Isaiah 40: 1–11

Introduction

Isaiah 40 is the foundation chapter for the third major section of Isaiah, chapters 40–66. This whole section of Isaiah is exhilarating, inspiring, and uplifting; it’s full of graphic imagery, powerful language, and visions of hope.

Layers of application

We can readily see specific periods of history explicitly portrayed. For example, we can easily recognise a section that applies to the Babylonian captivity, another to the spirit of the people in Israel at the time of Christ’s first coming, or a section dealing with the time when the Jews will return to their land. Yet, each one of these passages could actually have several applications. I call this device, “layers of application”. For example, one of the overall themes is that of the redemption of Israel. But may not apply to Israel in one specific era (although, a passage may have obvious primary application to a specific era). Isaiah makes use of spheres or layers of application, so that the prophecy can be applied to Isaiah’s own day, to Israel in Babylonian captivity, to Israel in Christ’s day, Israel at the return of Christ, and also to spiritual Israel in any day. It can be displayed like this:

While Isaiah 40 actually springs out of the middle (narrative) portion of Isaiah, chapters 36–39. We’ll briefly look at this background.

Background

Hezekiah’s trials

Chapters 36–37 are predominantly about the trials that came upon Hezekiah and Judah.

Chapters 36–37 consider Sennacherib’s invasion of the Land and the siege of Jerusalem. Hezekiah’s faith and trust in Yahweh his God is an inspiration to all. His prayer before God is very moving as he seeks to honour his God. Yahweh then stood up for His own Name, and saved Israel in a convincing display of power — 185,000 Assyrian soldiers dead within their camp outside the walls of Jerusalem.

Chapter 38 considers Hezekiah’s illness. He is told by Yahweh through Isaiah to prepare to die. This, too, was a trial of Hezekiah’s faith, for he had no heir for David’s throne. His heartfelt and simple prayer with his face to the wall was effectual, and Isaiah is sent back to announce that Yahweh had heard his prayer and would extend his life.

Chapter 39 is a different sort of trial. The great victory over the Assyrians would obviously draw the attention of surrounding nations — even “far off” nations, and especially ambitious nations, such as the emerging Babylonian power to the east of Assyria. They’d also heard of the miraculous healing of Hezekiah. It impressed them. It intrigued them. They wanted to know just who this Hezekiah was, and about the divine power that had done such wondrous things. They brought gifts for both Yahweh and Hezekiah (2 Chron. 32: 23).

Hezekiah’s pride

Hezekiah was flattered by all this attention. His heart was lifted up and he forgot the God that had saved him and had given him his great wealth and kingdom (2 Chron. 32: 27–29). When the emissaries from Babylon came to “enquire of the wonder that was done in the land” (2 Chron. 32:31), but with emphasis on how they’d heard he was sick, with letters from the king of that far off land, and gifts (Isa. 39:1), “Hezekiah was glad of them, and showed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not” (Isa. 39:2). That’s everything. He was blinded by pride. He never thought for a moment that these courtiers would be spies.

God, through Isaiah brought home the reality of what Hezekiah had done.

“Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon. Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them. Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” (Isaiah 39:3-7)

2 Chron. 32:31 says, God had “left him, to try him, that He might know all that was in his heart”. This is a telling comment. God can leave us from time to time, too, to test what is in our own heart. Hezekiah came to see the reality of what was in his heart and repented: “Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of Yahweh came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah” (2 Chron. 32:26). This reference to the wrath of Yahweh not coming upon them in the days of Hezekiah would seem to be a link to Isaiah 39:8, giving us a clue as to what happened. It would seem from this connection that Hezekiah’s humbling of his pride came as a result of Isaiah coming to him in verses 3–7. Verse 8 would appear to be a response to a message from Isaiah that the punishment wouldn’t occur in their day.

While there was obvious relief that God’s judgements wouldn’t come upon them in Hezekiah’s day, the judgement did bring deep concern.

The dilemma

You can imagine the effect of receiving this message that the nation, which had only just been saved from captivity by the Assyrians, would end up being taken off into captivity by the Babylonians. God’s people! God’s temple destroyed. And his own sons will serve the captive masters within their palaces. To a man like Hezekiah, that would be devastating. Imagine, also, how Isaiah, the messenger, felt! You can also imagine how Yahweh felt, even though He was in control.

Yahweh, in His infinite knowledge and foresight, could see what was going to happen and the implications. Immediately He understood all the ramifications of sending His own people off into captivity under a Gentile power serving idols:

• Babylon would claim victory over Yahweh!
• Israel would lose heart and perhaps succumb to believing in Babylon’s claim

So Yahweh does a remarkable thing. He provides Isaiah 40–66 through the prophet to address these issues. These chapters, then, are His own emotional response to the announcement He had just made through Isaiah in Isaiah 39:5–7. The very first section is like an apology (a reasoned argument justifying something). Isaiah 40–48 primarily does two things:

• God makes it clear that He is fully in control, not the nations and their gods. He was the one who sent Israel into captivity.
• God lays down a challenge: Can any man, nation, or god be compared to Him? None can tell the future like Him; only He can save. Isaiah 40–66 is a testimony that these things are so.

And so, through Isaiah the prophet, Yahweh speaks to a generation in captivity some 180 years later! In so doing, He was speaking to the faithful in Hezekiah’s time, as much as He’s speaking to us in our day!

Layers of application

Isaiah 40 is a very good illustration of how this concept of layers of application work.

The chapter opens (verses 1–2) with a cry of comfort to those in captivity in Babylon 180 years before that time and speaks of the redemption of Judah and Jerusalem. Yet, verses 3–11 have a clear reference to the work of preparatory work of John the Baptist, and of the preaching work of Christ and the apostles, while verse 10 is used by the Lord himself about his return to judge and set up his kingdom. In fact, when we look more closely, while these are clear (perhaps, primary) applications, we will find that the chapter applies to all generations.

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Exposition

Isaiah 40:1–11

The cry of comfort (vv. 1–2)

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.

