Isaiah 49:11 kjv
And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
Isaiah 49:11 nkjv
I will make each of My mountains a road, And My highways shall be elevated.
Isaiah 49:11 niv
I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up.
Isaiah 49:11 esv
And I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be raised up.
Isaiah 49:11 nlt
And I will make my mountains into level paths for them.
The highways will be raised above the valleys.
Isaiah 49 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 49:11 | I will make all my mountains a road; my highways will be raised up. | God's powerful provision for His people's return |
| Isa 40:3-5 | A voice of one calling: "In the wilderness prepare the way... Every valley shall be raised up..." | Preparation for God's people to return |
| Zech 10:10-11 | I will bring them back... I will drive them through the sea... Egypt's pride will be humbled... | God's restoration of His people from exile |
| Jer 16:14-15 | "...the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when it will no longer be said, 'As the LORD lives who brought the Israelites out of Egypt,' but, 'As the LORD lives who brought the Israelites out of the land of the north...'" | A new exodus |
| Jer 31:7-9 | He will bring them back from the land of the north... with the blind and the lame... | God's merciful gathering of His dispersed people |
| Ps 23:2 | He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters | God's gentle guidance and provision |
| Ps 84:5-6 | ...whose path leads through the valley of Baka, turns it into a spring of water... | God's blessing on those who trust Him |
| Hos 2:14-15 | "...I will give her back her vineyards from there... the Valley of Achor for a door of hope." | Restoration and renewed hope |
| John 10:11 | "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." | Christ as the caring shepherd and guide |
| John 14:6 | Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." | Christ as the ultimate path and access |
| Rev 7:16-17 | "Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst... For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water." | The Lamb's care for His people in glory |
| Luke 3:4-6 | "Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough places smooth." | John the Baptist's ministry, echoing Isaiah's prophecy |
| Acts 1:9-11 | After he said this, he was taken up into a cloud... "This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." | The promise of Jesus' second coming |
| Heb 11:13-16 | All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. ... But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly one. | Abraham's looking for a city |
| Ps 121:1-2 | I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. | Trusting God for guidance and help |
| Isa 25:6-8 | On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples... He will swallow up death forever... | God's ultimate salvation and restoration |
| Isa 60:11 | Your gates will always stand open... so that people may bring wealth... | Prosperity through return to God's favor |
| Mic 7:14-15 | Tend your flock, your people... As in the days when you came out of Egypt, I will show them | |
| wondrous works. | God's past and future redemptive acts |
Isaiah 49 verses
Isaiah 49 11 Meaning
This verse describes a future, triumphant return for God's people, a second exodus, marked by ease and abundant provision. It assures them of God's powerful intervention to guide and care for them as they come back to their homeland from a place of dispersion.
Isaiah 49 11 Context
This verse is part of the larger prophecy in Isaiah 40-66, often called "Second Isaiah." This section addresses the people of Israel in exile in Babylon. It speaks of comfort, restoration, and a future return to Jerusalem and the land of Israel. Chapter 49 specifically focuses on the suffering and future exaltation of the "Servant of the LORD," which many scholars see as a Messianic prophecy pointing to Jesus Christ. This verse offers assurance to the exiles about the ease and certainty of their future journey home, a theme reminiscent of the first Exodus from Egypt.
Isaiah 49 11 Word analysis
I: The pronoun refers to the LORD God.
will make: Indicates a future, certain action of God.
all: Emphasizes completeness and totality.
my: Possessive, showing ownership and care over the mountains.
mountains: Represents natural obstacles and barriers that make travel difficult.
a road: Signifies a pathway, a clear and accessible route.
my: Again, possessive, highlighting God's ownership and intention.
highways: Denotes main routes, major thoroughfares.
will be raised up: Implies elevation and improvement of the existing routes, making them smooth, wide, and easily traversable. This also suggests transforming difficult terrain into something easily navigated, signifying God's intervention to remove obstacles.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "all my mountains a road": This imagery signifies the removal of all obstacles to the return. Natural impediments that would hinder a large group of people are made into smooth, accessible pathways. This is not just a physical transformation but a testament to divine power over creation.
- "my highways will be raised up": This suggests an improvement or even the creation of new, elevated, and unobstructed routes. It emphasizes the superior quality and ease of the journey God will provide, far beyond what natural highways could offer.
Isaiah 49 11 Bonus section
The imagery of highways being "raised up" can also be understood as God's grace and glory elevating His people, making them prominent and honored as they return. This is not merely about convenience but about divine vindication and a public demonstration of His power and love. The promise echoes God's previous miraculous provision during the Exodus from Egypt, emphasizing a new and even greater demonstration of His power to restore His people from their furthest dispersions. This sets a precedent for future restorations, ultimately fulfilled in the spiritual return to God through Jesus Christ, where the path to eternal life is made clear and accessible to all who believe.
Isaiah 49 11 Commentary
God promises to transform challenging landscapes into easy paths for His people's return from exile. This speaks to His ultimate power to remove all hindrances and provide for His redeemed. The mountains, symbolizing obstacles and difficulties, will become accessible roads, and existing major routes will be elevated and improved for effortless passage. This imagery prefigures Christ as the way and the means by which we can come to God, overcoming all spiritual barriers. It points to the assurance of a secure and facilitated journey back to God's presence, both in this life and in the eternal kingdom.