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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Isaiah 40:27–31. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here, I. The prophet reproves the people of God, who are now supposed to be captives in Babylon for their unbelief and distrust of God, and the dejections and despondencies of their spirit under their affliction (Isa 40:27): "Why sayest thou, O Jacob! to thyself and to those about thee, My way is hidden from the Lord? Why dost thou make hard and melancholy conclusions concerning thyself and thy present case as if the latter were desperate?" 1. The titles he here gives them were enough to shame them out of their distrusts: O Jacob! O Israel! Let them remember whence they took these names - from one who had found God faithful to him and kind in all his straits; and why they bore these names - as God's professing people, a people in covenant with him. 2. The way of reproving them is by reasoning with them: "Why? Consider whether thou hast any ground to say so." Many of our foolish frets and foolish fears would vanish before a strict enquiry into the causes of them. 3. That which they are reproved for is an ill-natured, ill-favoured, word they spoke of God, as if he had cast them off. There seems to be an emphasis laid upon their saying it: Why sayest thou and speakest thou? It is bad to have evil thoughts rise in our mind, but it is worse to put an imprimatur - a sanction to them, and turn them into evil words. David reflects with regret upon what he said in his haste, when he was in distress. 4. The ill word they said was a word of despair concerning their present calamitous condition. They were ready to conclude, (1.) That God would not heed them: "My way is hidden from the Lord; he takes no notice of our straits, nor concerns himself any more in our concernments. There are such difficulties in our case that even divine wisdom and power will be nonplussed." A man whose way is hidden is one whom God has hedged in, Job 3:23. (2.) That God could not help them: "My judgment is passed over from my God; my case is past relief, so far past it that God himself cannot redress the grievances of it. Our bones are dried." Eze 37:11.
II.He reminds them of that which, if duly considered, was sufficient to silence all those fears and distrust.
For their conviction, as before for the conviction of idolaters (Isa 40:21), he appeals to what they had known and what they had heard. Jacob and Israel were a knowing people, or might have been, and their knowledge came by hearing; for Wisdom cried in their chief places of concourse. Now, among other things, they had heard that God had spoken once, twice, yea, many a time they had heard it, That power belongs unto God (Psa 62:11), That is,
1.He is himself an almighty God. He must needs be so, for he is the everlasting God, even Jehovah. He was from eternity; he will be to eternity; and therefore with him there is no deficiency, no decay. He has his being of himself, and therefore all his perfections must needs be boundless. He is without beginning of days or end of life, and therefore with him there is no change. He is also the Creator of the ends of the earth, that is, of the whole earth and all that is in it from end to end. He therefore is the rightful owner and ruler of all, and must be concluded to have an absolute power over all and an all-sufficiency to help his people in their greatest straits. Doubtless he is still as able to save his church as he was at first to make the world.
(1.)He has wisdom to contrive the salvation, and that wisdom is never at a loss: There is no searching of his understanding, so as to countermine the counsels of it and defeat its intentions; no, nor so as to determine what he will do, for he has ways by himself, ways in the sea. None can say, "Thus far God's wisdom can go, and no further;" for, when we know not what to do, he knows.
(2.)He has power to bring about the salvation, and that power is never exhausted: He faints not, nor is weary; he upholds the whole creation, and governs all the creatures, and is neither tired nor toiled; and therefore, no doubt, he has power to relieve his church, when it is brought ever so low, without weakness or weariness.
2.He gives strength and power to his people, and helps them by enabling them to help themselves. He that is the strong God is the strength of Israel.
(1.)He can help the weak, Isa 40:29. Many a time he gives power to the faint, to those that are ready to faint away; and to those that have no might he not only gives, but increases strength, as there is more and more occasion for it. Many out of bodily weakness are wonderfully recovered, and made strong, by the providence of God: and many that are feeble in spirit, timorous and faint-hearted, unfit for services and sufferings, are yet strengthened by the grace of God with all might in the inward man. To those who are sensible of their weakness, and ready to acknowledge they have no might, God does in a special manner increase strength; for, when we are weak in ourselves, then are we strong in the Lord.
