Isaiah 35:6

Then the lame will leap like a deer and the mute tongue will shout for joy. For waters will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — The prophet Isaiah announces a future restoration, placing this oracle immediately after the healing of the blind and deaf in verse 5 and before the transformation of the desert landscape in verse 7.

The words — The Hebrew יְדַלֵּג (ye.da.Leg) means "he will leap," applied to a פִּסֵּחַ (pi.Se.ach) or "lame [person]," while אִלֵּם ('i.Lem) denotes a "dumb [person]" whose לְשׁוֹן (le.Shon) or "tongue" will תָרֹן (ta.Ron) "shout for joy."

The thread — The reversal of physical disability parallels John 5:8 where Jesus commands a paralytic to rise and walk, and Luke 11:14 where a mute man speaks after deliverance, while the desert water imagery anticipates John 7:37 where Jesus invites the thirsty to come to him.

Why it lands — The text states that bodily healing and environmental renewal will occur together, requiring a reader to accept that divine action directly overcomes human limitation and converts barren conditions into sources of sustenance.

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

אָ֣ז'azthen יְדַלֵּ֤גye.da.Leghe will leap כָּֽאַיָּל֙ka./'ai.Yallike <the>/ deer פִּסֵּ֔חַpi.Se.acha lame [person]וְתָרֹ֖ןve./ta.Ronso/ it may shout for joy לְשׁ֣וֹןle.Shon[the] tongue of אִלֵּ֑ם'i.Lema dumb [person]כִּֽי־ki-for נִבְקְע֤וּniv.ke.'Uthey will burst forth בַמִּדְבָּר֙va./mid.Barin the/ wilderness מַ֔יִםMa.yimwaters וּנְחָלִ֖יםu./ne.cha.Limand/ torrents בָּעֲרָבָֽה׃ba./'a.ra.Vahin the/ desert plain

King James Version

Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

Cross-references

John 5:8 Then Jesus told him, “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk.”
Luke 11:14 One day Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. And when the demon was gone, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowds were amazed,
John 7:37 On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
Isaiah 32:4 The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently.
Matthew 12:22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed the man so that he could speak and see.
Psalms 51:15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.
Matthew 9:32 As they were leaving, a demon-possessed man who was mute was brought to Jesus.
Luke 1:64 Immediately Zechariah’s mouth was opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak, praising God.
Exodus 17:6 Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Numbers 20:11 Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink.