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 kindly to Jerusalem, and tell her that her time of warfare is over, that her punishment is completed. For the Lord has made her pay double for all her sins.” A voice cries out, “In the wilderness clear a way for the Lord; construct in the desert a road for our God. 4Every valley must be elevated, and every mountain and hill leveled. The rough terrain will become a level plain, the rugged landscape a wide valley. 5The splendor of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it at the same time. For the Lord has decreed it.”

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 into the wilderness of Judea proclaiming,
• Mark 1:2As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, 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 1:23John said, “I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”
• Isaiah 35:8A thoroughfare will be there – it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it; it is reserved for those authorized to use it – fools will not stray into it.
• Isaiah 57:14He says, “Build it! Build it! Clear a way! Remove all the obstacles out of the way of my people!”
• Isaiah 62:10Come through! Come through the gates! Prepare the way for the people! Build it! Build the roadway! Remove the stones! Lift a signal flag for the nations!
• Malachi 3:1“I am about to send my messenger, who will clear the way before me. Indeed, the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant, whom you long for, is certainly coming,” says the Lord who rules over all.
• Malachi 4:5Look, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord arrives.
• Luke 1:16He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.
• Isaiah 11:15The Lord will divide the gulf of the Egyptian Sea; he will wave his hand over the Euphrates River and send a strong wind, he will turn it into seven dried-up streams, and enable them to walk across in their sandals.
• Isaiah 43:19“Look, I am about to do something new. Now it begins to happen! Do you not recognize it? Yes, I will make a road in the desert and paths in the wilderness.
• Isaiah 49:11I will make all my mountains into a road; I will construct my roadways.”
• Psalms 68:4Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Exalt the one who rides on the clouds! For the Lord is his name! Rejoice 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