Isaiah 40:3
New International Version
A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

New Living Translation
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!

English Standard Version
A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Berean Standard Bible
A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.

New American Standard Bible
The voice of one calling out, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

NASB 1995
A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

NASB 1977
A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

Legacy Standard Bible
A voice is calling, “Prepare the way for Yahweh in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

Amplified Bible
A voice of one is calling out, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness [remove the obstacles]; Make straight and smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

Christian Standard Bible
A voice of one crying out: Prepare the way of the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
A voice of one crying out: Prepare the way of the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.

American Standard Version
The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God.

Contemporary English Version
Someone is shouting: "Clear a path in the desert! Make a straight road for the LORD our God.

English Revised Version
The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
A voice cries out in the desert: "Clear a way for the LORD. Make a straight highway in the wilderness for our God.

Good News Translation
A voice cries out, "Prepare in the wilderness a road for the LORD! Clear the way in the desert for our God!

International Standard Version
A voice cries out: 'In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; and in the desert a straight highway for our God.'

Majority Standard Bible
A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.

NET Bible
A voice cries out, "In the wilderness clear a way for the LORD; construct in the desert a road for our God.

New Heart English Bible
The voice of one who calls out in the wilderness, "Prepare the way of the LORD. Make his roads straight.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
The voice of one who calls out, “Prepare the way of Yahweh in the wilderness! Make a level highway in the desert for our God.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
A voice is crying in a wilderness: “Prepare the way of YHWH, "" Make straight in a desert a highway for our God.

Young's Literal Translation
A voice is crying -- in a wilderness -- Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, Make straight in a desert a highway to our God.

Smith's Literal Translation
The voice of him calling in the desert, Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, make straight in the sterile region a highway for our God.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the wilderness the paths of our God.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight the paths of our God, in a solitary place.

New American Bible
A voice proclaims: In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!

New Revised Standard Version
A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The voice that cried out in the wilderness: “Return to the road for LORD JEHOVAH and straighten in the plain the street for our God
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Hark! one calleth: 'Clear ye in the wilderness the way of the LORD, Make plain in the desert A highway for our God.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Prepare the Way for the LORD
2“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her forced labor has been completed; her iniquity has been pardoned. For she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.” 3A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. 4Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain.…

Cross References
Matthew 3:3
This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”

Mark 1:2-3
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way.” / “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”

Luke 3:4-6
as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him. / Every valley shall be filled in, and every mountain and hill made low. The crooked ways shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth. / And all humanity will see God’s salvation.’”

John 1:23
John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: “I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

Malachi 3:1
“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He is coming,” says the LORD of Hosts.

Malachi 4:5-6
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD. / And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

Matthew 11:10
This is the one about whom it is written: ‘Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’

Mark 1:4
John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Luke 1:76
And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him,

John 3:28
You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.’

Exodus 23:20
Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.

Psalm 68:4
Sing to God! Sing praises to His name. Exalt Him who rides on the clouds—His name is the LORD—and rejoice before Him.

Psalm 78:52
He led out His people like sheep and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.

Psalm 107:4
Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no path to a city in which to dwell.

Isaiah 57:14
And it will be said, “Build it up, build it up, prepare the way, take every obstacle out of the way of My people.”


Treasury of Scripture

The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

the voice

Matthew 3:1-3
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, …

Mark 1:2-5
As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee…

Luke 3:2-6
Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness…

prepare

Isaiah 35:8
And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

Isaiah 57:14
And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.

Isaiah 62:10,11
Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people…

make

Isaiah 11:15,16
And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod…

Isaiah 43:19
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 49:11
And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.

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Isaiah 40
1. The promulgation of the Gospel
3. The preaching of John Baptist foretold
9. The preaching of the apostles foretold
12. The prophet, by the omnipotence of God
18. And his incomparableness
26. Comforts the people.














A voice of one calling
This phrase introduces a prophetic voice, often understood as a herald or messenger. In the Hebrew text, the word for "voice" is "qol," which signifies a sound or proclamation. Historically, this has been associated with John the Baptist, as referenced in the New Testament (Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4, John 1:23), who prepared the way for Jesus Christ. The imagery of a voice calling out in the wilderness evokes the idea of divine communication breaking into the silence, a call to attention and action.

In the wilderness
The wilderness, or "midbar" in Hebrew, is a significant biblical motif. It represents a place of testing, transformation, and encounter with God. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, and it was in the wilderness that they received the Law. The wilderness is both a literal and metaphorical space where God prepares His people for new beginnings. In the context of Isaiah, it symbolizes the spiritual barrenness of Israel and the need for renewal and repentance.

