Isaiah 40:3 kjv
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.
Isaiah 40:3 nkjv
The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.
Isaiah 40:3 niv
A voice of one calling: "In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Isaiah 40:3 esv
A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Isaiah 40:3 nlt
Listen! It's the voice of someone shouting,
"Clear the way through the wilderness
for the LORD!
Make a straight highway through the wasteland
for our God!
Isaiah 40 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 40:3 | "A voice is calling: 'In the wilderness prepare the way..." | Fulfillment: Matthew 3:3 (John the Baptist's ministry) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert..." | Fulfillment: Mark 1:3 (John the Baptist's ministry) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "make straight in the desert a highway for our God." | Fulfillment: Luke 3:4 (John the Baptist's ministry) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:" | Fulfillment: John 1:23 (John the Baptist identified) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "Prepare the way of the LORD, make his paths straight." | Repetition: Isaiah 57:14 (Parallel emphasis) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "The highways shall be deserted, the roads not exist..." | Context: Isaiah 35:8-9 (Desert transformed) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "See, I am sending my messenger, and he will clear the way before me." | Fulfillment: Malachi 3:1 (Precursor messenger) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "and the glory of the LORD will be revealed..." | Fulfillment: Isaiah 40:5 (Consequence of preparation) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "and all flesh shall see it together..." | Fulfillment: Isaiah 40:5 (Universal scope) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "make the desert floor level." | Imagery: Isaiah 40:4 (Smoothing the path) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "every mountain and hill made low..." | Imagery: Isaiah 40:4 (Leveling the terrain) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "the rough ground made smooth..." | Imagery: Isaiah 40:4 (Making passage easy) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "and the rugged places a plain." | Imagery: Isaiah 40:4 (Removing obstacles) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "A voice says, 'Cry out!'..." | Fulfillment: Isaiah 40:6 (The announcer's command) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "What shall I cry?" | Fulfillment: Isaiah 40:6 (Question from the announcer) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "all flesh is grass..." | Fulfillment: Isaiah 40:6 (Nature of humanity) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "and all its loyalty like the flowers of the field." | Fulfillment: Isaiah 40:7 (Transience of human efforts) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "The grass withers, the flowers fade..." | Fulfillment: Isaiah 40:7 (Fleetingness) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "But the word of our God stands forever." | Fulfillment: Isaiah 40:8 (Endurance of God's Word) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "Behold, the LORD God comes with might..." | Fulfillment: Isaiah 40:10 (God's powerful arrival) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "his reward is with him..." | Fulfillment: Isaiah 40:10 (Divine recompense) |
| Isaiah 40:3 | "he will feed his flock like a shepherd..." | Fulfillment: Isaiah 40:11 (Shepherding care) |
Isaiah 40 verses
Isaiah 40 3 Meaning
A voice calls out in the wilderness, announcing the preparation of a way for the Lord. This message signifies a divine intervention, a call to make straight paths for God's arrival, heralding a significant period of restoration and salvation.
Isaiah 40 3 Context
Isaiah chapter 40 marks a significant shift in the prophecy, often called the "Book of Comfort" or the "Second Isaiah." The immediate context is the Babylonian exile. The Israelites are in a state of despair, believing God has abandoned them. This chapter addresses that despair by proclaiming God's imminent return and restoration. It's a message of hope, assuring them that their time of punishment is over and that God will deliver them. The imagery of preparing a way in the wilderness reflects the logistical preparations for a royal procession, but here it symbolizes God's direct, powerful intervention in history to bring His people home and to re-establish His presence.
Isaiah 40 3 Word Analysis
קול (qol): Voice, sound. This is the initial call, the audible signal announcing God's action.
קֹרֵא (qore): A caller, a crier. This participle emphasizes an active, ongoing declaration.
בַּמִּדְבָּר (bamidbar): In the wilderness, in the desert. The wilderness was often seen as a place of spiritual testing and encounter with God (e.g., Israel's journey after the Exodus, Elijah's sojourn). Here, it signifies a place of desolation needing preparation, a place where God will reveal His power. It's also where His people had first encountered Him directly in a unique way.
פְּנוּ (pənu): Turn, turn yourselves, prepare. This imperative verb calls for an action of reorientation and preparation.
דֶּרֶךְ (derekh): Way, path, road, journey. It signifies a route or a method of passage.
יְהוָה (YHWH): LORD. The personal covenant name of God, emphasizing His active involvement and faithfulness to His promises.
יָשָׁר (yashar): Straight, right, smooth, level. It conveys the idea of removing obstacles and making a clear, unobstructed path.
בָּעֲרָבָה (baʿărāḇāh): In the Arabah, in the plain, in the desert. Similar to bamidbar, reinforcing the desolate, uncultivated setting. The Arabah is specifically the Rift Valley south of the Sea of Galilee.
גְּדֶרֶת (gəḏeræt): A raised causeway, a highway, a level way. This contrasts with the natural roughness of the desert, indicating engineered or specially prepared terrain for an important journey.
Voice crying: The personification of a herald announcing the king's arrival.
Prepare the way: Not just making a path, but actively removing obstacles, leveling ground, and creating a direct route for a royal procession, implying God's imminent and direct intervention.
Wilderness: A stark, uninhabited place made habitable and traversable by God's power, a fitting stage for a divine revelation.
Straight path: The path is to be unobstructed and direct, symbolizing the removal of sin and obstacles to righteousness in the people's lives and the removal of barriers for their return and restoration.
Highway for our God: Not just a road, but a grand, elevated path signifying the glory and majesty of God's approach.
Isaiah 40 3 Bonus Section
The prophecy of Isaiah 40:3-5 is remarkable for its multifaceted fulfillment. It's understood to apply in a primary sense to the physical return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon, necessitating preparations for their journey. More profoundly, it finds its ultimate fulfillment in the coming of John the Baptist, who preached repentance in the wilderness and heralded Jesus as the Messiah, the "Way" into God's presence (John 14:6). John's ministry directly echoed this Isaiahic commission. Furthermore, the imagery of leveling mountains and filling valleys can also be interpreted spiritually, representing the transformative work of God in believers' lives, making them ready to receive Christ. Scholars highlight how this prophetic call for a highway echoes ancient Near Eastern practices where conquerors or kings would proclaim preparations for their journey.
Isaiah 40 3 Commentary
This verse serves as a pivotal announcement, painting a vivid picture of divine action. God is not arriving through conventional means but is actively orchestrating His own entrance into history. The call to "prepare the way" is a spiritual mandate. It’s about clearing the moral and spiritual obstacles from the heart, making oneself and one's community receptive to God's presence. The transformation of the wilderness into a highway signifies God's power to redeem and restore, turning desolate situations into pathways of hope and divine encounter. This preparation is for our God, emphasizing His closeness and relationship with His people.