(2.)He will help the willing, will help those who, in a humble dependence upon him, help themselves, and will do well for those who do their best, Isa 40:30, Isa 40:31. Those who trust to their own sufficiency, and are so confident of it that they neither exert themselves to the utmost nor seek unto God for his grace, are the youth and the young men, who are strong, but are apt to think themselves stronger than they are. And they shall faint and be weary, yea, they shall utterly fail in their services, in their conflicts, and under their burdens; they shall soon be made to see the folly of trusting to themselves. But those that wait on the Lord, who make conscience of their duty to him, and by faith rely upon him and commit themselves to his guidance, shall find that God will not fail them.
[1.]They shall have grace sufficient for them: They shall renew their strength as their work is renewed, as there is new occasion; they shall be anointed, and their lamps supplied, with fresh oil. God will be their arm every morning, Isa 33:2. If at any time they have been foiled and weakened they shall recover themselves, and so renew their strength. Heb. They shall change their strength, as their work is changed - doing work, suffering work; they shall have strength to labour, strength to wrestle, strength to resist, strength to bear. As the day so shall the strength be.
[2.]They shall use this grace for the best purposes. Being strengthened, First, They shall soar upward, upward towards God: They shall mount up with wings like eagles, so strongly, so swiftly, so high and heaven-ward. In the strength of divine grace, their souls shall ascend above the world, and even enter into the holiest. Pious and devout affections are the eagles' wings on which gracious souls mount up, Psa 25:1. Secondly, They shall press forward, forward towards heaven. They shall walk, they shall run, the way of God's commandments, cheerfully and with alacrity (they shall not be weary), constantly and with perseverance (they shall not faint); and therefore in due season they shall reap. Let Jacob and Israel therefore, in their greatest distresses, continue waiting upon God, and not despair of timely and effectual relief and succour from him.
Historical interpretation
Historical 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.
If they shall assign the toil of making all things as the reason why God only made the Son, the whole creation will cry out against them as saying unworthy things of God; and Isaiah, too, who has said in Scripture, “The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint, neither is he weary: there is no searching of his understanding.” And if God made the Son alone, as not lowering himself to make the rest but committed them to the Son as an assistant, this on the other hand is unworthy of God, for in him there is no pride. No, the Lord reproves the thought when he says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?” … If then it is not unworthy of God to exercise his providence, even down to things so small, a hair of the head and a sparrow and the grass of the field, also it was not unworthy of him to make them. For what things are the subjects of his providence, of those he is Maker through his proper Word. No, a worse absurdity lies before the people who speak this way; for they distinguish between the creatures and the framing and consider the latter the work of the Father, the creatures the work of the Son; whereas either all things must be brought to be with the Son, or if all that is originate comes to be through the Son, we must not call him one of the originated things.
(Verse 27 and following) Why do you say, Jacob, and speak, Israel: My way is hidden from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over by my God? Do you not know, or have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint, neither is He weary, and there is no searching of His understanding. He gives power to the faint, and to them that have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But those who hope in the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall take wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. LXX: Do not say, Jacob, and what you spoke, Israel: My way is hidden from the Lord, and my judgment is disregarded by my God, and now you do not know, and have not heard? The eternal God, the God who created the ends of the earth: he shall not hunger, nor shall he labor, nor is there any finding of his understanding. He gives strength to the hungry: and does not grieve the sorrowful. For the young will hunger, and the adolescents will labor, and the chosen ones will be weak. But those who wait for God will change their strength. They will take wings like eagles: they will run, and will not labor: they will walk, and will not hunger. The greatness of the Almighty God is so vast that nothing escapes him, and everything is governed by his will. So why do you say Jacob, that is, the two tribes that were called Judah; and you speak of Israel, the other ten tribes in Samaria, who have already been led captive into Assyria: My way is hidden from the Lord: and my just judgment will pass by my God? And this is the meaning: You say that earthly things do not pertain to God, nor does He consider what each of us does. Hence we are unjustly oppressed by our enemies, and, like the beasts and the fish, we are scattered without any governor, according to Habakkuk. To this God responds: Do you not know? Have the words of the preceding Scriptures not taught you, or do you not know according to the Septuagint, because you have not heard that the eternal God and Creator of all things knows all things, contains all things, and governs all things with His majesty? Does it not fail at any time, nor does it labor; so that it does not understand your judgement, and your ways are hidden from it? There is no investigation of his wisdom, about which place I think that saying of the Apostle is taken: His judgments are incomprehensible, and his ways are investigable (perhaps 'unsearchable') (Rom. XI, 33); or, as the LXX translated, he does not hunger, and he does not labor. For where there is food, there is often hunger if you remove the food: and where there is hunger, there is also labor. But since these things are not in God, why do you attribute human passions to him? Rather, he gives strength to the hungry and weary, and he multiplies virtue and strength to those who seem to be nothing in the world. According to the Septuagint, it is he who gives sorrow to those who do not grieve, for it is sadness that leads to death, and it is sadness that leads to life. Therefore, to those who have a hardened heart, he gives sadness so that they may understand their sins. And because many take pleasure in bodily health, and consider youth and childhood to be perpetual, he joins this and says that the flourishing age quickly falls, and strong bodies wither. But those who have confidence not in their own strength, but in God, and always await His mercy, let them change their strength and go from virtue to virtue: and let them take wings like eagles, and hear: Your youth will be renewed like the eagle's (Psalm 103:5); let them run to the Lord, and not grow weary of desiring Him; let them walk, and never grow faint. We have frequently said that the eagles' old age is rejuvenated by a change of feathers, and only those eagles can look upon the sun's rays and behold the splendor of its shining with sparkling eyes: and they should prove their noble offspring, by means of this experiment. And so even the saints are made young again, and with an immortal body, they do not feel the toil of mortals, but are caught up in the clouds to meet Christ, and never go hungry according to the LXX, because they have the Lord himself as food.
This is what the admirable Hannah has also said: “The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, and he lifts up.”
Then he recalls the truths that he has often taught: “[I am an] eternal God.” This is what the blessed Moses has also said: “I AM WHO I AM.” As for the blessed David, he in his turn addresses himself to him in these terms: “But you, Lord, endure forever, and your remembrance to generation and generation.” Or again: “But you are the same, and your years shall not fail.”
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Summary
Isaiah 40:29 serves as a profound declaration of God's boundless power and compassionate nature, revealing Him as the inexhaustible source of strength for humanity's deepest weaknesses. It promises divine empowerment and renewal to those who are utterly depleted and without self-reliance, standing as a testament to God's active provision in the face of human limitation and exhaustion, ensuring that His people are never left without the capacity to endure and fulfill His purposes.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is strategically placed within the opening chapter of the "Book of Comfort" (Isaiah 40-66), a pivotal section of Isaiah that marks a dramatic shift from prophecies of judgment and exile to messages of hope, restoration, and the incomparable glory of God. Chapter 40 itself commences with the tender command, "Comfort, comfort my people" (Isaiah 40:1), establishing a pervasive tone of divine solace and reassurance. The verses immediately preceding Isaiah 40:29 meticulously detail God's eternal nature, His omnipotence as the Creator, and His sovereign control over all nations and their rulers. This portrayal starkly contrasts His infinite power with the fleeting strength of humanity and the utter impotence of idols (e.g., Isaiah 40:23-24). This majestic depiction of God's unparalleled greatness provides the essential theological backdrop, explaining how such an exalted God can condescend to empower the weak and weary.
