King James Version
Isaiah 40
31 verses with commentary
Comfort for God's People
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse inaugurates the Book of Comfort (chapters 40-66), marking a dramatic shift from judgment to consolation. The Hebrew 'nachamu' (comfort) is repeated for emphasis, signaling God's tender compassion for His exiled people. The plural imperative addresses the prophets who will proclaim restoration, foreshadowing the ultimate comfort found in Messiah who brings peace with God.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
XL.
(1) **Comfort ye . . .**—I start with the assumption that the great prophetic poem that follows is the work of Isaiah himself, referring to the *Introduction *for the discussion of all questions connected with its authorship and arrangement. It has a link, as has been noticed, with the earlier collection of his writings in Isaiah 35:9-10. The prophet’s mind is obviously projected at the outset...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7. swear--**literally, "lift up," namely, his hand; the gesture used in solemn attestation. Or, his voice, that is, answer; so Vulgate.
**healer--**of the body politic, incurably diseased (Is 1:6).
**neither ... clothing--**so as to relieve the people and maintain a ruler's dignity. A nation's state must be bad indeed, when none among men, naturally ambitious, is willing to accept office.
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. comfortably: Heb. to the heart warfare: or, appointed time
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KJV Study Commentary
The Hebrew 'malah' (fulfilled/completed) indicates that Jerusalem's punishment has fully satisfied divine justice. The doubling of sins receiving double punishment demonstrates the completeness of judgment, not excess—God's justice is perfect. This verse prophetically points to Christ bearing double our penalty: our sin's guilt and its punishment.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **Speak ye comfortably . . .**—Literally, *Speak ye to the heart. *The command is addressed to the prophets whom Isaiah contemplates as working towards the close of the exile, and carrying on his work. In Haggai 1:13, Haggai 2:9, and Zechariah 1:13; Zechariah 2:5-10; Zechariah 9:9-12, we may rightly trace the influence of the words as working out their own fulfilment.
**That her warfare is acc...
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8. Reason given by the prophet, why all shrink from the government.
**eyes of his glory--**to provoke His "glorious" Majesty before His "eyes" (compare Is 49:5; Ha 1:13). The Syriac and Lowth, by a slight change of the Hebrew, translate, "the cloud of His glory," the Shekinah.
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.
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KJV Study Commentary
This prophecy foretells the ministry of John the Baptist, who would prepare the way for the Messiah. The imagery of preparing a highway in the desert for a coming king draws from ancient Near Eastern practice where roads were prepared for royal visits. Spiritually, this speaks to the need for repentance and spiritual preparation before encountering the Holy One. All four Gospels cite this verse in...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **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 deliberately taken by the Baptist as defining his own mission (John 1:23). As here the herald is not named, so he was content to efface himself—to be a *voice *or nothing. The image is dra...
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**9. show--**The Hebrew means, "that which may be known by their countenances" [Gesenius and Weiss]. But Maurer translates, "Their respect for person"; so Syriac and Chaldee. But the parallel word "declare" favors the other view. Kimchi, from the Arabic, translates "their hardness" (Job 19:3, Margin), or impudence of countenance (Jr 3:3). They have lost not only the substance of virtue, but its co...
Read full 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: straight: or, a straight place plain: or, a plain place
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse employs dramatic topographical language to depict the removal of obstacles to God's coming. The leveling of mountains and valleys symbolizes the removal of all impediments—human pride (mountains) and despair (valleys)—that prevent encounter with God. John the Baptist applied this verse to his ministry of spiritual preparation for Messiah's coming (Luke 3:4-5).
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(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. (...
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10. The faithlessness of many is no proof that all are faithless. Though nothing but croaking of frogs is heard on the surface of the pool, we are not to infer there are no fish beneath [Bengel]. (See Is 1:19, 20).
**fruit of doings--**(Pr 1:31) in a good sense (Ga 6:8; Re 22:14). Not salvation by works, but by fruit-bearing faith (Is 45:24; Jr 23:6). Gesenius and Weiss translate, Declare as to ...
