Bible Strands
Isaiah 40:4
Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The prophet delivers God’s declaration to exiled Israel following the call to prepare a wilderness highway. The announcement occurs at the pivot between human preparation and divine revelation.
The words — The Hebrew yinnāśēʾ (יִנָּשֵׂא) literally means “it will be lifted up,” and yišpālû (יִשְׁפָּלוּ) means “they will become low.” These verbs describe a topographical reversal where depressions rise and elevations are leveled.
The thread — Luke 3:5 quotes this exact imagery to frame John the Baptist’s ministry of road-making for Jesus. Ezekiel 21:26 and Luke 18:14 repeat the same structural principle of divine reversal applied to rulers and individuals.
Why it lands — The text requires readers to acknowledge that human barriers and self-exaltation will be removed by divine action. It demands readiness to witness God’s revealed glory once all obstructions are leveled.
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
King James Version
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:
Cross-references
- Luke 3:5 Every valley shall be filled in, and every mountain and hill made low. The crooked ways shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth.
- Ezekiel 21:26 This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Remove the turban, and take off the crown. Things will not remain as they are: Exalt the lowly and bring low the exalted.
- Luke 18:14 I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- 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.
- Isaiah 45:2 “I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron.
- Ezekiel 17:24 Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I bring the tall tree down and make the low tree tall. I dry up the green tree and make the withered tree flourish. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it.’”
- Job 40:11 Unleash the fury of your wrath; look on every proud man and bring him low.
- Psalms 113:7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the dump
- Isaiah 2:12 For the Day of the LORD of Hosts will come against all the proud and lofty, against all that is exalted—it will be humbled—
- Luke 1:52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble.