Isaiah 40:11
“Proclaim the Arrival of God”Isaiah 40:9–11
Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain
Bible text: King James Version with Strong's numbers · Public domain
Bible text: Berean Standard Bible · Public domain
Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain
Bible text: World English Bible, Messianic edition · Public domain
Bible text: Geneva Bible (1599) · Public domain
Bible text: Young's Literal Translation · Public domain
- כְּרֹעֶהke·ro·'Ehlike a shepherdH7462Prep-k ¦ V-Qal-Prtcpl-msVerb Qal Participle Singular Masculine Absoluteכְּlikeרֹעֶהa shepherd
- עֶדְרוֹed·Rohis flockH5739N-msc ¦ 3msNoun Singular Masculine Construct with suffixעֶדְרflockוֹhis
- יִרְעֶהyir·'Ehhe will shepherdH7462V-Qal-Imperf-3msVerb Qal Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine
- בִּזְרֹעוֹbiz·ro·'Oin his arm[s]H2220Prep-b ¦ N-fsc ¦ 3msNoun Singular Feminine Construct with suffixבִּinזְרֹעarm[s]וֹhis
- יְקַבֵּץye·ka·Betzhe will gatherH6908V-Piel-Imperf-3msVerb Piel Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine
- טְלָאִיםte·la·'ImlambsH2922N-mpNoun Plural Masculine Absolute
- וּבְחֵיקוֹu·ve·chei·Koand in his bosomH2436Conj-w ¦ Prep-b ¦ N-msc ¦ 3msNoun Singular Masculine Construct with suffixוּandבְinחֵיקbosomוֹhis
- יִשָּׂאyi·Sa'he will carry [them]H5375V-Qal-Imperf-3msVerb Qal Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine
- עָלוֹתa·Lotnursing [ewes]H5763V-Qal-Prtcpl-fpVerb Qal Participle Plural Feminine Absolute
- יְנַהֵלye·na·Helhe will leadH5095V-Piel-Imperf-3msVerb Piel Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine
English is a literal word-by-word gloss of the Hebrew, not the KJV's wording. Why?
This is the original text the KJV's translators worked from — each Hebrew word with its own literal English meaning in this verse, prepared by scholars at Tyndale House, Cambridge. The KJV translates whole sentences, not word by word, so its wording differs: one Hebrew word can become several English words, and the KJV may choose “the LORD” where the gloss reads “Yahweh”. Both are faithful — they answer different questions. For the KJV's own rendering, switch to the KJV text.
Words in [ ] are added by the English.
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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry wrote on whole passages, and this entry covers Isaiah 40:9–11. He set out his notes in a four-level outline, kept here as he numbered it.
It was promised (Isaiah 40:5) that the glory of the Lord shall be revealed; that is it with the hopes of which God's people must be comforted. Now here we are told,
I.How it shall be revealed, Isaiah 40:9.
1.It shall be revealed to Zion and Jerusalem; notice shall be given of it to the remnant that are left in Zion and Jerusalem, the poor of the land, who were vine-dressers and husbandmen; it shall be told them that their brethren shall return to them. This shall be told also to the captives who belonged to Zion and Jerusalem, and retained their affection for them. Zion is said to dwell with the daughter of Babylon (Zechariah 2:7); and there she receives notice of Cyrus's gracious proclamation; and so the margin reads it, O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, etc., meaning the persons who were employed in publishing that proclamation; let them do it with a good will, let them make the country ring of it, and let them tell it to the sons of Zion in their own language, saying to them, Behold your God.
2.It shall be published by Zion and Jerusalem (so the text reads it); those that remain there, or that have already returned, when they find the deliverance proceeding towards perfection, let them proclaim it in the most public places, whence they may be best heard by all the cities of Judah; let them proclaim it as loudly as they can: let them lift up their voice with strength, and not be afraid of overstraining themselves; let them not be afraid lest the enemy should hear it and quarrel with them, or lest it should not prove true, or not such good tidings as at first it appeared; let them say to the cities of Judah, and all the inhabitants of the country, Behold your God. When God is going on with the salvation of his people, let them industriously spread the news among their friends, let them tell them that it is God that has done it; whoever were the instruments, God was the author; it is their God, a God in covenant with them, and he does it as theirs, and they will reap the benefit and comfort of it. "Behold him, take notice of his hand in it, and look above second causes; behold, the God you have long looked for has come at last (Isaiah 25:9): This is our God, we have waited for him." This may refer to the invitation which was sent forth from Jerusalem to the cities of Judah, as soon as they had set up an altar, immediately upon their return out of captivity, to come and join with them in their sacrifices, Ezra 3:2-4. "When the worship of God is set up again, send notice of it to all your brethren, that they may share with you in the comfort of it." But this was to have its full accomplishment in the apostles' public and undaunted preaching of the gospel to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. The voice crying in the wilderness gave notice that he was coming; but now notice is given that he has come. Behold the Lamb of God; take a full view of your Redeemer. Behold your King, behold your God.
II.What that glory is which shall be revealed. "Your God will come, will show himself,"
1."With the power and greatness of a prince (Isaiah 40:10): He will come with strong hand, too strong to be obstructed, though it may be opposed. His strong hand shall subdue his people to himself, and shall restrain and conquer his and their enemies. He will come who is strong enough to break through all the difficulties that lie in his way." Our Lord Jesus was full of power, a mighty Saviour. Some read, it, He will come against the mighty one, and overpower him, overcome him. Satan is the strong man armed; but our Lord Jesus is stronger than he, and he shall make it to appear that he is so, for,
(1.)He shall reign in defiance of all opposition: His arm shall rule, shall overrule for him, for the fulfilling of his counsels, to his own glory; for he is his own end.
(2.)He shall recompense to all according to their works, as a righteous Judge: His reward is with him; he brings along with him, as a returning prince, punishments for the rebels and preferments for his loyal subjects.
(3.)He shall proceed and accomplish his purpose: His work is before him, that is, he knows perfectly well what he has to do, which way to go about it, and how to compass it. He himself knows what he will do.
2."With the pity and tenderness of a shepherd," Isaiah 40:11. God is the Shepherd of Israel (Psalm 80:1); Christ is the good Shepherd, John 10:11. The same that rules with the strong hand of a prince leads and feeds with the kind hand of a shepherd.
(1.)He takes care of all his flock, the little flock: He shall feed his flock like a shepherd. His word is food for his flock to feed on; his ordinances are fields for them to feed in; his ministers are under-shepherds that are appointed to attend them.
(2.)He takes particular care of those that most need his care, the lambs that are weak, and cannot help themselves, and are unaccustomed to hardship, and those that are with young, that are therefore heavy, and, if any harm be done them, are in danger of casting their young. He particularly takes care for a succession, that it may not fail or be cut off. The good Shepherd has tender care for children that are towardly and hopeful, for young converts, that are setting out in the way to heaven, for weak believers, and those that are of a sorrowful spirit. These are the lambs of his flock, that shall be sure to want nothing that their case requires.
[1.]He will gather them in the arms of his power; his strength shall be made perfect in their weakness, 2 Corinthians 12:9. He will gather them in when they wander, gather them up when they fall, gather them together when they are dispersed, and gather them home to himself at last; and all this with his own arm, out of which none shall be able to pluck them, John 10:28.
[2.]He will carry them in the bosom of his love and cherish them there. When they tire or are weary, are sick and faint, when they meet with foul ways, he will carry them on, and take care they are not left behind.
[3.]He will gently lead them. By his word he requires no more service, and by his providence he inflicts no more trouble, than he will fit them for; for he considers their frame.
Historical interpretation
Three Centuries of Reception
4 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
And that He also calls us lambs, the Spirit by the mouth of Isaiah is an unimpeachable witness: "He will feed His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs with His arm,"—using the figurative appellation of lambs, which are still more tender than sheep, to express simplicity.
(V. 9 and following) Ascend to the high mountain, you who bring good news to Zion; lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good news to Jerusalem. Lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, 'Here is your God!' See, the Lord God comes with might, and His arm rules for Him. See, His reward is with Him, and His recompense accompanies Him. 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. LXX: Go up on a high mountain, you who bring good tidings to Zion; lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good tidings to Jerusalem. Lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the cities of Judah, 'Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young.' The choir of the Apostles is commanded to ascend to the preaching of all flesh, which is going to see the salvation of God, and to dwell in high places, about to speak about great things. Moreover, the Hebrew and other interpreters put it in the feminine gender, so that they say, 'you who preach the gospel to Zion and you who preach the gospel to Jerusalem.' This word is ambiguous according to the Greeks, so that we can understand it as either the one who announces or the one to whom the announcement is made. Therefore, whether the word of God and the saving word of the Lord are announced to Zion and Jerusalem: for the law went forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (Isaiah II, 3); or whether it is announced to them through the Apostles, they ought to ascend to the heights and pass over the mountains. And in a wondrous way, even though Zion itself is a mountain, as Scripture says: Mount Zion, in which you have dwelt (Psalm LXXIII, 3): it is commanded to ascend another, higher mountain, from which the prince of Tyre was wounded. And because the teachings of the Apostles were going to be greatly opposed, and they were going to be led before governors and tribunals, it is joined, exalt, do not be afraid: say to the cities of Judea, namely the synagogues and the people of the Jews, of whom the Lord spoke: I have come only for the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24). And the Apostle Paul says: It was necessary for the word of God to be proclaimed to you first (Acts 13:46). But what is it that they are commanded to say? Behold your God, whom you have always awaited: Behold the Lord God shall come in strength, whom you have despised coming in humility. And his strength shall rule, who first took the form of a servant, being obedient to the Father even unto death (Philippines III). Behold his reward is with him, and his work before him (Isaiah XL, and LXII). According to what he himself says in the Gospel: For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father and he shall render to every man according to his works (Matthew XVI, 17). As a shepherd, he will feed his flock. This one who will come later in majesty, first takes on the form of a shepherd, and he says about himself: I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and they know me, and I lay down my life for my sheep (John 10:14, 15). About this, the Father speaks in Zechariah: I will strike the shepherd; and the sheep will be scattered (Zechariah 13:7). In his arm, he says, he will gather the lambs; not bulls, and rams, and goats, and large sheep, of whom through Ezekiel (Chapter 34) he threatens that they should feed on milk and be covered with wool, and crush the weak flock, but rather the still tender lambs, and those new to Christ's infancy, who have recently been reborn in baptism, of whom the Lord himself spoke to Peter: Feed my lambs (John 21:15). And in the same Ezekiel it is written: I will raise up for them a single shepherd, and he will feed them, my servant David; he will be their shepherd, and I the Lord will be their God, and David will be their prince in their midst. I the Lord have spoken, and I will establish a covenant of peace with David (Ezekiel 34:23-25). It should be considered that after many generations, David, in contrast to the greedy and unworthy shepherds, says that our Lord, who is of the lineage of David, will rise up, gather the lambs, and nurture them in his bosom, and he himself will carry the lambs or sheep on his shoulder. As we read in the Gospel, that he carried the wandering sheep and the one remaining from the usual flock on his shoulders to the sheepfold (Luke 15). We can say that the pregnant ewes are the Apostles and the Apostolic men and all the doctors of the Church, who give birth to the salvation of many, and they say with the Apostle: My little children, whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you (Galatians 4:19). The Hebrews assert, and there is no doubt among them about this matter, that the Holy Spirit is called in their language by the feminine gender, that is, the Shekinah. And that which is said in the sixty-seventh psalm: The Lord will give the word to the preachers with great power: they understand it thus: The Lord will give the word to the preachers with great power (Ps. 122:3): namely, to those souls who have received the Holy Spirit. Also this: As the eyes of a handmaid are in the hands of her mistress, so the soul is in the hands of the Holy Spirit, both a handmaid and a mistress. But also in the Gospel written according to the Hebrews, which the Nazarenes read, the Lord speaks: Now my mother took me up, the Holy Spirit. But no one should be scandalized by the fact that in the Hebrew language the Spirit is referred to as feminine, while in our language it is referred to as masculine, and in Greek it is referred to as neutral. For in divinity there is no gender. And therefore, in the three principal languages in which the title of the Lord's Passion is written, it is referred to in three genders, so that we may understand that there is no gender that is different.
Of this prophecy also let us observe the fulfillment in the exact way and in truth in the holy Gospels. In the first place, the Lord has said, “I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep and am known by my own … and [I] lay down my life for the sheep.” Moreover, he has likewise gathered the lambs with his arms, [that is to say] by the power of his teachings. For soon he said to the fishermen, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men [people].” Presently he called the publicans and ate with them. Again, another time, he allowed even a woman who had led an evil life to shed tears at his feet. He has likewise comforted pregnant women with the thought that they would give birth for salvation. As they learned of the destruction of death and the hope of the resurrection, they possesed sufficient solace for their pains in the expectation of the benefits that had been announced. Finally, while the holy Virgin still carried him in her womb, he filled Elizabeth, who was with child, with joy.
I say that these [lambs] are the souls of those who are truly made heavenly philosophers, rejecting the world with its delights and false show and who prefer to dwell in the desert rather than in royal palaces.
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This verse
The mighty God who comes in power feeds his people like a shepherd, gathering the lambs in his arm, carrying them close, and gently leading the ewes with young.
“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd:”
The whole flock is in view, fed, guided and protected by the God who rules.
“he shall gather the lambs with his arm,”
The same arm that rules in verse 10 now draws the weakest and the scattered to himself.
“and carry them in his bosom,”
He bears those who cannot walk far, close to his heart, where they are safe.
“and shall gently lead those that are with young.”
The ewes carrying or nursing lambs are led at a pace they can keep, and none of them is pushed beyond its strength.
Passage studyIsaiah 40:9–11
Behold Your God, Strong and Gentle
Summary
After the opening cry of comfort in Isaiah 40, God sends Zion up a high mountain with good news for the towns of Judah: “Behold your God!” The Lord GOD is coming with a strong hand, his arm ruling for him, his reward with him and his work before him. And this mighty God comes as a shepherd, who feeds his flock, gathers the lambs in his arm, carries them in his bosom and gently leads the ewes that are with young. In three verses we see God’s power and his tenderness held together in one Person, and the New Testament shows both coming to us in Jesus Christ.
Good news shouted from a high mountain
Chapter 40 opens with God’s own words, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God”, and Jerusalem is told that her warfare is ended and her iniquity pardoned (Isaiah 40:1–2). A voice then cries in the wilderness for a way to be prepared for the LORD, so that his glory may be revealed (Isaiah 40:3–5). Verse 9 builds on that. The way is being made ready, and now someone must announce that he is coming. Chapters 40 to 66 are often called the Book of Comfort, because after the warnings of judgment and exile that fill chapters 1 to 39, they speak hope to a people facing the Babylonian exile, with Jerusalem in ruins, the temple destroyed and the line of David’s kings overthrown.
“That bringest good tidings” is one Hebrew verb, bâsar, which means to announce news, and above all glad news. It covers being a messenger, preaching, publishing and showing forth. The verse says it twice, once of Zion and once of Jerusalem, so that there is no mistaking the kind of message this is. After so many chapters of judgment, the word God now gives his people to carry is good news.
The herald is to “get thee up into the high mountain”. The word for high, gâbôahh, means high, tall or lofty. In some places it describes a proud and haughty person, but here it is the plain height of a mountain. Heights were natural places for public announcements in that day, because from a height a voice carries far and the messenger can be seen across the land. This news is meant for everyone.
“Lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid” asks for a loud, clear and confident voice, and the command to lift it up is given twice. The verb for fear, yârêʼ, means to be afraid, and in a moral sense to revere, and here it stands with the negative, “be not afraid”. The people had every reason to be timid and disheartened, and God answers that with a command that runs all through these chapters: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee” (Isaiah 41:10). The courage he asks for rests on his own presence with the one who speaks. The early church prayed in the same spirit, asking the Lord to grant his servants boldness to speak his word (Acts 4:29).
Who are Zion and Jerusalem here?
Zion and Jerusalem are the city and its holy mountain, spoken to as if they were persons, and they stand for God’s people themselves, the heart of the nation. They are the first to hear God’s comfort, and so they are sent to carry it to others. The people who were on the receiving end of judgment are now God’s messengers of grace. Their hearers are “the cities of Judah”, the towns spread across the land beyond Jerusalem, so the good news is for the whole nation.
What is the good news?
The whole message comes down to three words: “Behold your God!” God himself is coming back to his people, present and at work among them after a long season in which he looked far away. The news brings with it the hope of freedom from captivity, the rebuilding of Jerusalem and its temple, and the renewing of God’s covenant with Israel, but at its centre stands a Person. He is still “your God”, theirs by covenant, and the rest of the chapter goes on to show the greatness of this God, his power, his wisdom and his care (Isaiah 40:10–31).
The Lord GOD comes with a strong hand
Verse 10 tells the towns of Judah who it is they are to behold, and the cry “Behold” (hinnēh) rings out twice more, each time calling for attention to something certain and near. The one coming is the Lord GOD, ʼĂdônây Yᵉhôvih. ʼĂdônây is an emphatic form of Lord or Master, a title of authority and ownership, and Yᵉhôvih is a form of God’s personal, covenant name. Together they name the sovereign Master of all creation who is also the God bound to his people by covenant. He comes himself, in person.
He comes “with strong hand”. The Hebrew word is châzâq, strong or firm, and the KJV supplies the word “hand” to complete the sense. His arm, zᵉrôwaʻ, is the ordinary word for a person’s arm, and it is used for force, power, strength and help. In Scripture God’s arm stands for his power to save. The exodus from Egypt is told as the work of his mighty hand and outstretched arm (Deuteronomy 4:34), on the night of the Passover and the going out from Egypt (Exodus 12), and every new generation in Israel was to hear that the LORD brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand (Deuteronomy 6:21). Moses sang, “The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.” A people in exile, who had lost their land and their king and wondered whether God still had any power on their behalf, would hear in this verse the God of the exodus coming again.
“His arm shall rule for him” uses mâshal, to rule or have dominion. God carries out his rule himself, by his own strength, and the verse shows his reign as something active, ordering things according to his will.
What are his reward and his work?
“His reward” is sâkâr, which means recompense, payment or wages, and “his work” is pᵉʻullâh, the outcome of labour or deeds. “Before him” (pânîym, face) means that it goes openly in front of him, plain for all to see. When God comes, he brings justice with him. Every deed receives its due, with blessing for those who have served him faithfully and judgment for those who have rebelled. The psalmist joins mercy and recompense in the same breath, saying that the Lord renders to every man according to his work (Psalm 62:12). The words also mean that God comes ready to carry out all he has purposed, to restore his people and to establish his righteous kingdom.
For people in exile this was comfort. Their suffering had been seen, God was strong enough to deliver them, and justice would prevail. He says the same a few chapters later, when he promises to redeem the people he has formed and to be with them (Isaiah 43:1–2).
The mighty God feeds his flock like a shepherd
The arm that rules in verse 10 gathers the lambs in verse 11, and it is the same word, zᵉrôwaʻ. The strength that brings justice to the world is the strength that lifts the smallest lamb. The verses before have already shown God’s greatness, his word standing for ever while people fade like grass (Isaiah 40:8), and his coming with power. Verse 11 shows the heart of that mighty God toward his own people.
“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd” uses râʻâh, to tend a flock and pasture it, and more generally to rule. It covers all of a shepherd’s work: feeding, guiding, protecting and caring for the flock. In Israel the shepherd was a familiar figure, and the people’s rulers were called its shepherds. Ezekiel rebukes the leaders of Israel as shepherds who failed the flock (Ezekiel 34). Jeremiah promises that the LORD will gather Israel (Jeremiah 31:10), and David sings, “The LORD is my shepherd” (Psalm 23).
“He shall gather the lambs with his arm” speaks of the youngest and weakest in the flock. To gather (qâbats) is to bring together what has been scattered, which is good news for a people scattered in exile. In Ezekiel the LORD promises to seek his scattered sheep himself and to bring them home (Ezekiel 34:11–16).
He will “carry them in his bosom”. The verb is nâsâʼ, to carry, and the bosom, chêyq, is the chest or lap, the closest place a person can hold anything. It is the way a parent holds a beloved child, and it speaks of affection, protection and safety. The lambs that cannot keep up with the flock are held against the shepherd’s heart.
He “shall gently lead those that are with young”. ʻûwl describes ewes that are carrying or nursing their lambs, and they need a slower pace and extra care to keep them and their young from harm. The verb nâhal means to lead or conduct, and by inference to protect and sustain. The shepherd sets the pace by the ones carrying the heaviest load, so that none of them is driven past its strength or left behind.
Why does the God of such power speak so tenderly?
The tenderness of verse 11 belongs to the same Lord GOD who comes with a strong hand in verse 10, and the two verses explain each other. His power is what makes his care safe, and his care shows what his power is for. For a people who felt scattered, punished and forgotten, this told them that the God who rules the nations knows each one of his flock and attends to the weakest first.
Behold your God in Jesus Christ
The cry “Behold your God!” is answered most fully in Jesus. God came to dwell with his people when “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), and the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). He began his ministry preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and calling people to repent and believe (Mark 1:14–15). Paul speaks of how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace (Romans 10:15), and the command to lift up the voice and be not afraid carries over into Christ’s charge to make disciples of all nations, with his promise to be with them “alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:19–20).
Verse 10 points to both of Christ’s comings. When he came the first time, his life, death and resurrection were God’s work, bringing salvation and reconciliation with God to all who believe. The full and visible coming with a strong hand still lies ahead: “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory” (Matthew 25:31). John sees him ride out as the victorious King of kings (Revelation 19:11–16), and Jesus takes up the very words of this verse: “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12).
Verse 11 points to Jesus as the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11). He knows his own and is known by them (John 10:14), he receives everyone the Father gives him (John 6:37), and no one can pluck his sheep out of his hand (John 10:28). His call to all that labour and are heavy laden, promising rest for their souls, has the gentleness of the shepherd who leads the ewes with young (Matthew 11:28–30). Peter calls him the chief Shepherd, who will appear (1 Peter 5:4).
Strength and tenderness in one God
These verses give God’s people good news to carry and a God to point to. The message Zion shouted from the mountain was a Person, “your God”, and the gospel is the same news, that God has come to his people in Christ. The heralds are told not to be afraid, and the reason lies in the God they announce.
Verse 10 assures us that the Lord GOD will set all things right. His reward is with him, and no faithful work done for him goes unseen. Verse 11 shows that this same God bends down to the lamb and slows his pace for the ewe with young. Whoever feels weakest in his flock is the very one this verse names, gathered by his arm and carried close to him. His strength and his gentleness belong together, and his people live under both.
Isaiah 40:9
“O Zion, that bringest good tidings,”
Zion, the city’s holy mountain, is spoken to as a herald. The people who first receive God’s comfort are the ones who announce it.
“get thee up into the high mountain;”
A real height, chosen so that the voice carries and the messenger is seen.
“O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings,”
The call is repeated with the city’s other name, and bâsar comes a second time, which underlines how glad this news is.
“lift up thy voice with strength;”
This news is far too important to be whispered.
“lift it up, be not afraid;”
The doubled command answers the fear and hesitation of a people crushed by exile.
“say unto the cities of Judah,”
The message goes beyond Jerusalem to all the towns of the land.
“Behold your God!”
The heart of the good tidings. God himself is coming, and he is still theirs.
Isaiah 40:10
“Behold, the Lord GOD will come”
He comes in person, the sovereign Master who keeps covenant with his people.
“with strong hand,”
His arrival is marked by power and decisive action, like a conquering king or a mighty deliverer.
“and his arm shall rule for him:”
His own strength carries out his rule, and his will is done.
“behold, his reward is with him,”
The second “behold” draws attention to the justice he brings. Jesus repeats these words of himself in Revelation 22:12.
“and his work before him.”
He comes ready to finish what he has purposed, and its outcome is open for all to see.
Isaiah 40:11 This verse
“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd:”
The whole flock is in view, fed, guided and protected by the God who rules.
“he shall gather the lambs with his arm,”
The same arm that rules in verse 10 now draws the weakest and the scattered to himself.
“and carry them in his bosom,”
He bears those who cannot walk far, close to his heart, where they are safe.
“and shall gently lead those that are with young.”
The ewes carrying or nursing lambs are led at a pace they can keep, and none of them is pushed beyond its strength.
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