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. 2Speak kindly to the heart of Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed. For she has received from Adonai’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of Adonai, Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4Every valley will be lifted up, every mountain and hill made low, the rough ground will be a plain and the rugged terrain smooth. 5The glory of Adonai will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together.” For the mouth of Adonai 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 Immerser came proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea,
• Mark 1:2As Isaiah the prophet has written, “Behold, I send My messenger before You, who will prepare Your way.
• Luke 3:2During the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came upon John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.
• John 1:23He said, “I am ‘the voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of Adonai,”’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
• Isaiah 35:8A highway will be there—a roadway. It will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it. It is for the one who walks the way. Fools will not go astray.
• Isaiah 57:14Then it will be said: “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every stumbling block out of the way of My people.”
• Isaiah 62:10Go through, go through the gates. Clear the way for the people! Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Lift up a banner over the peoples.
• Malachi 3:1“Behold, I am sending My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. Suddenly He will come to His Temple —the Lord whom you seek— and the Messenger of the covenant —the One whom you desire— behold, He is coming,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot.
• Luke 1:16Many of Bnei-Yisrael will turn to Adonai their God.
• Isaiah 11:15Then Adonai will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea. He will wave His hand over the River with His scorching wind, and will strike it into seven streams, and let men walk over in sandals.
• Isaiah 43:19Here I am, doing a new thing; Now it is springing up— do you not know about it? I will surely make a way in the desert, rivers in the wasteland.
• Isaiah 49:11I will make all My mountains a road, and My highways will be raised up.
• Psalms 68:4But let the righteous be glad. Let them exult before God. Let them rejoice with gladness.

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