Isaiah 40:3

“A voice calls out: “In the wilderness clear the way of YHWH; make straight in the Arabah a highway for our Elohim.”
Isaiah 40:3 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

A voiceקוֹלcalls out:קוֹרֵא“In the wildernessבַּמִּדְבָּרclearפַּנּוּthe wayדֶּרֶךְof YHWH;יְהוָהmake straightיַשְּׁרוּin the Arabahבָּעֲרָבָהa highwayמְסִלָּהfor our Elohim.לֵאלֹהֵינוּ

Quotation · Matthew 3:3

Go to Matthew 3:3

In the Hebrew, “in the wilderness” goes with “clear the way”; in Matthew it goes with “a voice of one crying out.” Where the Hebrew says “the way of YHWH,” Matthew says “the way of the Lord.”

Formula: ὁ ῥηθεὶς διὰ Ἠσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος “the one spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, when he says” (Matthew 3:3)

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Greek of the New Testament: οὗτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ῥηθεὶς διὰ Ἠσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ

Hebrew (Masoretic text): קוֹל קוֹרֵא בַּמִּדְבָּר פַּנּוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְהוָה יַשְּׁרוּ בָּעֲרָבָה מְסִלָּה לֵאלֹהֵינוּ

Septuagint (Isaiah 40:3 in the Septuagint numbering): Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδόν Κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 13 consecutive words: “Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · John 1:23

Go to John 1:23

John the Immerser answers who he is with the words of Isaiah. As in Matthew 3:3, “in the wilderness” goes with “a voice of one crying out.”

Formula: καθὼς εἶπεν Ἠσαΐας ὁ προφήτης “as Isaiah the prophet said” (John 1:23)

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Greek of the New Testament: ἔφη Ἐγὼ φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Εὐθύνατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου καθὼς εἶπεν Ἠσαΐας ὁ προφήτης

Hebrew (Masoretic text): קוֹל קוֹרֵא בַּמִּדְבָּר פַּנּוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְהוָה יַשְּׁרוּ בָּעֲרָבָה מְסִלָּה לֵאלֹהֵינוּ

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 5 consecutive words: “φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · Mark 1:3

Go to Mark 1:3

Mark quotes Isaiah 40:3, after a phrase from Exodus 23:20 and Malachi 3:1. “In the wilderness” goes with “a voice of one crying out”; in the Hebrew, with “clear the way.”

Formula: Καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν τῷ Ἠσαΐᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ “as it is written in Isaiah the prophet” (Mark 1:2)

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Greek of the New Testament: φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ

Hebrew (Masoretic text): קוֹל קוֹרֵא בַּמִּדְבָּר פַּנּוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְהוָה יַשְּׁרוּ בָּעֲרָבָה מְסִלָּה לֵאלֹהֵינוּ

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 13 consecutive words: “φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · Luke 3:4-6

Go to Luke 3:4-6

Luke quotes Isaiah 40:3-5, longer than Matthew and Mark. Where the Hebrew says “all flesh together will see it” (the glory of YHWH), Luke says “all flesh will see the salvation of God.”

Formula: ὡς γέγραπται ἐν βίβλῳ λόγων Ἠσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου “as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet” (Luke 3:4)

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Greek of the New Testament: ὡς γέγραπται ἐν βίβλῳ λόγων Ἠσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ πᾶσα φάραγξ πληρωθήσεται καὶ πᾶν ὄρος καὶ βουνὸς ταπεινωθήσεται καὶ ἔσται τὰ σκολιὰ εἰς εὐθείαν καὶ αἱ τραχεῖαι εἰς ὁδοὺς λείας καὶ ὄψεται πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ

Hebrew (Masoretic text): קוֹל קוֹרֵא בַּמִּדְבָּר פַּנּוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְהוָה יַשְּׁרוּ בָּעֲרָבָה מְסִלָּה לֵאלֹהֵינוּ כָּל גֶּיא יִנָּשֵׂא וְכָל הַר וְגִבְעָה יִשְׁפָּלוּ וְהָיָה הֶעָקֹב לְמִישׁוֹר וְהָרְכָסִים לְבִקְעָה וְנִגְלָה כְּבוֹד יְהוָה וְרָאוּ כָל בָּשָׂר יַחְדָּו כִּי פִּי יְהוָה דִּבֵּר

