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Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Isaiah 40:4

Every valley shall be exalted. — The figure is drawn from the titanic engineering operations of the kingly road-makers of the East, but the parable is hardly veiled. The meek exalted, the proud brought low, wrong ways set right, rough natures smoothed: that is the true preparation for the coming of the Lord, and therefore the true work of every follower of the Baptist in preparing the way. (Comp. Matthew 3:5; Luke 3:3.)

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See also Isaiah 40:4 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Isaiah 40:4. _CROOKED_] The word עקב _akob_ is very generally rendered _crooked_: but this sense of the word seems not to be supported by any good authority. _Ludolphus_, Comment. ad Hist. AEth...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    EVERY VALLEY SHALL BE EXALTED - That is, every valley, or low piece of ground, shall be filled up so as to make a level highway, as was done in order to facilitate the march of armies. This verse is e...

  • 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

    EVERY VALLEY, &C. These physical marvels are supernatural, and can never be produced by the _spiritual_ and holy living of individua1 Christians....

  • 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 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

    _AND_ _the crooked …_ _PLAIN_] More literally: AND THE UNEVEN SHALL BECOME A PLAIN, AND THE RUGGED PLACES A VALLEY. _rough places_is a word of somewhat uncertain sense, which does not occur elsewhere....

  • 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

    Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: EVERY VALLEY SHALL BE EXALTED ... Eastern monarchs...

  • 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

    This imagery is from the practice of Eastem monarchs, who thus made roads for the passage of their armies....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    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 pro...

  • 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...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    כָּל ־גֶּיא֙ יִנָּשֵׂ֔א וְ כָל ־הַ֥ר וְ

  • 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

    Every valley shall be exalted, and every (g) mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: (g) Whatever may prevent or hinder this deliveran...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Plain. For the captives, or the conversion of the world, Baruch v. 6._...

  • 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

    4._Every valley shall be exalted. _He confirms and asserts the preceding statement; for he shews that no difficulties can prevent the Lord from delivering and restoring his Church whenever he shall th...

  • 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

    EVERY VALLEY SHALL BE EXALTED, AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL SHALL BE MADE LOW,.... Which is not to be understood literally, but, as Kimchi says, parabolically and mystically: the meaning is, that in co...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: Ver. 4. _Every valley shall be exalted._] Terms taken...

  • 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

    Every valley shall be exalted, the hearts that have been humbled by the hammer-blows of the Law being lifted up, AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL SHALL BE MADE LOW, the proud and self-righteous spirits bei...

  • 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...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    STRAIGHT: Or, a straight place PLACES PLAIN: Or, a plain place...

  • 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

    This is only a more particular explication of that which was generally expressed ISAIAH 40:3. The sense is, All obstructions shall be removed, and the way made in all respects convenient and easy for...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Isaiah 40:4 valley H1516 exalted H5375 (H8735) mountain H2022 hill H1389 low H8213 (H8799) crooked H6121 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 40:4 I. Rough places. (1) In general human history. (2) In individual human life. II. Rough places made plain. (1) The supreme power of Jesus Christ. (2) The supreme power of Jesus Christ use...

  • 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

    _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 children's great texts of the Bible by James Hastings

    STRAIGHTENING IT OUT That which is crooked cannot be made straight. Ecclesiastes 1:15. The crooked shall be made straight. Isaiah 40:4. Those two texts look like a contradiction, don't they? The se...

  • 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 40:4 This poetic language reflects the rough terrain as one approaches Jerusalem from the east. It also describes personal repentance and social reformation, remaking the world a...

  • 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

    1 Samuel 2:8; Ezekiel 17:24; Ezekiel 21:26; Isaiah 2:12; Isaiah 42:11

  • 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...

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