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But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB But those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.
  • BSB But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.
  • ESV but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
  • NKJV But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
  • NASB Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.
  • NLT But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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

Those who wait on the Lord have their strength renewed, soaring, running, and walking without fainting.

Overview

In contrast to failing human strength, those who hopefully wait upon God receive renewed, supernatural strength to endure. The progression from soaring to walking suggests sustaining grace for every season of life. This beloved promise points to the strength found in Christ, who upholds His people to the end.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 35

  • Lam 3:25–26The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
  • 2 Cor 4:16For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
  • Ps 27:13–14I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
  • Ps 103:5Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
  • 2 Cor 12:9–10And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
  • Heb 12:1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
  • Gal 6:9And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
  • Rom 8:25But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
  • Isa 30:18And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
  • Ps 84:7They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
  • Ps 37:34Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
  • Luke 18:1And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
  • 2 Cor 4:8–10We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
  • Isa 25:9And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
  • Ps 138:3In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
  • Ps 25:5Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
  • Ps 25:3Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
  • Exod 19:4Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.
  • Heb 12:3For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
  • 2 Cor 1:8–10For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
  • Ps 25:21Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.
  • Job 17:9The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.
  • Ps 40:1I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
  • Rev 2:3And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
  • Ps 123:2Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.
  • Zech 10:12And I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the LORD.
  • 2 Cor 4:1Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
  • Isa 8:17And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
  • 1 Th 1:10And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
  • Ps 92:13Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
  • Judg 16:28And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.
  • Job 33:24–26Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.
  • Ps 92:1IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD, AND TO SING PRAISES UNTO THY NAME, O MOST HIGH:
  • Song 8:5Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee.
  • Rev 4:7And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (7)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Isaiah videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Isaiah 40:31YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on IsaiahMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 40:31 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

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.