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When Critics Ask (1960)

Isaiah 40:5

Will the wicked behold God’s glory?

PROBLEM: Isaiah declares in this passage that “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.” However, earlier Isaiah contended that the wicked “will not behold the majesty of the Lord” (Isaiah 26:10). How can both be true?

SOLUTION: First, the answer lies in the fact that the wicked do not voluntarily recognize God’s glory, as the godly do. Further, the wicked do notpresently recognize God’s majesty, but one day every knee will bow to Him—both the godly and the wicked (Isaiah 45:23; cf. Philippians 2:10). Understood in this way there is no disharmony between the texts.

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See also Isaiah 40:5 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Isaiah 40:5. "The salvation of our God."] These words are added here by the _Septuagint_: το σωτηριον του Θεου, את ישועת אלהינו _eth_ _yesuath Eloheynu_, as it is in the parallel place, Isaiah...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD - The phrase here means evidently the majesty, power, or honor of Yahweh. He would display his power, and show himself to be a covenant-keeping God, by delivering his people...

  • 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

    FLESH. Figure of speech _Synecdoche_ (of Genus), put for all people....

  • 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...

  • 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

    In place of _it together_LXX. has "the salvation of God," borrowing apparently from ch. Isaiah 52:10. See Luke 3:6. _for the mouth … it_ This prophetic formula is nowhere else used by second Isaiah....

  • 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

    And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. ALL FLESH SHALL SEE IT. The Septuagint for "it" have 'the salvation of Go...

  • 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

    SHALL SEE] shall see Jehovah's glorious deeds for His people, and acknowledge Him. 6-8. The message of the second voice. Human things must decay: Israel's oppressors are mortal, but Jehovah's promise...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    The *Lord promises that all nations will see him in his great *glory. This is the subject of Psalms 95:100 in particular. GOD’S WORD LASTS ALWAYS V6 Listen! Someone is shouting, ‘Announce a message...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ISAIAH: GOD CONTROLS THE NATIONS GOD PROMISES COMFORT TO HIS PEOPLE ISAIAH CHAPTER S 40 TO 48 _NORMAN HILLYER_ CHAPTER 40 This chapter begins the second half of the Book of Isaiah. • In CHAPTER...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHALL BE REVEALED. — Did the prophet think of a vision of a glory-cloud, like the Shechinah which he had seen in the Temple? or had he risen to the thought of the glory of charac...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ נִגְלָ֖ה כְּבֹ֣וד יְהוָ֑ה וְ רָא֤וּ כָל

  • 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

    And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all (h) flesh together shall see [it]: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it]. (h) This miracle will be so great, that it will be known through al...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Glory. God will rescue his people. Christ will redeem mankind._...

  • 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

    5._And the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed. _He means that this work of redemption will be splendid, so that the Lord will shew that he is the Author of it, and will illustriously display his majes...

  • 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

    AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHALL BE REVEALED..... Christ himself, who is the brightness of his Father's glory, and his own glory, as the glory of the of the only begotten of the Father; the glorious pe...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see [it] together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it]. Ver. 5. _And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,_] _i.e., _ Jesus...

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

    _And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed_ It was revealed in some sort when God brought his people out of Babylon: for that was a glorious work of God, in which he displayed his power, and love, a...

  • 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

    and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, namely, chiefly in the coming of His only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth, John 1:14, AND ALL FLESH SHALL SEE IT TOGETHER, all men having an opportun...

  • 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 GLORY OF THE LORD SHALL BE REVEALED: so it was in some sort, when God brought them out of Babylon, which was a glorious work of God; but far more properly and eminently when Christ, who was the gl...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Isaiah 40:5 glory H3519 LORD H3068 revealed H1540 (H8738) flesh H1320 see H7200 (H8804) together H3162 mouth...

  • 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 40:5 Has this revelation of God's glory respect only to the past and to the present? Has it nothing to do with the future? We believe that Jesus Christ was that image of God whom prophets had b...

  • 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._ «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...

  • 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. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath recei...

  • 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

    _And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed_ THE REVELATION OF GOD’S GLORY From this animating prophecy we may consider-- I. THE GLORY OF THE LORD. When Isaiah was favoured with the Divine vision t...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low_ CHRISTIANITY AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT IN TRUE CIVILISATION I. THE WORLD IS STILL FULL OF THINGS NEEDING TO BE SET STRAIGHT....

  • 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 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 ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ISAIAH—NOTE ON ISAIAH 40:5 The GLORY is REVEALED (or seen) as God leads his people (see Exodus 16:7). all flesh shall

  • 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

    2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Acts 2:17; Habakkuk 2:14;...

  • 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...

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