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Geneva Study Bible Commentary

Isaiah 41:18

I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry (p) land springs of water.

(p) God would rather change the order of nature than that they should want anything, who cry to him by true faith in their miseries: declaring to them by this that they will lack nothing by the way, when they return from Babylon.

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See also Isaiah 41:18 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    I WILL OPEN RIVERS - That is, I will cause rivers to flow (see the note at Isaiah 35:7). The allusion here is doubtless to the miraculous supply of water in the desert when the Israelites had come out...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 41 Jehovah's Challenge 1. _The address to the islands and the peoples (Isaiah 41:1)_ 2. _Jehovah's question, Cyrus and his ways predicted (Isaiah 41:2)_ 3. Nations troubled on account of Cyru...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    YAHWEH WILL PROVIDE MIRACULOUS WATER AND SHADE IN THE DESERT FOR THE RETURNING EXILES. This continues Isaiah 41:10. It perhaps combines metaphor with a more literal meaning, and it must be confessed t...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    OPEN RIVERS, &C. Note that all these physical marvels must be accomplished by the miraculous power of God, not by the spirituality of His People. See note on Isaiah 35:1....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    With great pathos the prophet recalls to mind the miserable condition of Israel in the present, and adapts his glorious promise to their sense of need. He is thus led to a glowing description of the m...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Cf. ch. Isaiah 30:25. _in high places_ R.V. ON THE BARE HEIGHTS. The word occurs only in ch. Isaiah 49:9 and in Jeremiah (Isaiah 3:2 &c.). In Numbers 23

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 927 CONSOLATION FOR THE DESPONDING Isaiah 41:17. _When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    WHEN THE POOR AND NEEDY SEEK WATER— Here, according to my hypothesis, says Vitringa, is described the state of the afflicted Christian church, after its happy beginning; particularly under Nero, who w...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    c. GLORY TO GOD TEXT: Isaiah 41:14-20 14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith Jehovah, and thy Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. 15 Behold, I have made thee...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I WILL OPEN RIVERS ... I WILL MAKE THE...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    41:18 bare (g-7) See ch. 49.9....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    CYRUS GOD'S AGENT 1-7. Jehovah and the gods of the heathen compared as in a court of judgment. Jehovah has raised up Cyrus and given him victory, in order to carry out His good purposes, while the he...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    HIGH PLACES] RV 'bare heights.'...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    The *Lord turns desert into garden (Psalms 84:5-7). In Isaiah 42:15, the *Lord turns garden into desert. • The *Lord will cause extraordinary changes in the world. Only the *Lord, Israel’s God, can d...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ISAIAH: GOD CONTROLS THE NATIONS GOD PROMISES COMFORT TO HIS PEOPLE ISAIAH CHAPTER S 40 TO 48 _NORMAN HILLYER_ CHAPTER 41 KNOW WHO REALLY CONTROLS EVENTS V1 God speaks: ‘You people in distant...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    I WILL OPEN RIVERS. — The words have all the emphasis of varied iteration. Every shape of the physical contour of the country, bare hills, arid steppes, and the like, is to be transformed into a new b...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    אֶפְתַּ֤ח עַל ־שְׁפָיִים֙ נְהָרֹ֔ות וּ בְ תֹ֥

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

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

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    BOOK 3 THE SERVANT OF THE LORD HAVING completed our survey of the fundamental truths of our prophecy, and studied the subject which forms its immediate and most urgent interest, the deliverance of Is...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    WHAT THE LORD'S HAND DOES FOR THE NEEDY Isaiah 41:17-29 Life is not easy for any of us, if we regard external conditions only; but directly we learn the divine secret, rivers flow from bare heights,...