Read full 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The revelation of God's glory ('kavod' in Hebrew, denoting weighty significance and splendor) is central to redemptive history. The universal scope—'all flesh shall see it together'—points beyond Israel's restoration to the gospel's worldwide proclamation. God's spoken word guarantees this certainty, for His promises cannot fail.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **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 character and will, of holiness and love? (John 1:14.)
**All flesh.**—The revelation is not for Israel only, but for mankind. So in Luke 3:6, the words are quoted from the LXX., “all flesh shall see t...
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**11. ill--**antithesis to "well" (Is 3:10); emphatic ellipsis of the words italicized. "Ill!"
**hands--**his conduct; "hands" being the instrument of acts (Ec 8:12, 13).
The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse contrasts human frailty ('basar,' flesh) with divine eternity. The Hebrew 'chesed' (translated as 'goodliness') refers to covenant loyalty and beauty, yet even humanity's finest qualities wither like grass. This sobering truth humbles human pride and drives us to seek lasting value in God alone.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **The voice said, Cry.**—Literally, A voice saith, *Cry. *The questioner (“and *one *said”) is probably the prophet himself, asking what he is to proclaim. The truth which he is to enforce thus solemnly is the ever-recurring contrast between the transitoriness of man and the eternity of God and of His word, taking that term in its highest and widest sense. Two points of interest may be noted: ...
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12. (See Is 3:4).
**oppressors--**literally, "exactors," that is, exacting princes (Is 60:17). They who ought to be protectors are exactors; as unqualified for rule as "children," as effeminate as "women." Perhaps it is also implied that they were under the influence of their harem, the women of their court.
**lead--**Hebrew, "call thee blessed"; namely, the false prophets, who flatter the peo...
Read full commentary →The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
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KJV Study Commentary
The withering grass metaphor is intensified by identifying the cause: 'the spirit (breath) of the LORD blows upon it.' This echoes Genesis 2:7 where God's breath gave life, now showing He can also remove it. Human existence is entirely contingent on God's sovereign will—a theme reinforcing the futility of trusting in human power or wisdom.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **The spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it.**—Better, *the breath, *or *the wind *of Jehovah, as we are still in the region of the parable, and the agency is destructive, and not quickening. A “wind of Jehovah” would be a mighty storm-blast, tearing up the grass and hurling it to destruction. The image of the fading flower reminds us of the well-known Homeric simile, “As are the generations of l...
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**13. standeth up--**no longer sitting in silence.
**plead--**indignant against a wicked people (Is 66:16; Eze 20:35).
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
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KJV Study Commentary
In contrast to grass that withers and flowers that fade, God's word stands forever, unchanging and reliable. The Hebrew word 'dabar' encompasses both God's spoken word and His promises—everything He has declared remains eternally true and effective. Peter quotes this verse (1 Peter 1:23-25) to emphasize the eternal nature of the gospel message by which believers are born again. In a world of const...
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**14. ancients--**Hence they are spoken of as "taken away" (Is 3:1, 2).
**vineyard--**the Jewish theocracy (Is 5:1-7; Psa 80:9-13).
**eaten up--**"burnt"; namely, by "oppressive exactions" (Is 3:12). Type of the crowning guilt of the husbandmen in the days of Jesus Christ (Mt 21:34-41).
**spoil ... houses--**(Mt 23:14).
O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! O Zion: or, O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion O Jerusalem: or, O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem
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KJV Study Commentary
Zion and Jerusalem, personified as messengers ('mevaser' - herald of good news), are called to proclaim God's coming with boldness ('lift up your voice with strength'). The message—'Behold your God!'—is the essence of the gospel: God Himself comes to save. This anticipates both the return from exile and Christ's advent.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **O Zion, that bringest good tidings.**—A new section begins. In some versions (LXX. and Targum) and by some interpreters “Zion*” *is taken as in the objective case, *O thou that bringest glad tidings to Zion; *but as the participle, “thou that bringest,” is in the feminine, and a female evangeliser other than Jerusalem has not appeared on the scene, the Authorised Version is preferable. In th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
15. What right have ye to beat, &c. (Psa 94:5; Mi 3:2, 3).
**grind--**by exactions, so as to leave them nothing.
**faces--**persons; with the additional idea of it being openly and palpably done. "Presence," equivalent to "face" (Hebrew).
Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. with strong: or, against the strong his work: or, recompence for his work
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse presents the paradox of God's coming: He comes with strong authority ('his arm shall rule') yet with tender care (verse 11). The Hebrew 'chazaq' (strong) emphasizes His invincible power to accomplish redemption. His reward and work accompany Him—He brings both justice and blessing, having earned the right through His mighty acts.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **The Lord God.**—*Adonai Jehovah; *each word commonly translated Lord. The combination is characteristic both of 1 and 2 Isaiah (Isaiah 3:15; Isaiah 28:16; Isaiah 30:15).
**With strong hand.**—Literally, *with, *or *in strength of hand, *as the essence of His being. The “arm” of the Lord is a favourite phrase of Isaiah (Isaiah 51:5; Isaiah 51:9; Isaiah 52:10) for His power.
**His reward is w...
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**16. Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, &c.--**Luxury had become great in Uzziah's prosperous reign (2Ch 26:5).
**stretched forth--**proudly elevated (Psa 75:5).
**wanton--**rather, "making the eyes to glance about," namely, wantonly (Pr 6:13) [Maurer]. But Lowth, "falsely setting off the eyes with paint." Women's eyelids in the East are often colored with stibium, or powder of le...
Read full commentary →He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. that: or, that give suck
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KJV Study Commentary
This beautiful pastoral image presents God as the Good Shepherd ('ra'ah'), a title later claimed by Christ (John 10:11). The Hebrew 'tsabaq' (gather to the bosom) conveys intimate, protective love. God's care is both universal (feeding the flock) and particular (carrying lambs, gently leading nursing ewes)—He tends to individual needs with personal attention.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **He shall feed his flock . . .**—Psalms 23 is the great embodiment of the thought in the Old Testament, as John 10 is in the New, but the thought itself is everywhere (Psalm 77:20; Psalm 80:1; Jeremiah 13:17; Jeremiah 31:10; Jeremiah 1:19; Ezekiel 34:11-16; Matthew 9:36; Matthew 18:12; Luke 15:4, &c). The tender care of the shepherd for the ewes and lambs finds a parallel in Jacob’s pleas (G...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**17. smite with a scab--**literally, "make bald," namely, by disease.
**discover--**cause them to suffer the greatest indignity that can befall female captives, namely to be stripped naked, and have their persons exposed (Is 47:3; compare with Is 20:4).
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? a measure: Heb. a tierce
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KJV Study Commentary
This series of rhetorical questions establishes God's incomprehensibility and absolute sovereignty over creation. The specific measurements—waters in His hand, heavens by span, dust in a measure—demonstrate that all creation is finite to God, manageable by His infinite power. The Hebrew 'takan' (measured) implies precise ordering, not arbitrary action.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **Who hath measured . . .**?—Another section opens, expanding the thought of the eternal majesty of Jehovah, as contrasted with the vanity of the idols, or “no-gods,” of the heathen. The whole passage in form and thought supplies once more a parallelism with Job 38:4; Job 38:25; Job 38:37. The whole image is divinely anthropomorphic. The Creator is the great Work-master (Wisdom Of Solomon 13:...
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**18. bravery--**the finery.
**tinkling--**(See Is 3:16).
**cauls--**network for the head. Or else, from an Arabic root, "little suns," answering to the "tires" or neck-ornaments, "like the moon" (Jud 8:21). The chumarah or crescent is also worn in front of the headdress in West Asia.
Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? his: Heb. man of his counsel
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KJV Study Commentary
Paul quotes this verse in Romans 11:34 and 1 Corinthians 2:16 to emphasize God's incomprehensible wisdom. The Hebrew 'ruach' (Spirit) is parallel to God's mind/counsel, showing the Spirit's deity and role in divine knowledge. No one instructs God—He is the source of all wisdom, making human counsel or wisdom irrelevant to His plans.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord?**—The term, which had been used in a lower sense in Isaiah 40:7, is here clothed as with a Divine personality, answering, as it were, to the wisdom of Proverbs 8:22-30, with which the whole passage has a striking resemblance. Eastern cosmogonies might represent Bel or Ormuzd, as calling inferior deities into counsel (Cheyne). The prophet finds no ot...
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**19. chains--**rather, pendants, hanging about the neck, and dropping on the breast.
**mufflers--**veils covering the face, with apertures for the eyes, close above and loosely flowing below. The word radically means "tremulous," referring to the changing effect of the spangles on the veil.
With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? instructed: Heb. made him understand understanding: Heb. understandings?
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KJV Study Commentary
These rhetorical questions continue emphasizing God's self-sufficiency and aseity (existence in Himself). The Hebrew 'bin' (understanding) and 'da'at' (knowledge) distinguish between intuitive wisdom and learned knowledge—God needs neither. He is the source of all truth, making human philosophy and learning derivative and dependent.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **Counsel . . . judgment.**—The cluster of words belonging to the sapiential vocabulary of the Book of Proverbs is to be noted as parallel with Proverbs 11:23, Isaiah 33:15.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**20. bonnets--**turbans.
**ornaments of the legs--**the short stepping-chains from one foot to another, to give a measured gait; attached to the "tinkling ornaments" (Is 3:16).
**headbands--**literally, "girdles."
**tablets--**rather, "houses of the breath," that is, smelling boxes [Vulgate].
**earrings--**rather, amulets suspended from the neck or ears, with magic formulæ inscribed; the ...
Read full commentary →Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
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KJV Study Commentary
The proportional imagery is staggering: all nations are like a drop from a bucket ('mar' - a single drop) and dust on scales (imperceptible weight) to God. This radically relativizes human power and politics—even mighty empires are infinitesimal before God's greatness. The Hebrew 'mishqal' (weight) suggests nations don't even register on God's scales of significance.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **The nations are as a drop . . .**—“Nations” and “isles” bring us into the region of human history, as distinct from that of the material world. “Isles” as elsewhere, stands vaguely for *far-off lands, *or *sea-coasts. *The word is that of one who looks on the Mediterranean, and thinks of the unexplored regions that lie in it and around. It is one of Isaiah’s favourite words in this aspect o...
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**21. nose jewels--**The cartilage between the nostrils was bored to receive them; they usually hung from the left nostril.
And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
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KJV Study Commentary
Even Lebanon's famous forests (cedars) and abundant wildlife would be insufficient for a worthy sacrifice to God. This hyperbolic statement emphasizes God's transcendent greatness—no earthly offering can adequately honor Him. This anticipates the New Testament truth that only Christ's perfect sacrifice suffices.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **Lebanon is not sufficient.**—The thought is the same as that of Psalm 50:10-12. Lebanon is chosen as the type of the forests that supply the wood for burnt-offerings, in which Judah was comparatively poor. In Nehemiah’s organisation of the Temple ritual the task of supplying wood for this purpose was assigned by lot to priests or Levites (Nehemiah 10:34).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
22. Here begin entire articles of apparel. Those before were single ornaments.
**changeable--**from a root, "to put off"; not worn commonly; put on and off on special occasions. So, dress-clothes (Zec 3:4).
**mantles--**fuller tunics with sleeves, worn over the common one, reaching down to the feet.
**wimples--**that is, mufflers, or hoods. In Ru 3:15, "veils"; perhaps here, a broad cloak, o...
Read full commentary →All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
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KJV Study Commentary
The Hebrew 'ayin' (nothing) and 'tohu' (formless void, same word as Genesis 1:2) describe how nations appear from God's perspective. They are 'ephes' (less than nothing)—a striking phrase indicating negative value. This doesn't demean humanity but shows that apart from God, all human achievement is meaningless.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **Less than nothing.**—Literally, *as things of nought.*
**Vanity.**—Once more the *tohu, *or chaos, of Genesis 1:2—one of Isaiah’s favourite phrases (Isaiah 24:10, Isa_29:21, Isa_34:11).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**23. glasses--**mirrors of polished metal (Ex 38:8). But the Septuagint, a transparent, gauze-like, garment.
**hoods--**miters, or diadems (Is 62:3; Zec 3:5).
**veils--**large enough to cover the head and person. Distinct from the smaller veils ("mufflers") above (Ge 24:65). Token of woman's subjection (1Co 11:10).
