English Standard Version
Isaiah 41:18
18I 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)I will open up rivers for them on the high plateaus. I will give them fountains of water in the valleys. I will fill the desert with pools of water. Rivers fed by springs will flow across the parched ground.
Context of Isaiah 41:18
16you shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the Lord; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory. 17When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. 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. 19I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together, 20that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Read all of Isaiah 41Isaiah 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 12:3With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
- Isaiah 30:25And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.
- Isaiah 32:2Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.
- Isaiah 35:6then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;
- 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 44:3For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.
- Isaiah 48:21They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and the water gushed out.
- Isaiah 49:9saying to the prisoners, 'Come out,' to those who are in darkness, 'Appear.' They shall feed along the ways; on all bare heights shall be their pasture;
- Isaiah 58:11And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, 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 habitation of the Most High.
- Psalms 78:15He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.
- Psalms 105:41He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river.
- Psalms 107:35He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water.
- Ezekiel 47:1Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar.
- Joel 3:18"And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the Valley of Shittim.
- Zechariah 14:8On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer 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
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries