A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.
Parallel translations
- WEB 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.
- KJV 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.
- NKJV The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.
- NASB ¶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.
- NLT 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!
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
A voice cries to prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness. God himself is coming, and his people must make ready.
Overview
The herald calls for a clear road to be made for the Lord's advent through the desert. In the Gospels this prophecy is applied to John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus. The verse joins the comfort of Isaiah to the coming of God in Christ, who arrives to save his people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Mal 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.
- Mark 1:2–5As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way.”
- John 1:23John 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.’”
- Matt 3:1–3In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
- Luke 1:16–17Many of the sons of Israel he will turn back to the Lord their God.
- Luke 1:76–77And 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,
- Mal 4:5–6Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.
- Isa 57:14And it will be said, “Build it up, build it up, prepare the way, take every obstacle out of the way of My people.”
- Isa 43:19Behold, 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.
- Isa 62:10–11Go out, go out through the gates; prepare the way for the people! Build it up, build up the highway; clear away the stones; raise a banner for the nations!
- Isa 35:8And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it—only those who walk in the Way—and fools will not stray onto it.
- Luke 3:2–6during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
- Isa 49:11I will turn all My mountains into roads, and My highways will be raised up.
- Isa 11:15–16The LORD will devote to destruction the gulf of the Sea of Egypt; with a scorching wind He will sweep His hand over the Euphrates. He will split it into seven streams for men to cross with dry sandals.
- Ps 68:4Sing to God! Sing praises to His name. Exalt Him who rides on the clouds—His name is the LORD—and rejoice before Him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 40:3 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.