Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 40:3-4

The *Lord’s road is to be straight and level. And it is to be free from blocks in the way. When the road is ready, the *Lord will definitely arrive. He will be able to travel without difficulty or problems.

• The arrival of the *Lord to come to his people’s aid (see Judges 5:4-5; Psalms 68:7-8) combines with a word picture. It was an ancient custom to construct special ways for the arrival of an important visitor. Or for the gods (that is, *idols) to use as people carried the gods’ images in a procession.

Continues after advertising

See also Isaiah 40:3-4 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Isaiah 40:3. _THE VOICE OF HIM THAT CRIETH IN THE WILDERNESS_ - "A voice crieth, In the wilderness"] The idea is taken from the practice of eastern monarchs, who, whenever they entered upon an...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THE 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 y...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    II. THE LATER PROPHECIES OF COMFORT AND GLORY (40-66) Like the first part this second part of Isaiah has three sections. The three sections of the first part revealed the judgments to come upon the Je...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    PROLOGUE ANNOUNCING THE END OF THE EXILE. IF. The prophet sees in the triumphs of Cyrus the coming fall of Babylon's empire, and a revolution in the fortunes of the exiles. These are God's voice biddi...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    THE VOICE, &C. Quoted in Matthew 3:3.Mark 1:3.Luke 3:4. Joh 1:23. 1 Peter 1:24. Compare the voice from the temple in...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Isaiah 40:1-11. The Prologue This first proclamation of glad tidings to Zion (see ch. Isaiah 41:27) is a passage of singular beauty, breathing the spirit of new-born hope and enthusiasm with which th...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _The voice of him that crieth_ The word "voice" here and often has the force of an interjection; render accordingly: HARK! ONE CRYING. The voice is not that of God (on account of the following "our Go...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The prophet hears a voice calling on angelic powers to prepare the way of the Lord. It is doubtful whether Duhm is right in regarding this as a case of true prophetic "audition"; it is more naturally...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THE VOICE OF HIM THAT CRIETH— It is manifest to every reader of this passage, that it exhibits to us the voice of a public herald or harbinger, who, at the approach of an illustrious king, commands th...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    VII. SALVATION THROUGH GOD'S SERVANT Chapter S 40-53 A, PURPOSE OF THE LORD'S SERVANT Chapter S 40-43 1. COMFORT, CHAPTER 40 a. PREPARE FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD TEXT: Isaiah 40:1-11 1 Comfort ye,...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    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. THE VOICE OF HIM THAT CRIETH IN THE WILDERNESS. So the Septuagint...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    40:3 ye (d-10) Or 'A voice crying, Prepare ye in the wilderness.' see John 1:23 . desert (e-19) The _ Arabah_ . see Joshua 3:16 ....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    ISRAEL'S RESTORATION FROM EXILE IN BABYLON On the authorship and date of these Chapter s see Intro. According to their subject matter, they fall naturally into three divisions of almost equal length...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    CRIETH, etc.] RV 'crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness.' The passage was understood by the Baptist as prophetic of his own mission (John 1:23), and is so taken by thé Evangelists (Matthew 3:3 and para...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THE VOICE OF HIM THAT CRIETH... — The laws of Hebrew parallelism require a different punctuation: _A voice of one crying, In the wilderness, prepare ye_ ... The passage is memorable as having been del...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    קֹ֣ול קֹורֵ֔א בַּ † מִּדְבָּ֕ר פַּנּ֖וּ דֶּ֣רֶךְ...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER V THE PROLOGUE: THE FOUR HERALD VOICES Isaiah 40:1 IT is only Voices which we hear in this Prologue. No forms can be discerned, whether of men or angels, and it is even difficult to make out...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER I THE DATE OF Isaiah 40:1; Isaiah 41:1; Isaiah 42:1; Isaiah 43:1;...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE CRY OF JEHOVAH'S HERALD Isaiah 40:1-8 Voices are ever speaking to us from the infinite; let us heed them. (1.) _There is the voice of forgiveness_, Isaiah 40:2. Are you truly penitent? Have you...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    We now commence the prophecies of peace, which also fall into three divisions, dealing in turn with the purpose of peace (40-48), the Prince of Peace (49-57), the program of peace (58-66). The fist el...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    The (d) voice of him that crieth in the (e) wilderness, (f) Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (d) That is, of the prophets. (e) That is, in Babylonia...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _God, that he may conduct his people from Babylon. (Sanchez) --- Yet the prophet speaks chiefly of John the Baptist, (Matthew iii. 3.; Calmet) who is evidently foretold. (Worthington)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    All the Prophets, with one voice, proclaimed the coming Saviour; but John the Baptist was eminently pointed out as the immediate herald and harbinger of our Lord; Matthew 3:1; Malachi 3:1. If the pass...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    3._A voice crying in the wilderness. _He follows out the subject which he had begun, and declares more explicitly that he will send to the people, though apparently ruined, ministers of consolation. A...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    The first part of that which might be called the second book of Isaiah extends from chapter 40 to the end of chapter 48. The Messiah is, comparatively speaking, but little introduced here. It is rathe...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THE VOICE OF HIM THAT CRIETH IN THE WILDERNESS,.... Not the voice of the Holy Ghost, as Jarchi; but of John the Baptist, as is attested by all the evangelists, Matthew 3:3 and by John himself, John 1:...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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. Ver. 3. _The voice of him that crieth._] See John 1:25, _See Trapp o...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _The voice of him that crieth_ Or, as the Hebrew may be properly rendered, _A voice crieth;_ an abrupt and imperfect speech, implying, “Methinks I hear a voice;” or, “A voice shall be heard;” _in the...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE WORD OF COMFORT AND THE GOD OF COMFORT. The last part of the book of the prophet Isaiah has fitly been called the Book of Comfort, for in its beautiful language and in its exalted visions the Gosp...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, of the herald of the great King Messiah, PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD, in the very midst of the spiritual wilderness in which men find themselves by n...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-11 All human life is a warfare; the Christian life is the most so; but the struggle will not last always. Troubles are removed in love, when sin is pardoned. In the great atonement of the death of...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THE VOICE; an abrupt and imperfect speech, such as there are many in the Hebrew language. Methinks I hear a voice; or, a voice shall be heard. OF HIM THAT CRIETH IN THE WILDERNESS; which words declare...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Isaiah 40:3 voice H6963 crying H7121 (H8802) wilderness H4057 Prepare H6437 (H8761) way H1870 LORD H3068 straight...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE PREPARING OF THE WAY (ISAIAH 40:1). The humiliation of Assyria has, in Isaiah's eyes, opened up a new opportunity for the future for Judah/Israel. Yahweh has delivered His people, and awaits thei...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Isaiah 40:3 I. The text teaches us that there are certain things which hinder the spread of the Redeemer's kingdom, spoken of here as valleys, hills, mountains, rough places, and crooked ways. The obs...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Isaiah 40:1. _Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath recei...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Isaiah 40:1. _Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem._ The loss of comfort is no small loss. God would have his people happy. They are in the best conditi...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Isaiah 40:1. _Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God._ «They need it, and they shall have it. Mind, O my servants, that you give it to them: Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Joyful prospect given to the people of God of the happiness of coming redemption. Reproof for their despondencies. CHARACTERS: God, Holy Spirit, Isaiah. CONCLUSION: Nothing can be spoken mo...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Isaiah 40:1. _Comfort ye, comfort ye my people._ What a sweet voice is this to the church, after all her long afflictions. The words are doubled, to designate the fulness of comfort in the pardon of s...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Prepare ye the way of the Lord_ THE WAY OF THE LORD PREPARED I. THE JEWISH THEOCRACY. It is a favourite statement with those who seek to account for Christianity on entirely mundane principles, that...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness_ THE BAPTIST A PATTERN PREACHER I. DEPRECIATION OF SELF. Isaiah had predicted simply a “voice”; and John Baptist, accordingly, with a humility which mi...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ISAIAH—NOTE ON ISAIAH 40:1 Encouragement for God’s Exiles: “The Glory of the Lord Shall Be Revealed.” These visionary chapters are addressed to the exiles in Babylon after the fall of Jerusalem in 586...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    COMFORT FOR THE SUFFERING Isaiah 40:1. _Comfort ye, &c._ IT is generally agreed that these last twenty-six Chapter s relate to the restoration of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon. They are t...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    PART III. ISAIAH'S LATER PROPHECIES (CH. 40-66.). SECTION I. THE PEOPLE OF GOD COMFORTED IN TRIBULATION (Isaiah 40:1.). EXPOSITION...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    But he's talking about a whole new message of God for the people as we get into the new covenant of God. And so it is appropriate that this new section of Isaiah begins with the word of the Lord decla...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Isaiah 11:15; Isaiah 11:16; Isaiah 35:8; Isaiah 43:19; Isaiah 49:11;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    THE DEITY OF CHRIST IN ISAIAH Isaiah 40:1, _Isaiah 40:25_ INTRODUCTORY WORDS We suggest a threefold vision of the Deity of Christ as an introduction to the sermon proper. 1. THE DEITY OF CHRIST AS...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    The voice — An abrupt speech. Methinks I hear a voice. Wilderness — This immediately relates to the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon, and smoothing their passage from thence to Judea, which lay...

Continues after advertising