God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 40:11
11Like a shepherd he takes care of his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms. He carries them in his arms. He gently helps the sheep and their lambs.
Isaiah 40:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
- New International Version (NIV)He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
- English Standard Version (ESV)He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
- New King James Version (NKJV)He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.
Context of Isaiah 40:11
9Go up a high mountain, Zion. Tell the good news! Call out with a loud voice, Jerusalem. Tell the good news! Raise your voice without fear. Tell the cities of Judah: “Here is your God!” 10The Almighty Lord is coming with power to rule with authority. His reward is with him, and the people he has won arrive ahead of him. Like a shepherd he takes care of his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms. He carries them in his arms. He gently helps the sheep and their lambs. 12Who has measured the water of the sea with the palm of his hand or measured the sky with the length of his hand? Who has held the dust of the earth in a bushel basket or weighed the mountains on a scale and the hills on a balance? 13Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord or instructed him as his adviser?
Read all of Isaiah 40Isaiah 40:11 word by word
כְּרֹעֶה֙ עֶדְר֣וֹ יִרְעֶ֔ה בִּזְרֹעוֹ֙ יְקַבֵּ֣ץ טְלָאִ֔ים וּבְחֵיק֖וֹ יִשָּׂ֑א עָל֖וֹת יְנַהֵֽל׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- He shall feedרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
- his flockעֵ֫דֶר‛êder · flockH5739
- he shall gatherקָבַץqâbats · to gatherH6908
- the lambsטְלָאţelâ' · lambH2922
- with his armזְרוֹעַzerôa‛ zerôa‛ zerô‛âh zerô‛âh · armH2220
- and carryנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: bearH5375
- in his bosomחֵיקchêyq chêq chôq · bosom: embraceH2436
- shall gently leadנָהַלnâhal · to guideH5095
- those that are with youngעוּל‛ûl · to nurseH5763
Cross-references for Isaiah 40:11
- Isaiah 49:9You will say to the prisoners, “Come out,” and to those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves.” They will graze along every path, and they will find pastures on every bare hill.
- Isaiah 63:11Then his people remembered Moses and the distant past. Where is the one who brought them out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is the one who put his Holy Spirit in them?
- Genesis 49:24But his bow stayed steady, and his arms remained limber because of the help of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
- Psalms 23:1The Lord is my shepherd. I am never in need.
- Psalms 78:71He brought him from tending the ewes that had lambs so that David could be the shepherd of the people of Jacob, of Israel, the people who belonged to the Lord.
- Psalms 80:1Open your ears, O Shepherd of Israel, the one who leads ⌞the descendants of⌟ Joseph like sheep, the one who is enthroned over the angels.
- Ezekiel 34:12As a shepherd looks after his flock when he is with his scattered sheep, so I will look after my sheep. I will rescue them on a cloudy and gloomy day from every place where they have been scattered.
- Ezekiel 34:23Then I will place one shepherd over them, my servant David, and he will take care of them. He will take care of them and be their shepherd.
- Ezekiel 37:24“ ‘My servant David will be their king, and all of them will have one shepherd. They will live by my rules, and they will obey my laws.
- Micah 5:4The child will become the shepherd of his flock. ⌞He will lead them⌟ with the strength of the Lord, with the majestic name of the Lord his God. They will live in safety because his greatness will reach the ends of the earth.
- John 10:11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.
- Hebrews 13:20The God of peace brought the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, back to life through the blood of an eternal promise.
- 1 Peter 2:25You were like lost sheep. Now you have come back to the shepherd and bishop of your lives.
- 1 Peter 5:4Then, when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
- Revelation 7:17The lamb in the center near the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs filled with the water of life, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
- Isaiah 42:3He will not break off a damaged cattail. He will not even put out a smoking wick. He will faithfully bring about justice.
Commentaries on Isaiah 40:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Shall gently lead those that are with young "The nursing ewes shall he gently lead" - A beautiful image, expressing, with the utmost propriety as well as elegance, the tender attention of the shepherd to his flock. That the greatest care in driving the cattle in regard to the dams and their young was necessary, appears clearly from Jacob's apology to his brother Esau, Genesis 33:13; : "The flocks and the herds giving suck to their young are with me; and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11He shall feed his flock - In the previous verse, the fact had been asserted that God would come to subdue his foes, and to reward his people. In this verse, the mild and gentle character of his government over his people is predicted. It would not be that of a conqueror over vanquished subjects; but it would be mild and tender, like that of a shepherd who carries the lambs, which are unable to walk, in his own arms, and gently leads along the feeble and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11Isaiah used the well-known biblical image of a shepherd to describe God's care for his people (see also Isaiah 49:10; Psalm 23:1; Jeremiah 3:15; 23:4; Ezekiel 34:11–17; Matthew 2:6; John 10:1–18).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. feed--including all a shepherd's care--"tend" (Eze 34:23; Psa 23:1; He 13:20; 1Pe 2:25). carry--applicable to Messiah's restoration of Israel, as sheep scattered in all lands, and unable to move of themselves to their own land (Psa 80:1; Jr 23:3). As Israel was "carried from the womb" (that is, in its earliest days) (Is 63:9, 11, 12; Psa 77:20), so it shall be in "old age" (that is, its latter days) (Is 46:3, 4). gently lead--as a thoughtful shepherd…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 40:11
In the dictionaries
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
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