To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
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KJV Study Commentary
This rhetorical question introduces a polemic against idolatry (verses 19-20). The Hebrew 'damah' (liken/compare) challenges any attempt to reduce God to creaturely categories. God's incomparability ('ein kamohu'—none like Him) is foundational to biblical monotheism and worship. Any image inherently diminishes and falsifies God's nature.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **To whom then will ye liken God . . .**—The thought of the infinity of God leads, as in St. Paul’s reasoning (Acts 17:24-29), to the great primary argument against the folly of idolatry. It is characteristic, partly of the two men individually, partly of the systems under which they lived, that while the tone of Isaiah is sarcastic and declamatory, that of St Paul is pitying, and as with ind...
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**24. stink--**arising from ulcers (Zec 14:12).
**girdle--**to gird up the loose Eastern garments, when the person walked.
**rent--**the Septuagint, better, a "rope," an emblem of poverty; the poor have nothing else to gird up their clothes with.
**well-set hair--**(1Pe 3:3, 4).
**baldness--**(Is 3:17).
**stomacher--**a broad plaited girdle.
**sackcloth--**(2Sa 3:31).
**burning--**a ...
Read full commentary →The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse satirizes idol manufacture with biting irony: a craftsman creates what people then worship. The Hebrew 'nasak' (cast/pour) describes metal-working, while overlaying with gold and silver makes an impressive but impotent object. The absurdity is intentional—worshiping what human hands made inverts the Creator-creature relationship.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **The workman melteth . . .**—The reign of Ahaz, not to speak of that of Manasseh, must have supplied the prophet with his picture of the idol factory not less fully than if he had lived in Babylon or Nineveh.
**Spreadeth it over with gold.**—The image of lead was covered over, as in the well-known story of Phidias’s “Zeus,” with plates of gold. The “silver chains” fastened it to the wall.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**25. Thy men--**of Jerusalem.
He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved. is so: Heb. is poor of oblation
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KJV Study Commentary
Even the poor who cannot afford precious metals still seek a wooden idol from rot-resistant wood ('lo yirkav'—will not decay). The irony deepens: they want an eternal image from temporary materials. The cunning workman prepares something that 'shall not be moved'—yet needs securing because it's lifeless. This contrasts God who upholds all things.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **He that is so impoverished . . .**—The transition is abrupt, but the intention apparently is to represent idolatry at its opposite extremes of the elaborate art in which kings and princes delighted, and the rude rough image, hardly more than a *fetiche, *the *inutile lignum *of Horace, “which cannot be moved,” standing on its own wide base, so as not to fall.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**26. gates--**The place of concourse personified is represented mourning for the loss of those multitudes which once frequented it.
**desolate ... sit upon ... ground--**the very figure under which Judea was represented on medals after the destruction by Titus: a female sitting under a palm tree in a posture of grief; the motto, Judæa capta (Job 2:13; La 2:10, where, as here primarily, the dest...
Read full commentary →Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse shifts from idolatry's folly to God's self-evident existence and power. Four rhetorical questions pile up, each pressing the point: you should know these truths! The Hebrew 'shama' (heard) and 'bin' (understood) emphasize that God's revelation through creation and history is clear and undeniable.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **Have ye not known? . . .**—Strictly speaking, the first two verbs are potential futures: *Can ye not know ***. . .** We note that the prophet appeals to the primary intuitions of mankind, or, at least, to a primitive revelation, rather than to the commandments of the Decalogue. (Comp. Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:4.)
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: It is: or, Him that
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KJV Study Commentary
God's transcendent perspective is vividly portrayed: He sits above the earth's circle ('chug'), viewing inhabitants as grasshoppers. The heavens are stretched like a curtain ('doq'—thin fabric) or tent ('ohel'), emphasizing creation's ease for God. This cosmic imagery establishes God's absolute sovereignty and humans' relative insignificance.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **The circle of the earth**—i.e., the vault of heaven over-arching the earth (Job 22:14; Proverbs 8:27).
**As grasshoppers.**—The word indicates some insect of the locust tribe. The comparison may have been suggested by Numbers 13:33.