Historical & Cultural Context
The primary audience for this message of profound comfort was the Jewish people enduring the Babylonian exile. This period represented an epoch of immense national despair, cultural upheaval, and profound spiritual weariness. Stripped of their land, their sacred Temple, and their king, the exiles felt abandoned, powerless, and utterly defeated. The formidable Babylonian Empire, with its vast military might, impressive infrastructure, and seemingly invincible power, would have appeared as an insurmountable force, leading to deep despondency among the captives. In this context of overwhelming helplessness and exhaustion, the promise of God giving "power to the faint" directly addresses their deepest anxieties and offers a radical hope. It asserts that their God, unlike the localized and limited deities of Babylon, was not constrained by human circumstances or national defeat, but remained sovereign and capable of empowering His people. Culturally, strength was often synonymous with military prowess, physical endurance, and self-sufficiency, making God's promise to provide strength to those with "no might" a revolutionary subversion of conventional power dynamics.
Key Themes
Isaiah 40:29 significantly contributes to several overarching theological and narrative themes woven throughout the book of Isaiah. It powerfully articulates the theme of God's Incomparable Greatness and Sovereignty, presenting a stark contrast between His infinite, inexhaustible power and the inherent frailty and transient nature of human strength. It profoundly highlights the theme of Divine Compassion and Provision, demonstrating God's active, tender care for His weary and downtrodden people, especially those who feel their strength has utterly failed them (compare with Isaiah 41:10). Furthermore, this verse introduces and firmly establishes the theme of Renewal and Endurance through God, a concept further developed in the subsequent verse, Isaiah 40:31. This later verse reveals that waiting on the Lord is the divinely appointed means by which strength is renewed, enabling believers to "mount up with wings as eagles," symbolizing a supernatural capacity for perseverance and transcendence over life's difficulties.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Derived from the root "to be fatigued," this term describes a state of profound weariness, exhaustion, or being utterly faint. It denotes a condition where one's physical, emotional, or even spiritual resources are completely drained, leaving them without any internal capacity to continue. The use of this word underscores the depth of human weakness and depletion that God specifically targets with His intervention.
This word refers to inherent ability, power, or strength, often in the sense of one's personal capacity, vigor, or resources. The phrase "no might" (Hebrew: אֵין אֹון, ʼên ʼôwn) signifies a complete and absolute absence of personal strength or capability. It emphasizes the individual's utter dependence on an external, divine source for power, highlighting the extent of human inadequacy that God's sovereign intervention is designed to overcome.
A primitive root meaning "to increase (in whatever respect)," "to multiply," or "to make great." This verb implies not merely a replenishment of lost strength to its original level, but rather an abundant, superabundant, or even overflowing supply. God does not just restore what was diminished; He provides an overflowing measure, indicating a dynamic, generous, and transformative act of empowerment that far surpasses mere sufficiency.
Verse Breakdown
"He giveth power to the faint"
This initial clause unequivocally establishes God as the active subject and the ultimate, benevolent source of strength. The Hebrew verb "giveth" (H5414, nâthan) conveys a sense of free, intentional, and generous bestowal. The recipients are precisely identified as "the faint," those who are utterly weary, depleted, and on the verge of collapse. This highlights God's particular and compassionate concern for the vulnerable and exhausted, demonstrating His active grace rather than judgment towards their weakness.
"and to them that have no might he increaseth strength"
This second clause functions in powerful synonymous parallelism, reiterating and intensifying the promise of the first. "Them that have no might" (literally, "those to whom there is no might") emphasizes a state of complete powerlessness and the total absence of inherent capability, reinforcing the idea of absolute human inability. The verb "increaseth" (H7235, râbâh) signifies not just providing strength, but multiplying it, providing an abundance that goes beyond the original need. This parallelism underscores the comprehensive and superabundant nature of God's provision, addressing both the state of being faint and the complete lack of inherent power.