So, this remarkable prophecy opens with the ringing cry, Nāhāmu, nāhāmu ammi…“Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem….” Yahweh speaks to the generation of those in Babylonian captivity at a time when they should return from that captivity. This is such a stark contrast to the words preceding them, where Isaiah foretells that Hezekiah’s pride will eventuate in Babylon coming and taking all that they have seen (39: 5–7). This is Yahweh’s heartfelt and immediate response to that judgement! Having announced judgement, Yahweh immediately wishes to comfort the faithful included in that judgement, and presents a picture at the end of that process — when the punishment is over and it’s time to redeem. In doing so, Yahweh does several things:

• He provides hope for the faithful that there is an end
• He declares that there is a purpose behind this trial
• He shows His own emotions about His own patience for their good

Before him is Hezekiah, and the prophet Isaiah himself would take encouragement from this. It’s telling them, as it is also us in our day, that trials have a purpose; they do have an end, and that Yahweh longs for that day. It’s almost as if He can’t wait for that day to come! That’s telling us something about our God, doesn’t it!

Let’s analyse what’s happening here a little further, because there’s power in the detail.

Multiple voices

The chapter opens with several voices. The only discernible voice is Yahweh’s, as He is the one that commands those that listen to use their voice to pass on His message to “My people”. But of the other voices we are not specifically told. So we can see:

• V.1 Yahweh’s voice is heard commanding His servants to comfort His people
• V. 3. There is a distinctive voice that calls people into the wilderness to prepare for Yahweh(vv. 3–5)
• V. 6. A voice tells another to “Cry”
• V. 6. The other voice (he) says, “What Shall I cry?”
• V. 6. The original voice advises the other to cry “All flesh is grass…” (through to the end of verse 8)
• V. 9ff Yahweh (through his voices) tells Zion/Jerusalem to lift up her voice and tell the cities of Judah to pass on the good tidings: Behold your God! (vv. 9–11).

Who is God speaking about?

Verse 1 says, it’s “My people”. Who are they? They are obviously a people in need of redemption:

Verse 2 provides the answer: Jerusalem. Now, the immediate context we’ve considered in our background, and know that God is speaking particularly of Jerusalem that was to go into Babylonian captivity. Nevertheless, as we’ve also mentioned in the background section, Isaiah has layers of application. We will see that there is also a clear application to Judah in the days of Christ’s ministry. And there is also an ultimate fulfilment when Christ moves to comfort God’s people in the land when he redeems them from Gog (Zech. 14; Ezek. 38; Joel 3; Dan.11:40–45), and sends forth Elijah to regather the Ten Tribes (Mal.4:5; Jer. 4:1–6; Ezek. 20:34–38; Jer. 31:31–34; Isa. 59:20–21).  We know that the chapter is not only speaking of Judah’s captivity, but all Israel (cf. V.27, Jacob/Israel). There is a more general application that applies to individuals as well. Jerusalem is symbolic of all “God’s people”, the ecclesia (see Galatians 4:26, 27–28, Isa. 54:1). So, while we can easily see the application to Judah (represented by its capital, Jerusalem) in the time of her Babylonian captivity, Yahweh’s cry rings through the centuries unto the faithful: the time for comfort has come.

comfort  is the Hebrew word, nacham, meaning to feel sorry, repent, comfort. It literally means, to cause to breath again. Context dictates. The context is obviously that of comfort because in verse 2 He says that “iniquity is pardoned”, therefore, she had already repented. The double plea to comfort His people is to give emphasis showing that Yahweh is earnest about this command to comfort. Comforting His people is a strong underlying theme in Isaiah 40–66, nacham occurring 14 times in this section with the idea of comfort (Isa 40:1; 49:13; 51:3,12,19; 52:9; 54:11; 57:6; 61:2; 66:13).

saith your God — ‘saith’ is nachamu in the Hebrew and is in the imperfect tense, which can either mean it is future, or it means it hasn’t finished yet. It continues. It’s something that God hasn’t said once, but continues to say. This expression, saith your (God, Yahweh, Holy One), is unique to Isaiah, and occurs throughout his prophecy (Isa. 1:11,18; 33:10; 40:1, 25; 41:21; 66:9).

comfortably — is the Hebrew al leb, literally, “to, or, upon the heart”. The idea of the expression is to impress upon a person’s attention so as to affect that person; to bring home to a person’s heart, not merely to “touch the heart”, but to reassure the heart [See word study].

And so Yahweh cries for his servants to speak and cry unto His people to comfort them. Now follows the contents of what they are to say unto them. Rotherham’s Emphasised Bible shows explicitly what the contents of their words of comfort are to be:

And cry unto her,—
That accomplished′ is her warfare,
That accepted′ is her punishment,—
That she hath received、 at the hand of Yahweh,
According to the full measured of all her sins.

her warfare is accomplished — Warfare is the Hebrew tsaba (from which comes the word tsavaoth). Literally, it means “military service”. But, it also came to mean hard service, and even hardship (see Job’s use of the word: Job 7:1; 10:17; 14:14). Roth’s margin has “hard service”. Military service implies a time of hardship, uncertainty, stress, rigour, discipline, deprivation, even horror. But Judah was in captivity (at the time that Yahweh intends these words to be spoken), not engaged in warfare. He is speaking of a spiritual warfare, both personal and against the gods of the Babylonians and Persians. In the ultimate application to Israel, she has suffered two thousand years of hard service that she may learn her need for her God. As we’ve seen, the passage applies to us as well in our warfare against sin. Isn’t this what it’s like as we endeavour to maintain the faith in the midst of an indifferent, even hostile environment? Life in service to God is often described in terms of military service and combat (Eph. 6:10–20; 1Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 2:1–4).

her iniquity is pardoned — She is a sinner restored through the trials she has faced. Pardoned, actually means “accepted, pleased, or satisfied”. Judah accepted her punishment for her sins; Yahweh was satisfied that she had atoned for her sins. The expression is used here to contribute to the idea that, She has served her time, it is enough.

received double for all her sins — She has suffered the consequences of her sins. This expression is not saying that God has been unfair and vindictive in giving twice as much as her sin deserves! It is an idiomatic expression that means full, ample. Nevertheless, it is an inference to the Law, particularly Exodus 22 concerning property rights and theft (vv1–15), which required a person (or people) to pay double as reparation for the trespass of theft (Ex. 22:4, 7, 9). If the person could not give back what was stolen, he was to be sold (v3).⁠1 Judah was in captivity for 70 years, and in that year was set free. But, what had Judah stolen? In the context, Hezekiah and Judah had stolen Yahweh’s glory, attributing to themselves their greatness and wealth in the eyes of the nations (2 Chron. 32:25). For this, Yahweh had sold them, for they could not give it back (see Isa. 39:6–7 cf. Dan.1:1–2; see also Isa. 50:1; 52: 3).

There is a literal application for this expression, for Judah has twice gone into captivity and suffered because of her sins. This application can be spoken of her when Christ returns to save Judah.

The picture here is of the God of all comfort (1 Cor. 1:3–4) , moved with compassion with a desire to comfort His people. The time is up, the punishment is completed, He’s satisfied that it’s time to move to restore His people. He does this with great ado. He is emphatic, repeating the words “Comfort ye, comfort ye…”, and anything doubled is to give emphasis. He calls on His servants to make a big thing of this, too. Not only are they to speak to the heart, but also to cry unto them that the time of punishment for their sins has come to an end, they have suffered enough, even double for their sins. There is good reason for this bold cry to comfort a downcast people. We find the reason for this a little later in the chapter. In verse 27, God asks the people:

“Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?” (Isaiah 40:27)

The Tanakh makes what is being said here clear: “My way is hid from the LORD, my cause is being ignored by my God”. It is apparent that the people have become disheartened; they feel that God has forsaken them, and He hasn’t vindicated their faith. We can imagine the faithful at times feeling that in the captivity in Babylon; we, too, can feel this way at times. In Isaiah 40:1–2 is hastening to make it clear that He does care, He does know our plight, and He will move when the time is come.

Who is God speaking to?

When Yahweh commands, “Comfort ye, comfort ye…speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem”, who is he commanding to do this comforting? We are not told. Who would Yahweh command to comfort His people? Here is Yahweh in the heavens. It is enough! The time has come. And He commands His servants, “Go forth and comfort my people. Encourage them. Lift them up out of their despondency.”

“Ye” is plural, so there’s more than one, and therefore more than one application. The fact that there are different layers of application also implies that there is more than one. Obviously, they are Yahweh’s servants, sent forth to do His will. The “ye”, therefore, can apply to:

• the angels
• the prophets
• the priests
• Christ
• the apostles
• shepherds in the ecclesia
• anyone who is a servant of Yahweh!

God has, therefore, asked that all His servants comfort His people, and cry words of comfort that there is a way of redemption. We are not only to use words of comfort, but to cry allowed this words that all may hear.

Vv3–11 In the wilderness prepare

Verses 1–3 are all God’s activity; God’s effort to assure our hearts that He wants to give relief and bring an end to our hardships. Verses 3–5 is another call, but it shows that the relief requires our response. It also shows that the comfort promised is not without us having to do something. That work involves clearing out the obstacles, humbling of self, and focusing upon the glory of Yahweh.

Verse 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.

The voice — There is no definite article in the Hebrew. It is not anyone specific; it’s simply “a voice”. The Hebrew indicates an interjection: “A voice of a crying one!” Rotherham: “A voice of one crying…”

crieth Heb. qara, “cry out, call out, utter in a loud voice, proclaim, read out”. The word crieth is a participle, meaning it should be “crying”, ie. in the process of crying out.

Yahweh had commanded in verse 2 for his servants to not only speak to the heart, but also to cry out publicly. Here’s one of Yahweh’s servants who responds. We don’t know who it is; he’s simply a voice; it’s the message that matters.

We know from the NT that specific application is made of verses 3–8 to John the Baptist. John himself took up the spirit of these verses, and epitomises the voice, claiming that he was merely a voice crying. In John 1:19–23, when the Jewish leaders approached John seeking his credentials, in response to their question, if he were the Messiah (2 Sam. 7), he said he was not. So they asked him again, Are you Elias (Mal. 4:5–6)? To this he replied, I am not. Are you that prophet (Deut. 18: 15, 18)? No! Well, who are you, then? I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness…. Actually, even in the Greek, there is no definite article for “voice”, so he was “a voice of one crying”. So, what was his cry?

In many versions, including the AV, the punctuation implies that the voice is in the wilderness, and the cry begins with the words, “Prepare ye the way of the LORD”. While the LXX and the NT passages support this, the Hebrew accents and the parallelism mean that the cry is (Rotherham’s translation):

<In the desert> prepare ye the way of Yahweh,—
Make smooth |in the waste plain| a highway for our God…

Part of the cry is the expression, “In the wilderness”. The cry is a call to come into the wilderness to prepare the way of Yahweh. The parallel structure confirms it:

In the wilderness prepare ye the way of Yahweh
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God

There is no real conflict between the OT and the NT, however. The passages in the NT relate to John the Baptist (Matt. 3:1–6; Mark 1:1–5 ; Luke 1: 76–80; 3: 1–6; John 1: 23). For example, in Matthew:

Matthew 3:1-6
“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.”

John preached “in the wilderness”, and people “went out to him”. The point is, John was one who had heard and responded to the voice’s cry to come out into the wilderness and prepare. From there, he took up the cry himself and called for people to come into the wilderness to prepare with him. John is a clear Scriptural application and fulfilment of Isaiah’s words. But the cry is not limited to John.

The prophecy, in it’s multi-layered applications calls another prophet for an ultimate fulfilment. Another voice shall go forth to comfort Israel, and calling her into the wilderness. Elijah, who heard the still small voice of God, will be sent on this very mission to lead God’s people out in a second Exodus through the wilderness of the peoples (Mal. 4:5–6; Matt. 17:11; Micah 7: 15–20; Ezek. 20: 34–35).

in the wilderness — Heb. midbar, desert, wilderness, wide-open, non-populated place. According to TWOT, there are three main types of country are called wilderness: pastureland  (Josh 2:22; Ps 65:12; Jer 23:10), uninhabited land (Deut 32:10; Job 38:26; Prov 21:19; Jer 9:1), and large areas of land in which oases or cities and towns exist here and there. The largest tracts of land called minbar are Sinai, the Negev, the Jordan Valley, and the Arabian Desert. Specifically named wildernesses are: Beer-sheba (Gen 21:14), Paran (Gen 21:21; Num 10:12; 12:16; 13:3, 26; I Sam 25:1), Sin (Ex 16:1; 17:1; Num 33:11–12), Sinai (Num 1:19, etc; Ex 19:1–2; Lev 7:38); Zin (Num 13:21 etc.; Deut 32:51; Josh 15:1), Beth-aven (Josh 18:12), Judah (Jud 1:16; Ps 63 title), Ziph (I Sam 23:14, 14; 26:2), Maon (I Sam 23:24–25), Gibeon (II Sam 2:24), Damascus (I Kgs 19:15), Edom (II Kgs 3:8), Jeruel (II Chr 20:16) Shur (Ex 15:22; 16:1; Num 1:19 etc.), Etham (Num 33:8), Kedemoth (Deut 2:26), Tekoa (II Chr 20:20), Kadesh (Ps 29:8; Ps 63 title), and Egypt (Ezk 20:35).

The voice calls for people to come aside from the issues that consume every day life, and come and think about the things that actually matter, without distraction.

prepare ye the way of the LORD
This is a theme that runs through Isaiah 40–66. The call to prepare a way occurs once in each section within these chapters as follows:

• Isa. 40: 4 “Prepare ye the way, make straight in the desert a highway for our God”.
• Isa. 57:14 “Cast ye up … prepare the way”
• Isa. 62: 10 “Go through, go through, prepare ye the way”

In ancient times, when a monarch travelled, he would send forth heralds to announce his arrival. It was that herald’s job to ensure the unhindered path for the king and his entourage. The picture being presented in the passages above, however, is that of a building of Yahweh’s way on which He will come to deliver His people. The highway is one which the people travel with their God.

prepare is the Heb. pana, to turn. It has many nuances, for example, to turn towards, or, to turn away. In the Piel stem (intensive), it can mean to turn away from, or, prepare! DBLSD explains the meaning here: “prepare, make ready, i.e., take actions of any kind to make an event or state possible (Gen. 24:31; Lev. 14:36; Psa. 80:10; Isa. 40:3; 57:14; 62:10; Mal. 3:1). Note: in context, this is often moving or changing the appearance of an object.”  CHALOT, translates the piel imperative as “get rid of, clear up”, BDB , “make clear, clear away things scattered about, make orderly”, and HAL, in the case of Isa. 40:3 says, “clear the track”. There’s reason for clearing this road: the King is on this road.

the way — Heb. derek, “way, road, path, course, course of life”. The theme of “the way” is a strong Biblical theme [See Word Study: The Way]. It is also a theme within this second half of Isaiah. The theme of “the way”, while used of a literal road, is often used in a metaphorical or spiritual sense (Isa. 55:7–9).

In the end, there are only two ways: God’s way and Man’s way (Psa. 1:1,6; Jer. 21:8; Matt. 7:13,14). God’s ways are higher than our ways (Isa. 55:8–9), and sinners are to forsake their own way and turn to God’s way (v.7). This way is not the wide path that most people are on; it’s the narrow way (Matt. 7:13–14). The picture that is presented here is that of clearing a path through the pathless wilderness for the King, even Yahweh!

of the LORD — This path is Yahweh’s. LEB [Lexham English Bible] has “Clear the way of Yahweh”.

 make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

make straight — Heb. yashar, “be level, straight, (up) right, just, lawful” (TWOT). Concerning the literal use of this word, TWOT continues: “To go straight or direct in the way” (I Sam 6:12), but more frequently in the intensive (Piel) “to make (a way) straight,” i.e. direct and level and free from obstacles, as when preparing to receive a royal visitor. This is the work of God for man (Prov 3:6 KJV “direct”), but also of man for God (Isa 40:3). And so, in the Piel (intensive) stem, it is the act of making straight. DBLSD⁠2 says that this intensive (Piel) form means,  make level, i.e., make bumpy elevations all the same or virtually same elevation. The word is used in Isaiah 45:2:

“I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron”.

We have here, then an application of what making straight means. It is a reference to any obstacle that stands in the way. So, once again the metaphor is that of the King’s servant crying for people to come into the wilderness to clear the path of rubbish, to make the path level and straight, fit for the king, Yahweh.

in the desert — Heb. arabah. Genesis: “an arid, sterile region, a desert”. It refers to a waterless region.  The  arabah in Israel was the area now known as the Great Rift Valley which includes the plain through which the Jordan runs, the Dead Sea, and down to the Gulf of Aqaba. There are many passages in the Bible to this plain, either side of the Jordan and around the “sea of the arabah”, the Dead Sea (Deut. 3:17). We can see why John the Baptist, then was baptising in Jordan (John 3:23). The word is not limited to Israel (Jer. 17:6; 50:12). The arabah is also a reference to the Arabian desert, frequently alluded to by Isaiah as it does in Isa. 40:2 in it’s initial application to the Babylonian captivity (see also Isa. 41:19).

A vivid description of what the word means is found in its use in Jer. 2:6:

“Neither said they, Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?”

a highway — a highway, raised way, public road. TWOT shows that the primary meaning of the word means “to cast up”, and Gesenius, “a way cast up, embanked, highway, hence a public way”. Even the English “highway” has the same idea. It refers to roads built up with stone and gravel in layers. These roads were more common in cities. The roads were “cast up” higher than the surrounding terrain. The language of casting up a highway is common in the Bible. For example, Jeremiah refers to Israel forsaking the old paths, and turning down false paths: “…they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up” (Jeremiah 18:15). Isaiah uses the concept as here in Isaiah 40 frequently concerning Israel returning from captivity:

“And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.” (Isaiah 57:14)

“Go 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.” (Isaiah 62:10)

for our God — i.e. for our Elohim. In the typical manner of Biblical parallelism, with Yahweh in the first line, and Elohim in the second, it provides the covenant Name of God: Yahweh Elohim (Exodus 3: 15). Thus, the preparation of the road is to prepare the way for Israel’s covenant God, who is returning to bring comfort to His people (v.1). Notice, verse 1, “My people”, v. 3, “our God”. There is a covenant relationship here.

The point of this way or highway is that it belongs to Yahweh. It is the “way of Yahweh”, and it’s the road that He travels: it’s built “for our God”. We have been invited to assist in building that road. And, where is that road? It’s out in the desert places; in the wilderness.

Why does the way of Yahweh Elohim pass through the desert? If we consider this historically, this is Yahweh’s “way” of doing things. He brought Israel into the wilderness to redeem them from Egypt. He did this to prove them. Out in the wilderness, is where a person is stripped to the basics — the basic necessities of life: food, clothing, and shelter. It’s away from all the comforts that we surround ourselves and use as props to make our lives more satisfying or more important. The desert strips us of these things; it’s just us, the elements, and God.

So, we’ve been summonsed into the wilderness to clear a way, to cast up a road. The Voice continues in this vein in the following verses.

Verses 4–5

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:
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.

This is the work of clearing, levelling, and casting up the road, and the ultimate purpose: the coming king!

Verse 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

If we think about what these words are saying, it is impossible! This is filling up all the valleys with mountains and hills, and what’s left over of the hills and mountains, is spread out smoothly to make a plain. All the deep ravines and difficult terrain are smoothed out. No sharp bends, no undulating surfaces. Dead flat! With modern earth-moving equipment, it may seem less impossible, nevertheless, it’s extremely difficult and hard work. It’s only when there is a perfectly flat plain that the glory of Yahweh will be revealed; and, notice, “all flesh” shall see it the same way. But, it will happen; Yahweh’s voice has spoken it.

Obviously, both the way, the wilderness, and the mountains, hills and valleys are being used metaphorically. The point that is being made is obvious. There is the very high, the high, the common and the very low within society. There are also people, nations, and empires. There are lowly nations, more important nations, and the elite and powerful nations. Human nature is such that it has this innate desire for self-importance. But the voice is saying that all flesh must be brought to one level, to one plain to be able to see the glory of God. Certainly, James in his allusion to this verse in James 1:9–11 brings home this very lesson in a personal application: “Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low.…”

John the Baptist is presented in the Gospel record of Luke, preaching to those considered to be mountains, hills, and valleys, the crooked and rough places, when he brings home the message of Isaiah 40 to the different classes of people in Luke 3:

Every valley shall be filled:
– Common people (vv. 7–11)
Crooked made straight:
– Publicans (vv. 12–13)
Rough places made smooth:
– Soldiers (v. 14)
Mountains and hills:
– Pharisees and Saducees (vv. 7–8, cp. Matt. 3:7)

Interestingly, there appears to be a literal application of this when we know from what will happen (appropriately) to Jerusalem:

“All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses.” (Zechariah 14:10)

A rather symbolic demonstration even in topography! But, to this we should not be surprised, for the current topography of the land is a physical demonstration of the descent of life unto death seen in the serpent-like Jordan’s descent into the lowest bowels of the earth, the Dead Sea.

Verse 5

And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed

glory — Heb. kabod, from kabed, weight, honour, glory. At the base of this word is the idea of something heavy or weighty. It can be used of literal weight, or metaphorically of honour, in the sense that the person has weight (in wealth, rank, or deed). But, the word also (uniquely) applies to Yahweh’s physical splendour. Yahweh’s glory can refer to:

• His physical glory (Ex 24:17; 33:22; 40:35; 1 Kings 8:11)
• His character (Ex. 34:6–7 cf. 33:18–23; Num. 14:21; Neh. 9:5; Psa. 72:19 )
• His acts (1 Chron. 16:24; Psa. 29:9; Psa. 79:9; 104:31; 112:9)

In each case, glory (or honour) is ascribed because either the splendour of God’s being, His Name, or His actions are noteworthy, honourable, weighty.

LORD — Yahweh. It is Yahweh that shall be revealed or manifest.

revealed — Heb. gala, uncover, remove, make bare, to open, make public. Something that was not understood, not seen, not obvious is now made bare. Yahweh’s glory would be seen when He moves to comfort, or save His people.

The Lord Jesus Christ was the glory revealed. The voice spoke the word, and that word was made flesh and all flesh saw that glory, the glory of the only begotten son (John 1:1,14–18). Unfortunately, those that wouldn’t humble themselves could not see that glory, nor could they receive the comfort he sought to bring.

There will come a time in the future, as well, when that glory shall be revealed. The glory of Yahweh in His son with the multitude of his saints, along with a revived Israel and Jerusalem, will be seen by all flesh in the future (1Pet. 4:13; Isa. 66:13–16,18,22–24). See also Psa 65:2; 145:21.

 and all flesh shall see it together — “it” refers to the glory of Yahweh.

The LXX⁠3 has:  “…and the glory of the Lord will be seen, and all flesh will see the salvation of God, for the Lord has spoken”.

This is also what is used in the passage in Luke 3: 4–6:

“As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” In the end, it is tantamount to being the same thing. It is more like an explanation of what is intended by the “glory of God”, as salvation is an expression of the character, or glory, of God (Ex. 34:6–7 cf. 33: 18–23; Ps. 21:5; 62:7; 79:9: 85:9).

all flesh — Heb. kal-bashar. This expression refers to all that have a nature of mortal flesh. The AV translate the expression in Job 12:10 as “all mankind”. In some places, for example, Gen. 6: 19; 7:16 animals are included in the expression “all flesh”.  The inclusion of animals in Gen. 6 brings home the reality that we share a mortal nature with animals, which were, like us made from the dust of the ground and given the breath of life. Another aspect that makes it clear is in Lev.7:14, is that passage about not eating the flesh of animals that had not shed blood. Blood is the life of “all flesh” (both human and animal). Another contrast that Scriptures make is that of the divine (spirit) nature and that of flesh (bashar): Gen. 6: 3; Psa. 56: 4; Isa. 31: 3; 40:6; Jer. 17: 5.

shall see it together —Heb. yachdaw, which is better translated as, “unitedly” or, “alike”. As TWOT points out that the LXX primarily translates this word with homothumadon, “with one mind, unanimously”. See such passages as Ex. 19:8, “And all the people answered together (in unison, unitedly)”, or, Job 38: 7, “When the morning stars sang together (as one, unitedly)”.

So, what, then, is the meaning of all flesh seeing the glory as one? You can almost here through the prophet’s words that a wonder shall be accomplished, and every single human being will come to the same conclusion. Humans will all be brought to see the glory of Yahweh in the same way. When we think of this, this is no mean feat! Humans do not see things, generally, the same way, especially things religious! But it will be done!

for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it

Here’s the reason why it is “the glory of Yahweh”, because He has spoken it and has come to pass (when all flesh shall see it). His is the voice that speaks words that have weight and power. His words become fact, which is to His glory. This point is reiterated again in verse 8: God’s Word will stand forever.

This is a theme that runs through Isaiah 40–66, particularly in the first section (chapters 40–48). See, 40: 8; 41:23–26; 43: 9–14: 44:6–8, 26–45:4, 19, 23–24; 48:3–5; 55:8–13, where Yahweh constantly proves the veracity of His Word compared to the god’s of Babylon.

So, what is it that has been accomplished? How will all flesh be able to see the glory of Yahweh unitedly? It certainly didn’t happen at Christ’s first coming! That brought a sword between mother and daughter and father and son, between priest and people. There is only one way that this can be accomplished. All flesh will be brought to their knees, shall be humbled, then will they be able to see the glory of Yahweh. Paul made this very point in 1Corinthians:

“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:23-31.

This theme continues and is reiterated in the following verses as well.

Verses 6–8

6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

A voice says to another voice, Cry! And the cry is that which will enable all flesh to see the glory of Yahweh unitedly. Rotherham translates and presents these verses like this:

A voice saying        Cry!
And one said—
What′ should I cry?
||All flesh|| is grass…

Verse 6

The voice said cry — Lit. “A voice speaking — Cry”. Once again, the Hebrew doesn’t include the definite article; it’s just “a voice”. Who is this voice? Who is the other voice? Once again the spirit has deliberately chosen not to be specific. It’s as if we are being told, that any of us could be in either of these roles.

And he said — Another voice responds.

We know that there is specific application to John the Baptist. And, in looking at these words it presents us with a powerful interplay. A voice (an angel with the message?) says to John: Your role is to Cry. He says, “What is the message that I am to proclaim?”. “It’s a simple message, John. You are to bring home to your listeners this simple point: All flesh is grass, which withers and dies…but the Word of our God will stand forever”. This was indeed the work of John, to prepare the way for all flesh to see the glory of God unitedly, by calling upon them to repent (Matt. 3:1–2,8,11).

all flesh  — Here again is a reference to “all flesh” (see v. 5). This verse and the following two bring home the point of the expression, all flesh, that it is transient.

 is grass — This metaphor for the transience of flesh was used of old. Job (Job 14:2), Moses (Psa. 90:5–6), David (Pss. 37:2; 103:15), ?? (Psa. 102: 4:11), Isaiah had already used it (Isa. 37: 27), and uses it again in Isa. 51:12. This passage in Isa. 40: 6–8 is cited and alluded to in the NT by Peter (1 Pet. 1:24) and James (Jas. 1:10–11).

TWOT provides the following background to this metaphor:

In Palestine grass grows rapidly after the winter and spring rains. It wilts just as rapidly before the heat of summer or the blistering khamsin, the dry desert wind.

all the goodliness thereof  — that is, the goodliness of all flesh. ‘Goodliness’ is the Heb. chesed, which refers to loyalty, faithfulness, and particularly covenant loyalty and promise. It is an intriguing use of the word in this context. Many of the translators and commentators provide a translation and explanation I find unsatisfactory. They give the word chesed here various meanings such as “goodness”, “beauty”, “grace” (in the sense of demeanour). None of these are appropriate translation of chesed. Peter gives us an interpretation (or commentary) on what is meant, when he uses the expression “all the glory of man” (1 Pet. 1:24). So, it’s something that shows the best in man and refers to his character. Chesed, then was considered the highest quality or trait within a human. This is supported in Proverbs 3: 3–4, when God’s chesed and truth are embraced by a person which will result in favour with God and man. This “pinnacle” of what is best in humans, then, is their character. Again, Paul, in 1 Cor. 11:7 says of the man, that he is “in the image and glory” of God, referring to the “image and likeness of God” from Gen. 1:28. Both Genesis’s “likeness” and Paul’s “glory” refer to God’s character. In the great proclamation of God’s character in Exodus 34: 6–7, chesed was the essential pivot of all the other characteristics. In this significant proclamation, this character of God is equated with glory (see Exodus 33:18–23).

James 1:11, which is a commentary on Isaiah 40: 6–7 explains what happens to the flower, not “all flesh”. Here is the verse:

“For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.”

The words, “the grace of the fashion of it”, describe what it is about the flower that equates it to “all the chesed” of all flesh.  Graceis the Greek word eurepeia, which speaks of that which is attractive. It’s a compound of eu, “well, good”, and prepo, “conspicuous, to stand out, to be eminent, comely, fitting”. Thus, that which stands out for its comeliness, or appropriateness. Fashion is the Greek word prosopon, the word for “face” or “presence”, and sometimes, “disposition”. The face represents the person or character. So, even in the words used by James to describe the inanimate flower, there are hints at what is meant by Isaiah’s “all the chesed” of all flesh.

is as the flower of grass —The flower of grass is that which is notable and stands out among the blades of grass. The intention of this is made clear in James 1: 10, where James applies the flower to the rich. It obviously needn’t be wealth, but to anyone who stands out in the crowd, or from the rest of common humanity. But, no matter how wealthy, no matter how powerful or popular, in reality we’re all made of the same stuff, and we are all transient.

Verse 7

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth

Both the grass and flower are transient.

withereth — Heb. yabesh, become dry, dry up, wither.

fadeth — Heb. nabel, “shrivel, i.e., to have a biological plant, or a part of a plant lose vital moisture, and so lose its natural color and shape, implying the death and decay of the object” (DBL).  TWOT says it “represents a state or condition of leaves when they are dried but still attached to the tree”.

because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass

bloweth — Heb. nasab simply means to blow, but with some force. It’s used Psalm 147:18 “He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.” The only other place it is used is of Abraham driving away the birds from the pieces of the sacrifice in Gen. 15:11.