**That stretcheth out the heavens.**—A favourite phrase of 2 Isaiah (Isaiah 42:5, Isaiah 44:24, *et al.*)*, *taken probably from Psalm 104:2.
**As a curtain . ....
Read full commentary →That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
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KJV Study Commentary
God's sovereignty extends to political realms—He reduces princes to nothing ('ayin') and makes judges of the earth as vanity ('tohu'). The Hebrew 'shophet' (judge/ruler) emphasizes those who wield power, yet God nullifies them at will. This demonstrates that earthly authority derives from and is accountable to divine authority.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **That bringeth the princes to nothing.**—The words imply, like those of Isaiah 14:9, the prophetic strain of experience. The past is full of the records of kingdoms that are no more; so also shall the future be; *mortalia facta peribunt. *In “vanity” we have the familiar t*ohu *once more.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 4
Is 4:1-6.
**that day--**the calamitous period described in previous chapter.
**seven--**indefinite number among the Jews. So many men would be slain, that there would be very many more women than men; for example, seven women, contrary to their natural bashfulness, would sue to (equivalent to "take hold of," Is 3:6) one man to marry them.
**eat ... own bread--**foregoing the priv...
Read full commentary →Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.
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KJV Study Commentary
The agricultural metaphors (planting, sowing, taking root) describe the apparent establishment of powerful rulers, only to be suddenly destroyed by God's breath ('ruach'). The whirlwind ('suphah') imagery suggests sudden, complete removal. This illustrates the transience of all earthly power before divine sovereignty.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **They shall not be planted . . .**—Better, *Hardly are they planted, hardly are they sown. *Such are empires before the eternity of Jehovah: so soon withered that we cannot say that they were ever really planted (Psalm 129:6).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. left in Zion--**equivalent to the "escaped of Israel" (Is 4:2).
**shall be called--**shall be (Is 9:6).
**holy--**(Is 52:1; 60:21; Re 21:27).
**written--**in the book of life, antitypically (Php 4:3; Re 3:5; 17:8). Primarily, in the register kept of Israel's families and tribes.
**living--**not "blotted out" from the registry, as dead; but written there as among the "escaped of Israel...
Read full commentary →To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
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KJV Study Commentary
God Himself poses the question of His incomparability, using His holy name ('Qadosh'—the Holy One). The Hebrew 'damah' (equal/compare) repeats verse 18's challenge. God's holiness—His transcendent otherness and moral perfection—makes comparison impossible and irreverent. Only the Holy One can ask this question without arrogance.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. When--**that is, After.
**washed--**(Zec 13:1).
**filth--**moral (Is 1:21-25).
**daughters of Zion--**same as in Is 3:16.
**purged--**purified by judgments; destroying the ungodly, correcting and refining the godly.
**blood--**(Is 1:15).
**spirit--**Whatever God does in the universe, He does by His Spirit, "without the hand" of man (Job 34:20; Psa 104:30). Here He is represented u...
Read full commentary →Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
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KJV Study Commentary
The invitation to observe the stars demonstrates God's creative power and sustaining providence. He not only created the heavenly host ('tzaba'—army, suggesting organized multitude) but calls them each by name and maintains them by His great strength ('ko'ach') and mighty power ('amitz'). Not one star fails to answer His call, showing His exhaustive sovereignty.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **Who hath created . . .**—The verb may be noted as a characteristic of 2 Isaiah, in which it occurs twenty times.
**That bringeth out their host . . .**—The words expand the idea implied in Jehovah-Sabaoth (comp. Psalm 147:4). He marshals all that innumerable host of stars, as a supreme general who knows by sight and name every soldier in a vast army, or as a shepherd who knows his flock (Jo...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. create--**The "new creation" needs as much God's creative omnipotence, as the material creation (2Co 4:6; Ep 2:10). So it shall be in the case of the Holy Jerusalem to come (Is 65:17, 18).
**upon--**The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle, as symbol of God's favor and presence (Ex 13:21, 22; Psa 91:1). Both on individual families ("every dwelling") and on the general sacred "assemblie...
Read full commentary →Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?
