ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

Isaiah 40.3

Book: Isaiah · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV (ASV)

"1. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she hath received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins."

"3. 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."

"4. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain: 5. and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it." (Isaiah 40:1-5, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"1. “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. 2. “Speak comfortably to Jerusalem; and call out to her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received of Yahweh’s hand double for all her sins.”"

"3. 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."

"4. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain. 5. Yahweh’s glory shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.”" (Isaiah 40:1-5, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"1. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. comfortably: Heb. to the heart warfare: or, appointed time"

"3. 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."

"4. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: straight: or, a straight place plain: or, a plain place 5. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." (Isaiah 40:1-5, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"1. Comfort ye, comfort ye, My people, saith your God. 2. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and call to her, That her warfare hath been completed, That accepted hath been her punishment, That she hath received from the hand of Jehovah Double for all her sins."

"3. A voice is crying, in a wilderness, Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, Make straight in a desert a highway to our God."

"4. Every valley is raised up, And every mountain and hill become low, And the crooked place hath become a plain, And the entangled places a valley. 5. And revealed hath been the honour of Jehovah, And seen [it] have all flesh together, For the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken." (Isaiah 40:1-5, YLT)

Setting

  • Speaker: Isaiah son of Amoz (traditional unity) + LORD direct discourse
  • Audience: Judah under Uzziah/Jotham/Ahaz/Hezekiah + exilic remnant
  • Location: Jerusalem and Judah
  • Time period: ministry c. 740-680 BC

Theological reading

Key words

Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.