Literary Devices
The verse predominantly employs Synonymous Parallelism, a hallmark of Hebrew poetry, where the second line echoes and amplifies the thought of the first line using different yet closely related words. "He giveth power to the faint" is powerfully paralleled by "to them that have no might he increaseth strength." This repetition serves to emphasize and deepen the core message of God's empowering action for the weak and exhausted. There is also a clear Contrast established between human frailty ("faint," "no might") and divine omnipotence ("giveth power," "increaseth strength"). This stark contrast magnificently magnifies the greatness and efficacy of God's intervention. Furthermore, the verse implicitly uses Metaphor where "power" and "strength" are presented as tangible, bestowable gifts that God imparts, making an abstract concept concrete and profoundly accessible to the weary listener.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Isaiah 40:29 beautifully encapsulates the profound biblical truth that God's strength is made perfect in human weakness, a theme woven throughout the entire tapestry of Scripture. It directly challenges the human tendency towards self-sufficiency and instead calls for a radical, absolute dependence on the divine. This verse assures us that our limitations and points of exhaustion are not barriers to God's work but are, in fact, prime opportunities for His power and glory to be displayed most clearly. It speaks volumes about God's character as a compassionate, ever-present Father who does not abandon His children in their weariness but actively intervenes to empower them for His purposes. This divine provision is not merely for physical endurance but extends profoundly to spiritual and emotional fortitude, enabling believers to persevere through trials, overcome despair, and faithfully fulfill their calling.
Reflection and Application
Isaiah 40:29 offers profound solace, a powerful reorientation, and an inexhaustible wellspring of hope for anyone experiencing deep exhaustion—be it physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. In a world that relentlessly values self-reliance, constant striving, and the relentless pursuit of personal achievement, this verse stands as a divine counter-cultural truth, reminding us that true, enduring strength is found not in our own depleted reserves, but in our humble surrender and radical dependence on God. When we reach the absolute end of our own capabilities, when we feel utterly "faint" and possess "no might" whatsoever, that is precisely the moment when God's infinite, inexhaustible power is most available and most profoundly manifested in our lives. This calls us to cultivate a posture of humility, acknowledging our inherent limitations, and consistently turning to God as our ultimate, unfailing source of renewal and empowerment. It encourages us to rest deeply in His sovereign care, knowing with certainty that He delights in empowering the weak to accomplish His will, transforming our profound weariness into a vibrant testimony of His inexhaustible grace and supernatural might.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this verse mean God will always remove my weariness or give me physical strength?
While God certainly can and often does provide physical and emotional strength, the primary emphasis of Isaiah 40:29 is on God's spiritual and inner empowerment, especially in the context of enduring trials, fulfilling His purposes, and maintaining faith. The "power" and "strength" God gives are not always the immediate removal of difficulty or physical burden, but rather the divine ability to persevere through it, to find resilience, and to maintain unwavering faith even when external circumstances remain challenging. It speaks to an inner fortitude that enables one to "run and not be weary, and walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31). This divine strength allows believers to face life's demands with supernatural capacity, whether that manifests as renewed physical energy or, more often, as spiritual endurance and profound peace in the midst of weakness, as powerfully articulated in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, where Paul found God's power perfected in his weakness.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Isaiah 40:29 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodies God's power given to the faint. Jesus, though fully God, willingly took on human weakness, experiencing exhaustion, hunger, and ultimately bearing the crushing weight of humanity's sin, yet He never faltered in His divine mission, continually empowered by the Holy Spirit (e.g., Luke 4:14). He is our empathetic High Priest who intimately understands our weaknesses, having been tempted in every way, yet without sin, making Him uniquely qualified to succor us in our need (Hebrews 4:15). Through His atoning work on the cross, Christ decisively broke the power of sin and death, offering not just temporary strength but eternal life and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who is the very source of all spiritual power for believers (Acts 1:8). As believers, we are intimately united with Christ, and His resurrection power now actively works within us, enabling us to do "all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). Thus, the ancient promise of God increasing strength to the powerless is gloriously fulfilled in the new life we have in Christ, where His strength is made perfect in our weakness, allowing us to draw from His inexhaustible supply of grace and power for every challenge and every good work (Ephesians 3:16).