Isaiah 11:16

There will be a highway for the remnant of His people who remain from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The prophet delivers YHWH’s declaration to Judah immediately following the judgment of the Sea of Egypt and the Euphrates. The timing points to a future restoration after the scattering of His people.

The words — מְסִלָּ֔ה (me.si.Lah) denotes a prepared road or highway, while לִ/שְׁאָר (li/sh.'Ar) identifies the surviving portion of the nation. Together they frame the verse’s core subject: a route prepared specifically for the remnant.

The thread — The highway imagery appears in Isaiah 19:23 as a route between Egypt and Assyria, and in Isaiah 35:8 as the Way of Holiness. The recovery of the remnant from Assyria is noted in Isaiah 11:11.

Why it lands — The text promises divine provision for the returning remnant by explicitly comparing their journey to the Exodus. It requires the reader to recognize that God’s past deliverance establishes the pattern for His future restoration.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְהָיְתָ֣הve./ha.ye.Tahand/ it will belong מְסִלָּ֔הme.si.Laha highway לִשְׁאָ֣רli/sh.'Arto/ [the] remnant of עַמּ֔וֹa.M/opeople/ his אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwhich יִשָּׁאֵ֖רyi.sha.'Erit will remain מֵֽאַשּׁ֑וּרme./'a.Shurfrom/ Assyria כַּאֲשֶׁ֤רka./'a.Sherjust/ as הָֽיְתָה֙ha.ye.Tahit belonged לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לle./Yis.ra.'Elto/ Israel בְּי֥וֹםbe./Yomon/ [the] day עֲלֹת֖וֹa.lo.T/owent up/ it מֵאֶ֥רֶץme./'E.retzfrom/ [the] land of מִצְרָֽיִם׃mitz.Ra.yimEgypt

King James Version

And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

Cross-references

Isaiah 19:23 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt, and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.
Isaiah 35:8 And 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.
Isaiah 11:11 On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
Exodus 14:26 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.”
Isaiah 62:10 Go 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!
Isaiah 40:3 A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.
Isaiah 51:10 Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to cross over?
Isaiah 57:14 And it will be said, “Build it up, build it up, prepare the way, take every obstacle out of the way of My people.”
Isaiah 27:13 And in that day a great ram’s horn will sound, and those who were perishing in Assyria will come forth with those who were exiles in Egypt. And they will worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.
Isaiah 42:15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation. I will turn the rivers into dry land and drain the marshes.