Isaiah 40:9

“On a high mountain go up, Zion, you who bring good news; lift up with strength your voice, Jerusalem, you who bring good news; lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Look, your Elohim!””
Isaiah 40:9 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

Onעַלa highגָּבֹהַmountainהַרgo up,עֲלִי לָךְZion,צִיּוֹןyou who bring good news;מְבַשֶּׂרֶתlift upהָרִימִיwith strengthבַכֹּחַyour voice,קוֹלֵךְJerusalem,יְרוּשָׁלִָםyou who bring good news;מְבַשֶּׂרֶתlift it up,הָרִימִיdo notאַלfear;תִּירָאִיsayאִמְרִיto the citiesלְעָרֵיof Judah,יְהוּדָה“Look,הִנֵּהyour Elohim!”אֱלֹהֵיכֶם

Quotation · John 12:15

Go to John 12:15

“Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion” recalls Isaiah 40:9 and Zephaniah 3:16; the rest of the quotation is Zechariah 9:9.

Formula: καθώς ἐστιν γεγραμμένον “as it is written” (John 12:14)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: Μὴ φοβοῦ θυγάτηρ Σιών ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεύς σου ἔρχεται καθήμενος ἐπὶ πῶλον ὄνου

Hebrew (Masoretic text): עַל הַר גָּבֹהַ עֲלִי לָךְ מְבַשֶּׂרֶת צִיּוֹן הָרִימִי בַכֹּחַ קוֹלֵךְ מְבַשֶּׂרֶת יְרוּשָׁלִָם הָרִימִי אַל תִּירָאִי אִמְרִי לְעָרֵי יְהוּדָה הִנֵּה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם

Septuagint (Isaiah 40:9-10 in the Septuagint numbering): Ἐπ ὄρος ὑψηλὸν ἀνάβηθι, ὁ εὐαγγελιζόμενος Σιών· ὕψωσον τῇ ἰσχύι τὴν φωνήν σου, ὃ εὐαγγελιζόμενος Ἰερουσαλήμ· ὑψώσατε, μὴ φοιδον. .ιδοσαν] βεῖσθε· εἶπόν ταῖς πόλεσιν Ἰούδα Ἰδοὺ ὃ θεὸς ὑμῶν. Ἰδοὺ Κύριος μετὰ. ἰσχύος ἔρχεται, καὶ ὅ βραχίων αὐτοῦ μετὰ κυρίας· ἰδοὺ ὃ μισθὸς αὐτοῦ μετ’ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ ἔργον ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ.

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, at most 2 consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

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

Isaiah 40:9, word by word

a highגָּבֹהַgavoha

tall

Rising far above the ground: a mountain, a wall, a tree, a horn.

Where else “gavoha” appears

mountainהַרhar

mountain

A great rise of land, like Sinai or Zion.

Where else “har” appears

go upעֲלִיali

go up

To go from a low place to a higher one: up the mountain, to Jerusalem or to a city.

Where else “ali” appears

Zionצִיּוֹןtsiyon

Zion

See it on the map Where else “tsiyon” appears

you who bring good newsמְבַשֶּׂרֶתmevaseret

proclaim

To make known the good things God does.

Where else “mevaseret” appears

lift upהָרִימִיharimi

lift up

To put on high: to raise the voice, praise God, or be God lifting up the lowly.

Where else “harimi” appears

with strengthכֹּחַkoach

strength

Ability to do something: bodily strength or power to command.

Where else “koach” appears

your voiceקוֹלֵkole

voice

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

Where else “kole” appears

Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִָםyerushalaim

Jerusalem

See it on the map Where else “yerushalaim” appears

fearתִּירָאִיtirai

fear

To feel fear before danger or before someone stronger.

Where else “tirai” appears

sayאִמְרִיimri

say

To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.

Where else “imri” appears

to the citiesעָרֵיare

city

A settled place protected by a wall, with a gate and houses.

Where else “are” appears

of Judahיְהוּדָהyehuda

Judah

Judah, the fourth son of Jacob and Leah; also the tribe that came from him and its land, and later the southern kingdom; King David came from it. The name sounds like "give thanks". Borne also by other Israelites.

Where else “yehuda” appears

your Elohimאֱלֹהֵיelohe

Elohim

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

Where else “elohe” appears

Translation note

It can also be understood: “you who bring good news to Zion… to Jerusalem.”

Parallel passages

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

Quotation · John 12:15

“Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion” recalls Isaiah 40:9 and Zephaniah 3:16; the rest of the quotation is Zechariah 9:9.

See them side by side

Isaiah 40:9

⁹On a high mountain go up, Zion, you who bring good news; lift up with strength your voice, Jerusalem, you who bring good news; lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Look, your Elohim!”

John 12:15

¹⁵“Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion; look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

1Zion
Today: Mount Zion hill, Jerusalem
A hill in Jerusalem; it first named the fortress David captured, and later sometimes the whole city.
David captured the stronghold of Zion and called it the city of David (2 Sam 5:7). The Psalms and prophets call it the place where God lives among his people (Ps 48:2).
2 Samuel 5:7 Psalms 48:2 Hebrews 12:22 Romans 9:33
2Jerusalem
Today: Old City of Jerusalem
A city in the hills of Judea, about 22 miles (35 km) west of the Dead Sea and 35 miles (55 km) east of the Mediterranean.
David took it and made it his city (2 Sam 5:7); Solomon built the temple there (1 Kgs 8:1). Jesus was presented there, and the apostles' witness began from it (Luke 2:22; Acts 1:8).
2 Samuel 5:6 1 Kings 8:1 Luke 2:22 Acts 1:8

The context

8The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our Elohim will stand forever.”

9 · This verse (above)

10Look, Adonai YHWH comes with might, and his arm rules for him; look, his reward is with him, and his wages before him.

Read all of Isaiah 40

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