be raised up.
• Psalms 68:4Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the Lord; exult 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