Septuagint (Isaiah 40:3-6 in the Septuagint numbering): Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδόν Κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν. πᾶσα φάραγξ πληρωθήσεται, καὶ πᾶν ὅρος καὶ βουνὸς ταπεινωθήσεται· καὶ ἔσται τὰ, σκολιὰ εἷς εὐθεῖαν, καὶ ἡ τραχεῖα εἷς ὁδοὺς λείας, καὶ ὀφθήσεται ἡ δόξα Κυρίου, καὶ ὄψεται πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅτι Κύριος ἐλάλησεν. Φωνὴ λέγοντος Βόησον. καὶ εἶπα Τί βοήσω; Πᾶσα σὰρξ χόρτος, καὶ πᾶσα δόξα ἀνθρώπου ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου·

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 16 consecutive words: “πᾶσα φάραγξ πληρωθήσεται καὶ πᾶν ὄρος καὶ βουνὸς ταπεινωθήσεται καὶ ἔσται τὰ σκολιὰ εἰς εὐθείαν καὶ.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Isaiah 40:3, word by word

A voiceקוֹלkol

voice

What is heard when someone speaks or sings; also the voice of God.

Where else “kol” appears

calls outקוֹרֵאkore

proclaim

To announce aloud.

Where else “kore” appears

“In the wildernessמִּדְבָּרmidbar

wilderness

Dry, unfarmed land where flocks graze.

Where else “midbar” appears

clearפַּנּוּpanu

clear

To clear a place for someone about to come in.

Where else “panu” appears

the wayדֶּרֶךְderech

ways of YHWH

YHWH's ways: what he does and commands.

Where else “derech” appears

of YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears

make straightיַשְּׁרוּyashru

make straight

To keep a true course, or level the way.

Where else “yashru” appears

in the Arabahעֲרָבָהarava

Arabah

The valley of the Jordan and the Dead Sea.

Where else “arava” appears

a highwayמְסִלָּהmesila

highway

Highway: a main road, raised and leveled.

Where else “mesila” appears

for our Elohimאלֹהֵיlohe

Elohim

The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.

Where else “lohe” appears

Translation note

The four Gospels apply this verse to John the Immerser (Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23), in these words: “A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord.”

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Matthew 3:3

See them side by side

Isaiah 40:3

³A voice calls out: “In the wilderness clear the way of YHWH; make straight in the Arabah a highway for our Elohim.

Matthew 3:3

³For this is the one spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, when he says, “A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”

Quotation · John 1:23

John the Immerser answers who he is with the words of Isaiah. As in Matthew 3:3, “in the wilderness” goes with “a voice of one crying out.”

See them side by side

Isaiah 40:3

³A voice calls out: “In the wilderness clear the way of YHWH; make straight in the Arabah a highway for our Elohim.

John 1:23

²³He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Quotation · Mark 1:3

Mark quotes Isaiah 40:3, after a phrase from Exodus 23:20 and Malachi 3:1. “In the wilderness” goes with “a voice of one crying out”; in the Hebrew, with “clear the way.”

See them side by side

Isaiah 40:3

³A voice calls out: “In the wilderness clear the way of YHWH; make straight in the Arabah a highway for our Elohim.

Mark 1:3

³a voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”

Quotation · Luke 3:4-6

Luke quotes Isaiah 40:3-5, longer than Matthew and Mark. Where the Hebrew says “all flesh together will see it” (the glory of YHWH), Luke says “all flesh will see the salvation of God.”

See them side by side

Isaiah 40:3

³A voice calls out: “In the wilderness clear the way of YHWH; make straight in the Arabah a highway for our Elohim.

Luke 3:4-6

⁴as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

The context

2“Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call out to her that her service is completed, that her iniquity is paid off, that she has received from the hand of YHWH double for all her sins.”

3 · This verse (above)

4Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be made low; and the crooked will become a plain, and the rough places a broad valley.

Read all of Isaiah 40

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