It is because of Yahweh that this wind comes. It is because of His judgement. The idea seems to be drawn from Psalm 103: 15–16:

“As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.”

Verse 8

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

The transience of all flesh is contrasted with God’s Word.

the word of our God shall stand for ever

Once again, the verity of God’s Word is stated (see verse 5).

Peter provides the meaning in 1 Peter 1:23-25:

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”

stand — Heb. qum, means, to arise, to stand. It is used in various contexts and meanings, but the essential idea is to arise or stand up in order to do something, to accomplish something, or bring about a result. In other words, it is not simply standing up, or passively standing. The word here is used in the imperfect sense, meaning it is future or not complete, but God’s Word will stand up forever!

for ever — Heb. olam (an unspecified period of time). The word is often translated “eternity” or “forever”, but the word doesn’t imply that at all. It can refer to a particular period of time in the past (Deut. 32:7; Job 22:15; Isa. 58:12; 61:4; Mic. 7:14; Mal. 3:4). When speaking of the future, it refers to an age or period unspecified. Often it refers to the Kingdom Age, or Millennium. See John Thomas’ exposition on this (Eureka, i, pp. 122–134).

It would appear from this, that the period to which Isaiah refers is the Kingdom Age. The Word of God will stand up and be seen to be correct in that age.

And so, the lesson to those listening to the voice is: We must be prepared to humble ourselves to accept that all flesh is transient and, therefore, not to be trusted. But God’s Word (therefore, God Himself) can be trusted, for He will do all He says. As Peter shows in his citation and exposition of Isaiah 40, that the Word of God believed will bring a person into God’s Kingdom.

Verses 9–11 The cry for the Gospel to go forth

 9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
 10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
 11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

The voice cries out to Zion, not to go out into the wilderness, but up to a high mountain in order to make their cry heard by many. It’s the good news that God’s arrival is imminent! When he comes He will rule with power, rewarding according to a person’s actions. On the other hand, he will be gentle like the shepherd to the needy, and those who care for them.

Verse 9

O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

The order is different in the Hebrew, and is more like this:

To a high mountain get you up, O herald Zion,
Lift up high with strength your voice, O herald Jerusalem.

The parallelism emphasises the idea of getting the voice heard: go up to the highest point so more may hear; use your loudest voice so all can hear clearly.

The A.V. margin has an alternative translation, which makes Jerusalem/Zion the recipient, not the one brining the good news as in the text. This follows the LXX, and follows the same pattern as in Isa. 52:7 and 62:11. But, Zion and Jerusalem are in apposition the word bashar (bringer of tidings), that is, the same entity. We’ll see how fitting it is that the bringer of good tidings is Zion/Jerusalem.

O Zion … Jerusalem — This can be applied in different ways. Zion/Jerusalem is the capital of the nation, and therefore can be applied to the leaders of the people. Jerusalem is also symbolic of the ecclesia:“the mother of us all” (Gal. 4:26; Psalm 87).  Once again, we can see the place for several layers of application.

Another thing that comes out of this call to Zion is that the call is no longer to individuals, but rather to a class of people — representatives of the people.

 that brings good tidings — Heb. bashar,  publish, bear (good) tidings, preach, show forth (TWOT). According to Kittle, the word inherently contains the idea of good news (that of news about the birth of a child, or news from the battlefield). Kittle adds, “By extension, every messenger from a battlefield came to be called מְבַשֵּׂר, (mebasher) even though in some cases he might bear evil tidings.” This is the word used here. It’s a participle, so could be translated “O evangelising one”, or “bringer of good news”. Rotherham, Keil and Delitzsch, and others, therefore, use the word “herald”, or “evangelist”. The idea of the herald with good news coming from the battlefield is most appropriate when we consider verse 2. God’s warfare was now accomplished; the battle with sin is over, now Zion itself is to bring good tidings from the battle field.

The word is singular, not plural because it refers to Zion (or, Jerusalem), here used as a collective noun. There is more than one.

This is another powerful point. The word bashar is feminine. Therefore, several translations and commentators try to bring this out in their translations, and coin such expressions as, “evangalistess”, or “heraldess”. This is fitting in the application to the ecclesia.

get thee up into the high mountain — This is for the purpose of reaching as many people as possible (see Judges 9:7; Matt. 5:1). The message has turned from speaking unto individuals to raise up their voice, to speaking to the ecclesia to publicly proclaim the good news.

lift up thy voice with strength— Again, the imperative to use the voice to get across a message. The verb, “lift up”, is once again feminine, as it is again referring to the city Jerusalem. It means in this context to shout, as it is to lift up the voice with strength, or power, or force.

lift it up, be not afraid — Again, we have the command to boldly proclaim the message, and this time, encouragement to be not afraid. This implies that there is reason to fear: opposition, ridicule, even persecution.

 say unto the cities of Judah — Here are the “daughters of Jerusalem”.

In the layer of application to the days of John the Baptist and Christ, this section is calling on representatives in Jerusalem invested with responsibility to preach the Gospel, to do so boldly, and without fear. This was the commission of the apostles, who preached the Gospel, beginning at Jerusalem and all Judea (Acts 1:8) amidst great opposition and persecution.

Behold your God! — Here is the beginning of the message Jerusalem is commanded to proclaim boldly. These can confidently reveal Him, and produce the evidence. Clearly, the messenger Zion was unable to reveal God literally; they were able to reveal evidence of His proximity. In Babylon, the elders of the people had the evidence in the decree of Cyrus (Ezra 1:1–6). In the case of the apostles, they had seen with their own eyes and touched the Word of life (1John 1:1). In our own day, the evidence is in the incredible signs of the times portending our Lord’s near return. In the future,  a revived and humbled Judah will go forth under the hand of Elijah and convince scattered Israel to return to the Land (Zech. 9:13; 10:3–6; Jer. 3:18; Mal. 4:5–6).

Verse 10

Verses 10 and 11 demonstrate the character of God. In verse 10, we see His justice, while in verse 11 we see His mercy.

