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Isaiah 40:1

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¶ Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

Comfort {H5162} ye, comfort {H5162} ye my people {H5971}, saith {H559} your God {H430}.

"Comfort and keep comforting my people," says your God.

“Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God.

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

Commentary

Isaiah 40:1 opens a profound and pivotal section of the book of Isaiah, often referred to as the "Book of Comfort" (chapters 40-66). This verse serves as a direct, compassionate command from God, echoing His deep concern and unwavering love for His people.

Context

Historically, the book of Isaiah transitions significantly at chapter 40. The preceding chapters primarily focus on prophecies of judgment against Judah and surrounding nations due to their disobedience and idolatry. However, Isaiah 40:1 marks a dramatic shift towards messages of hope, restoration, and ultimate deliverance. The primary audience in view here is the Jewish people facing or enduring the Babylonian captivity. After years of exile and suffering, God sends a message of profound consolation, promising an end to their period of punishment and a glorious return to their homeland. This divine comfort underscores God's faithfulness to His covenant, even when His people have strayed.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Divine Initiative of Comfort: The command "Comfort ye, comfort ye" comes directly from God ("saith your God"). It's not a human suggestion but a divine imperative, highlighting that true and lasting comfort originates solely from the Almighty.
  • Compassion for "My People": Despite their failures and the discipline they endured, God reaffirms His intimate relationship with Israel by calling them "my people." This signifies His enduring love and His commitment to His covenant promises.
  • Hope and Restoration: This verse is the inaugural call to hope after a period of despair. It heralds a new era of grace and restoration, preparing the way for the detailed prophecies of deliverance and the coming of the Messiah that follow in Isaiah.
  • God's Unwavering Faithfulness: The repetition of "comfort ye" emphasizes the certainty and urgency of God's promise. It assures His people that His character is immutable and His word is trustworthy, providing a foundation for their trust in His future actions.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "comfort" is nacham (נחם). Its repetition, "Comfort ye, comfort ye," is a literary device used to emphasize the intensity, certainty, and deep compassion of the message. It's not a casual offer of solace but a profound, heartfelt consolation from God Himself. The phrase "saith your God" reinforces the divine authority and the reliability of this promise, assuring the listeners that this comfort is not fleeting or conditional, but grounded in the very nature of God.

Practical Application

For believers today, Isaiah 40:1 remains a powerful source of spiritual comfort. It reminds us that no matter the trials, suffering, or periods of spiritual dryness we experience, God is always ready to offer His profound consolation. Just as He remembered His exiled people, He remembers us. This verse encourages us to turn to God as the ultimate source of comfort and to trust in His promises, knowing that His faithfulness endures through all generations. It also serves as a call for God's servants to be instruments of this divine comfort to others, speaking words of hope and encouragement to those who are hurting, much like the prophet Isaiah was called to do.

Cross-References

  • For further insight into God's character as the source of comfort, see 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.
  • The subsequent verses in Isaiah 40 build upon this message of comfort, particularly Isaiah 40:3, which speaks of preparing the way of the Lord.
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Cross-References

  • 2 Corinthians 1:4 (30 votes)

    Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

  • Isaiah 51:12 (26 votes)

    I, [even] I, [am] he that comforteth you: who [art] thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man [that] shall die, and of the son of man [which] shall be made [as] grass;

  • Isaiah 51:3 (19 votes)

    For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

  • Zephaniah 3:14 (18 votes)

    ¶ Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.

  • Zephaniah 3:17 (18 votes)

    The LORD thy God in the midst of thee [is] mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

  • 1 Thessalonians 4:18 (14 votes)

    Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

  • Zechariah 1:13 (13 votes)

    And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me [with] good words [and] comfortable words.