Then the lame will leap like a deer and the mute tongue will shout for joy. For waters will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then the lame man will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing; for waters will break out in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.
- KJV Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
- NKJV Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert.
- NASB Then those who limp will leap like a deer, And the tongue of those who cannot speak will shout for joy. For waters will burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert.
- NLT The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The lame will leap and the mute will sing as God brings life-giving waters to the desert.
Overview
Continuing the promise of restoration, Isaiah foresees physical healing joined with the springing up of water in barren places. These miracles signal the arrival of God's salvation and were enacted in Jesus' healing ministry. The imagery of water in the wilderness also points to the spiritual life Christ gives to the thirsty (John 7:37-38).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 32
- John 5:8–9Then Jesus told him, “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk.”
- John 7:37–39On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
- Luke 11:14One day Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. And when the demon was gone, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowds were amazed,
- Isa 32:4The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently.
- Ps 51:15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.
- Matt 9:32–33As they were leaving, a demon-possessed man who was mute was brought to Jesus.
- Matt 12:22Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed the man so that he could speak and see.
- Luke 1:64Immediately Zechariah’s mouth was opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak, praising God.
- Rev 22:17The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.
- Matt 21:14The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.
- Mark 9:17–25Someone in the crowd replied, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a spirit that makes him mute.
- Isa 43:19–20Behold, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
- Ps 78:15–16He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the seas.
- Isa 35:1The wilderness and the land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose.
- Exod 17:6Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.
- Zech 14:8And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the Eastern Sea and the other half toward the Western Sea, in summer and winter alike.
- Acts 14:8–10In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked.
- Isa 49:10–11They will not hunger or thirst, nor will scorching heat or sun beat down on them. For He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.
- Matt 11:5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
- Acts 8:7With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed.
- Mark 7:32–37Some people brought to Him a man who was deaf and hardly able to speak, and they begged Jesus to place His hand on him.
- Neh 9:15In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land which You had sworn to give them.
- Acts 3:2And a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those entering the temple courts.
- Ezek 47:1–11Then the man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar.
- Num 20:11Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink.
- Col 3:16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
- Matt 15:30–31Large crowds came to Him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and laid them at His feet, and He healed them.
- Ps 46:4There is a river whose streams delight the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.
- Rev 22:1Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
- Isa 41:17–18The poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
- Acts 3:6–8But Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”
- Isa 48:21They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts; He made water flow for them from the rock; He split the rock, and water gushed out.
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 35:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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