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KJV Study Commentary
God addresses Israel's ('Jacob' and 'Israel' emphasize covenant relationship) complaint that God has neglected their plight. The Hebrew 'mishpat' (justice/cause) and 'derek' (way) suggest they felt overlooked and mistreated. This complaint reveals a failure to remember God's revealed character and power, leading to practical atheism despite theological orthodoxy.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(27) **Why sayest thou, O Jacob.**—The eternity and infinity of God is presented not only as rebuking the folly of the idolater, but as the ground of comfort to His people. His is no transient favour, no capricious will. (Comp. Romans 11:29-36.)
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse presents God's eternal nature and unlimited power in stark contrast to human weakness described in preceding verses. The rhetorical questions expect the answer 'Of course you know!' The 'everlasting God' (El Olam) never began and will never end. As 'Creator of the ends of the earth,' His power spans all creation. The statement that He 'fainteth not, neither is weary' assures us that God...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) **Hast thou not known? . . .**—The questions are parallel to those of Isaiah 40:21, but are addressed to the Israel of God, rather than, as those were, to mankind.
**The Creator of the ends of the earth.**—The word emphasises the thought that the whole earth, from the Euphrates to the “islands” of the sea, is subject to the power of the Eternal.
**Fainteth not, neither is weary? . . .**—Had I...
Read full commentary →He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse promises divine empowerment for human weakness. God doesn't merely encourage the weary; He actively gives them strength (koach—vitality, capacity, ability). Those with 'no might'—utterly depleted—receive increased power from Him. This isn't positive thinking or human effort but supernatural enabling. The promise addresses physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion, offering hope that...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(29) **He giveth power to the faint . . .**—*i.e., *to them pre-eminently—their very consciousness of weakness being the condition of their receiving strength. (Comp. Matthew 5:6; Luke 1:52-53; Luke 6:21.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 5 Is 5:1-30. Parable of Jehovah's Vineyard.
A new prophecy; entire in itself. Probably delivered about the same time as the second and third chapters, in Uzziah's reign. Compare Is 5:15, 16 with Is 2:17; and Is 5:1 with Is 3:14. However, the close of the chapter alludes generally to the still distant invasion of Assyrians in a later reign (compare Is 5:26 with Is 7:18; and Is 5:25 with I...
Read full commentary →Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse describes universal human frailty—even the young and strong eventually fail. 'Youths' (near) speak of those in their prime, and 'young men' (bachurim) refers to elite warriors and choice young men. Yet even these will 'faint and be weary' (yaeph) and 'utterly fall' (kashal kashal—emphatic repetition meaning complete collapse). This sets up the stunning contrast with verse 31: human stre...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(30) **Even the youths . . .**—The second word implies a nearer approach to manhood than the first, the age when vigour is at its highest point.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2. fenced--**rather, "digged and trenched" the ground to prepare it for planting the vines [Maurer].
**choicest vine--**Hebrew, sorek; called still in Morocco, serki; the grapes had scarcely perceptible seeds; the Persian kishmish or bedana, that is, "without seed" (Ge 49:11).
**tower--**to watch the vineyard against the depredations of man or beast, and for the use of the owner (Mt 21:33).
...
Read full commentary →But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. renew: Heb. change
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.</strong> This celebrated promise concludes a magnificent chapter contrasting human weakness, mortality, and limitation with divine majesty, eternality, and infinite power. The Hebrew verb <em>qavah</em> (קָוָה, "wait") ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(31) **They that wait upon the Lord.**—The waiting implies, of course, the expectant attitude of faith.
**Shall mount up with wings.**—Better, *shall lift up their wings, *or, *shall put forth wings’ feathers, *the last, like Psalm 103:5, implying the belief that the eagle renewed its plumage in extreme old age. For the faithful there is no failure, and faith knows no weariness.
**Ellicott's Comme...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. And now, &c.--**appeal of God to themselves, as in Is 1:18; Mi 6:3. So Jesus Christ, in Mt 21:40, 41, alluding in the very form of expression to this, makes them pass sentence on themselves. God condemns sinners "out of their own mouth" (De 32:6; Job 15:6; Lu 19:22; Ro 3:4).