Behold, the Lord GOD will come 
Lord GOD is Adonai Yahweh (lit. He who will be lords). Adonai is the plural of  the singular, adon, which refers to a lord, ruler, or, owner. Why would this title of God be used in this place, and why the plural version of it?  The first question is answered in by the very next expression, in that He comes with a strong hand and His arm will rule for him. He comes to save His possession, Israel, and will rule over her (and the world). The second question (why the plural form of the title), is that it always speaks of Yahweh in manifestation. Again, this is seen in the expression, “and his arm shall rule for him” (see below).

 with strong hand
strong — Heb. hazaq, might, strength, force, power. While this word appears often with yad, hand, the word “hand” doesn’t appear here in the Hebrew. The phrase is simply “with strength”, or “with might”. On the other hand, K&D put up a case for “as a mighty one will he come”, and Rotherham’s translation agrees. The context is that Yahweh has the might to either save, or destroy, or even both!

and his arm shall rule for him
Rotherham has “And ||his own arm|| is about to rule for him”.
arm — Heb. zarowa‘, is used to symbolise strength (2Sam. 22:35; Job 26:2; Psa. 71:18; 89:10). It is used to represent power to both save and destroy (Ex.6:6; Deut. 4:34; 33:27; Psa. 77:15; ).

Isaiah has a particular theme within chapters 40–66. It contains the general use of the arm symbolising strength, punishment, and salvation (Isa. 44:12; 48:14; 62:8). But there is another way in which the arm is portrayed in this section of Isaiah: the arm is symbolic of a person representing the arm of Yahweh. For example, in Isa 63:12 Yahweh is portrayed as leading Israel through the Red Sea “by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm”. The question is, if it was Mose’s right hand, whose arm is being spoken of? Is the arm of Yahweh that led them, or is it the arm of Moses’ right hand? I believe the answer is both. It is purposely left ambiguous in order to bring home the lesson that Moses was Yahweh’s arm — an extension of Himself. Moses was a tool used by Yahweh in order to “make Himself an everlasting Name”. This idea of the arm representing a person as a representative or instrument in the hands of Yahweh for accomplishing His will, is particularly seen in other passages of Isaiah, where the arm is representative of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Consider: Isaiah 51:5,9; 52:10; 53:1; 59:16; 63:5. Essentially, the arm in each case is still Yahweh’s strength, but that strength has been invested in and through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that it is the same in Isaiah 40:10 and 11. His arm in verse 10, while in the time of the Babylonian captivity, was Yahweh’s own arm; but ultimately, it refers to Christ, who as Yahweh’s arm shall rule “for Him”.

Rule is the Heb. mashal, which means dominion, rulership, through superiority in some way. The arm of Yahweh, shall rule because of his superior strength on Yahweh’s behalf. Here is the reason why Adonai (lord, ruler, owner, but in manifestation) is used in the title for Yahweh earlier in the verse. So, Adonai Yahweh will come in power as the arm of Yahweh to rule. When he comes, he will first give reward to those waiting for him.

behold, his reward is with him

The exact same expression appears again in Isa. 62:11 and in the same kind of context — the coming of Yahweh to save Zion.

reward — Heb., sakar, “hire, reward, wages”. In the context we are considering, the reward must be for not trusting in transient flesh, but in God’s Word. Reward would also be for those who heeded the commands to lift up the voice and speak that Word, or good tidings, so that others, too, might go through the process of humbling self, heed the Word, and lift up their voices also.

and his work before him

This is better translated as per the AV margin: “and recompense for his work”. Roth has, “and his recompense is before him”, and The Lexham English Bible has, “and his recompense in his presence”. Work is paellah, a word that has the same meaning as saker, meaning the reward for hire or labour (see its use in Lev. 19:13). Before him is paniym, and can mean face, before, or in the presence of. When the arm of Adonai Yahweh comes to rule, he will meet out punishment and reward according as one’s works. Clearly, Revelation 22:7–12 is drawing upon this message of Isa 40 where the Lord says, “…for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that his holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

Verse 11

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Adonai Yahweh comes not only as a judge, but also to show mercy. This contrast is seen in the use of his “arm” again, here. Whereas the arm in verse 10 is an arm of justice, the arm in verse 11 is one of compassion.

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd

He, by context, is still Adonai Yahweh. Feed is the Hebrew word, ra’ah, which means to shepherd, or tend a flock or herd (TWOT); shepherd is the same Hebrew word, but is in the participial form (verb used as an adjective or noun). Flock is ‘eder, mostly refers to a flock (mainly sheep, but also goats), or herd (of cattle), or a mixture of both, and sometimes includes other animals. Here, the context is a flock of sheep.

he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom

Once again the arm of Adonai Yahweh is mentioned, this time as the manifestation of Yahweh as a shepherd. While Yahweh is the Shepherd of His flock, Israel (Psa. 23:1), Christ is the good shepherd (see Ezek. 34:23; Zech. 13:7; John 10:11). But the arm can also refer to others given this responsibility:  John 21:15; Acts 20:28). Lambs, is tela’im, new lambs, or lambs at the vulnerable period of weaning. The picture is of the caring shepherd, leading his sheep to a better pasture on an arduous journey, who is on the lookout for little lambs, needing protection or help on the journey, so he picks each one up and holds them in his bosom for warmth and comfort. Whereas even Moses found it difficult to carry (bear) Israel through the wilderness, and at times felt he could go no further (Num. 11:12), God and His Son are able to bear this enormous burden with utmost care.

and shall gently lead those that are with young

The shepherd, leading his sheep on this difficult path to a better pastureland is mindful not only of the little lambs, but also those ewes great with young. In other words, He is mindful of the vulnerable. He does drive; he gently leads (nahal), or “lead with care” (TWOT). The Hebrew is in the Pi’el stem, which intensifies the meaning, hence, the idea of assistance being involved in the leading. It’s the same word used in Psalm 23:2 “leadeth me beside still waters.

Thus, Yahweh hasn’t forgotten His people. He cares for them, and will save them.

1 Interestingly, in this same set of laws, in Exodus 21:2, an Hebrew could only be sold for six years, and on the seventh to be set free.

Bibliography

Keil and Delitzsch

ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 417.
James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).
Rick Brannan et al., eds., The Lexham English Septuagint (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Is 40:5.