Isaiah40

Isaiah 40 opens with a divine command to comfort Jerusalem, declaring her warfare accomplished and iniquity pardoned. A voice in the wilderness calls for preparation of the Lord's way, contrasting the fleeting nature of humanity with the eternal Word of God. The chapter then extols God's incomparable majesty as Creator, dismissing the futility of idols and assuring His people that He, the everlasting God, gives strength to those who wait upon Him.
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A Message of Comfort and Pardon

1
“Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God. ​
2
“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her forced labor has been completed; her iniquity has been pardoned. For she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.” ​

Prepare the Way of the LORD

3
A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. ​
4
Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain.
5
And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all humanity together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” ​

The Eternity of God's Word

6
A voice says, “Cry out!” And I asked, “What should I cry out?” “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field. ​
7
The grass withers and the flowers fall when the breath of the LORD blows on them; indeed, the people are grass.
8
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” ​

Proclaim the Arrival of God

9
Go up on a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news. Raise your voice loudly, O Jerusalem, herald of good news. Lift it up, do not be afraid! Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” ​
10
Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and His arm establishes His rule. His reward is with Him, and His recompense accompanies Him.
11
He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes. ​

The Incomparable Creator

12
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on a scale and the hills with a balance? ​
13
Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or informed Him as His counselor? ​
14
Whom did He consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the paths of justice? Who imparted knowledge to Him and showed Him the way of understanding?
15
Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are considered a speck of dust on the scales; He lifts up the islands like fine dust. ​
16
Lebanon is not sufficient for fuel, nor its animals enough for a burnt offering.
17
All the nations are as nothing before Him; He regards them as nothingness and emptiness.

The Folly of Idolatry

18
To whom will you liken God? To what image will you compare Him? ​
19
To an idol that a craftsman casts and a metalworker overlays with gold and fits with silver chains?
20
To one bereft of an offering who chooses wood that will not rot, who seeks a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple?
21
Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the foundation of the earth?
22
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. ​
23
He brings the princes to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth meaningless.
24
No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner have their stems taken root in the ground, than He blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like stubble.
25
“To whom will you liken Me, or who is My equal?” asks the Holy One.
26
Lift up your eyes on high: Who created all these? He leads forth the starry host by number; He calls each one by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. ​

Assurance for Weary Israel

27
Why do you say, O Jacob, and why do you assert, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my claim is ignored by my God”? ​
28
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary; His understanding is beyond searching out. ​

Strength for Those Who Wait

29
He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak. ​
30
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall.
31
But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint. ​

Study Notes for Isaiah 40

Verse 1

This verse marks the beginning of the second major section of Isaiah (chapters 40–66), shifting the prophetic focus from judgment and warning to comfort and restoration following the Babylonian exile.

Verse 2

The phrase 'her warfare is accomplished' (or 'time of service is completed') refers to the period of punishment or forced labor. 'Double for all her sins' is likely a hyperbolic idiom signifying that the punishment was full, complete, and fully paid.

Verse 3

This promise of preparation for God’s arrival was later interpreted by the Gospel writers (Matt 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4) as directly fulfilled by John the Baptist, preparing the way for Christ, the true manifestation of God's glory.

Verse 5

The revelation of the 'glory of the LORD' is not hidden but is intended to be seen universally, demonstrating that God's plan of salvation encompasses all humanity.

Verse 6

This initiates a powerful contrast between the frailty and transience of humanity ('all flesh is grass') and the enduring, eternal nature of God’s spoken word and promises.

Verse 8

While human life and power fade, the divine word stands forever. This promise provides the firm foundation for the hope and comfort offered to the exiles.

Verse 9

Zion (Jerusalem) is personified as the messenger, tasked with proclaiming the good news ('good tidings') of God's imminent arrival and return to reign over Judah.

Verse 11

This tender image portrays Yahweh as the ideal Shepherd, balancing the strength and rule described in verse 10 with compassion and careful attention to the most vulnerable members of the flock (the lambs and nursing ewes).

Verse 12

This series of rhetorical questions begins the argument for God’s unmatched cosmic power, describing His control over the vast elements of creation using simple, human measurements (hand, span, scales).

Verse 13

The question emphasizes God's inherent, perfect wisdom. He is the ultimate source of knowledge and judgment, needing no counselor or external direction from creation.

Verse 15

When compared to God, the greatest worldly powers and nations are utterly insignificant, reduced to a negligible drop or fine dust on the scale.

Verse 18

This challenge is central to the argument against idolatry: If God is the majestic Creator described in verses 12–17, how can a human-made statue or image possibly represent Him?

Verse 22

The phrase 'circle of the earth' (*chug*) suggests God's sovereign position above the entire expanse of the earth, viewing its mighty inhabitants as tiny, insignificant grasshoppers.

Verse 26

God’s creative power is demonstrated by His command over the stars, which were often worshipped as deities by surrounding nations. He calls them by name and none fail to appear.

Verse 27

The prophet directly addresses the specific complaint of the exiles, who felt that God had overlooked their suffering or forgotten their plight in the midst of their captivity.

Verse 28

The response to Israel’s doubt is a theological affirmation of God's nature: He is the 'everlasting God' and 'Creator' who possesses infinite power and wisdom, and unlike humans, He never tires.

Verse 29

God’s inexhaustible power is not just a cosmic fact, but a resource provided directly to His people, strengthening those who are weak and lacking might.

Verse 31

This famous promise assures that spiritual renewal and sustained strength are granted to those who place their hope and reliance ('wait') upon the LORD, enabling them to overcome exhaustion and despair.

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