Prepare the way for the LORD
The call to "prepare" (Hebrew: "panah") suggests making ready or clearing obstacles. This preparation is not merely physical but spiritual, calling for repentance and a return to righteousness. The "way" (Hebrew: "derek") refers to a path or road, symbolizing the journey of faith and obedience. The "LORD" (Yahweh) is the covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal presence and faithfulness. This preparation is for the coming of God Himself, highlighting the anticipation of divine intervention and salvation.

Make straight in the desert
The command to "make straight" (Hebrew: "yashar") implies leveling and removing hindrances. In ancient times, roads were prepared for the arrival of kings, ensuring a smooth and direct path. The "desert" (Hebrew: "arabah") is a dry, barren place, yet it is here that the path is to be made straight. This signifies that even in desolation, God's way can be established, bringing hope and restoration.

A highway for our God
The "highway" (Hebrew: "mesillah") is a raised road, indicating a prominent and accessible route. This imagery conveys the majesty and authority of God, who is coming to redeem His people. The phrase "for our God" personalizes the relationship, affirming that this is not just any deity, but the God of Israel, who is intimately involved with His people. The highway symbolizes the readiness and openness required to receive God's presence and blessings.

(3) The voice of him that crieth . . .--The laws of Hebrew parallelism require a different punctuation: A voice of one crying, In the wilderness, prepare ye . . . The passage is memorable as having been deliberately taken by the Baptist as defining his own mission (John 1:23). As here the herald is not named, so he was content to efface himself--to be a voice or nothing. The image is drawn from the march of Eastern kings, who often boast, as in the Assyrian inscriptions of Sennacherib and Assurbanipal (Records of the Past, i. 95, vii. 64), of the roads they have made in trackless deserts. The wilderness is that which lay between the Euphrates and Judah, the journey of the exiles through it reminding the prophet of the older wanderings in the wilderness of Sin (Psalm 68:7; Judges 5:4). The words are an echo of the earlier thought of Isaiah 35:8. We are left to conjecture to whom the command is addressed: tribes of the desert, angelic ministers, kings and rulers--the very vagueness giving a grand universality. So, again, we are not told whether the "way of Jehovah" is that on which He comes to meet His people, or on which He goes before and guides them. The analogy of the marches of the Exodus makes the latter view the more probable.

Verse 3. - The voice of him that crieth; rather, the voice of one that crieth. A voice sounds in the prophet's ear, crying to repentance. For God to come down on earth, for his glory to be revealed in any signal way, by the restoration of a nation, or the revelation of himself in Christ, or the final establishment of his kingdom, the "way" must be first "prepared" for him. The hearts of the disobedient must be turned to the wisdom of the just. In the wilderness; either, "the wilderness of this world" (Kay), or "the wilderness separating Babylonia from Palestine" (Delitzsch), in a part of which John the Baptist afterwards preached. Prepare ye the way of the Lord. The "way of the Lord" is "the way of holiness" (Isaiah 35:8). There is one only mode of "preparing" it - the mode adopted by John Baptist (Matthew 3:2-12), the mode pointed out by the angel who announced him (Luke 1:17), the mode insisted on in the Collect for the Third Sunday in Advent. The voice enjoins on the prophets of the captive nation to prepare the hearts of the people for the coming manifestation of God.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
A voice
ק֣וֹל (qō·wl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

of one calling:
קוֹרֵ֔א (qō·w·rê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

“Prepare
פַּנּ֖וּ (pan·nū)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 6437: To turn, to face, appear, look

the way
דֶּ֣רֶךְ (de·reḵ)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

for the LORD
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

in the wilderness;
בַּמִּדְבָּ֕ר (bam·miḏ·bār)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech

make a straight
יַשְּׁרוּ֙ (yaš·šə·rū)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 3474: To be straight, even, to be, right, pleasant, prosperous

highway
מְסִלָּ֖ה (mə·sil·lāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4546: A thoroughfare, a viaduct, a staircase

for our God
לֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ (lê·lō·hê·nū)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

in the desert.
בָּעֲרָבָ֔ה (bā·‘ă·rā·ḇāh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6160: Arabah -- a steppe or desert plain, also a desert valley running south from the Sea of Galilee


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 40:3 The voice of one who calls out (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 40:2
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