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

    Having thus announced the majesty of Jehovah, the prophet proceeds to utter his general manifesto. This occupies Chapter s forty-one and forty-two. In chapter forty-one Jehovah challenges the island a...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Waters. The captives shall be refreshed in the deserts, chap. xxxv. 6., and xliii. 20. (Calmet)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Now, Reader, having given to our glorious Head the honour due unto his holy name, in having beheld him as the individual Person spoken to, in the promises before; we shall now be the better prepared,...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    18.and 19._I will open rivers. _He illustrates the former doctrine in a different manner, namely, that God has no need of outward and natural means for aiding his Church, but has at his command secret...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 41, 42, AND 43. Chapter 41 begins the historical details which prove this. Who raised up Cyrus to overthrow idolatry? But in the midst of the havoc he made of...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    I WILL OPEN RIVERS IN HIGH PLACES,.... Which is not usual; but God will change the course of nature, and work miracles, rather than his people shall want what is necessary for them; thus he opens to t...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. Ver. 18. _I will open rivers in high place...

  • Jonathan Edwards' Notes On The Scriptures

    Isa. 41:18-20. "I will make the wilderness pools of water - I will plant in the wilderness the cedar - That ye may see, and know, and consider, and understand together that the hand of the Lord hath d...

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

    _When the poor and needy seek water_, &c. When my poor people are come to the greatest extremity of danger and misery, then will I appear for their relief. _I will open rivers in high places_ Upon the...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    I will open rivers in high places, in dry rocks, as He did in the wilderness, AND FOUNTAINS IN THE MIDST OF THE VALLEYS, so that the headsprings will yield abundantly. I WILL MAKE THE WILDERNESS A POO...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The Lord's Promise of a Future Victory...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    10-20 God speaks with tenderness; Fear thou not, for I am with thee: not only within call, but present with thee. Art thou weak? I will strengthen thee. Art thou in want of friends? I will help thee...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    IN HIGH PLACES; upon the mountains, where by the course of nature there are no rivers. IN THE MIDST OF THE VALLEYS; or, _in the valleys_, to wit, in such of them as are not well watered. _I will make...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Isaiah 41:18 open H6605 (H8799) rivers H5104 heights H8205 fountains H4599 midst H8432 valleys H1237 make H7760 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    GOD'S FUTURE PROVISION FOR HIS PEOPLE IN THE LAND (ISAIAH 41:17). Isaiah 41:17 ‘The poor and needy seek water, and there is none, And their tongue fails for thirst. I, Yahweh, will answer them, I...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Isaiah 41:8. _But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom l have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend._ Let us, for the time being, forget the people to whom this message was addressed, and see whe...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Isaiah 41:1. _Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment._ God invites people to argue...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    God enters into a controversy with those who had fallen into the worship of idols. Isaiah 41:1. _Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then l...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Greatness of God and weakness of man. Admonition to shun idols and encouragement to trust in God. CHARACTERS: God, Christ, Jacob. CONCLUSION: Jehovah is infinite, eternal and unchangeable....

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Isaiah 41:1. _Keep silence before me, oh islands._ Commentators here refer us to the time of our Saviour's birth, for the isles of Chittim designate the Roman power. In the Augustan age, the temple of...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _I will open rivers in high places_ GOD’S “I WILLS” In this verso the Lord twice says, “I will”; and in that respect this verse is in harmony with the rest of the chapter. When we come to the “I wil...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _When the poor and needy seek water_ AN IMAGE OF GOD’S CARE The thought of the caravans returning homewards through the thirsty desert suggests to the prophet an effective image symbolising the Divi...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ISAIAH—NOTE ON ISAIAH 41:1 God alone guides history, for his glory and for the benefit of his people. ⇐ ⇔

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CONSOLATION FOR THE DESPONDING Isaiah 41:17. _When the poor and needy seek water, &c._ I. IN WHAT EXTREMITIES GOD HERE PROMISES TO HELP HIS PEOPLE. 1. _In case of outward want_. This is a trying exe...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    SECTION II.—RECOVERY OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD FROM THEIR SIN, AND FROM THEIR BONDAGE IN BABYLON (CH. 41-48.). EXPOSITION...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    In the forty-first chapter of Isaiah in the first part of the chapter, God begins His predictions concerning Cyrus who was not yet born. A man who was not to be born for a hundred and fifty years. But...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Ezekiel 47:1; Isaiah 12:3; Isaiah 30:25; Isaiah 32:2; Isaiah 35:6;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    In high places — Upon the mountains where by the course of nature there are no rivers. The dry land — Their people who are like a dry and barren wilderness. I will abundantly water with my blessings....

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