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.
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.
- BSB A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.
- 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 3:1Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
- Mark 1:2–5As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
- John 1:23He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
- Matt 3:1–3In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
- Luke 1:16–17And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
- Luke 1:76–77And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
- Mal 4:5–6Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
- Isa 57:14And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.
- Isa 43:19Behold, 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.
- Isa 62:10–11Go 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.
- Isa 35:8And 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.
- Luke 3:2–6Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
- Isa 49:11And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
- Isa 11:15–16And 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.
- Ps 68:4Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, 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.