
Text -- Isaiah 35:3 (NET)




Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics



collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)
Wesley -> Isa 35:3
Wesley: Isa 35:3 - -- Ye ministers of God, comfort and encourage God's people, who are now ready to faint.
Ye ministers of God, comfort and encourage God's people, who are now ready to faint.
JFB -> Isa 35:3
JFB: Isa 35:3 - -- The Hebrew for "strengthen" refers to the strength residing in the hand for grasping and holding a thing manfully; "confirm," to the firmness with whi...
The Hebrew for "strengthen" refers to the strength residing in the hand for grasping and holding a thing manfully; "confirm," to the firmness with which one keeps his ground, so as not to be dislodged by any other [MAURER]. Encourage the Jews, now desponding, by the assurance of the blessings promised.
Calvin -> Isa 35:3
Calvin: Isa 35:3 - -- 3.Strengthen ye the weak hands We might explain this passage generally, as if he had said, “Let those who have feeble hands strengthen them, let; t...
3.Strengthen ye the weak hands We might explain this passage generally, as if he had said, “Let those who have feeble hands strengthen them, let; them whose knees tremble and totter compose and invigorate their hearts.” But the following verse shews that the whole of this passage relates to the ministers of the word; for he addresses the teachers of the Church, and enjoins them to exhort, arouse, and encourage weak men whose hearts are broken or east down, that they may be rendered more firm and cheerful. This exhortation is seasonably introduced, because he saw that so many tokens of God’s anger, of which he had spoken, could not do otherwise than fill even the strongest minds with alarm and dread; for, seeing that we are always enfeebled by adversity, when God himself proclaims what may be called open war against us on account of our sins, who would not tremble? But the Prophet commands that they who are cast down and almost lifeless shall be enlivened, and the manner of doing it is explained by him in the following verse.
Defender -> Isa 35:3
TSK -> Isa 35:3

collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)
Barnes -> Isa 35:3
Barnes: Isa 35:3 - -- Strengthen ye - That is, you who are the religious teachers and guides of the people. This is an address made by the prophet in view of what he...
Strengthen ye - That is, you who are the religious teachers and guides of the people. This is an address made by the prophet in view of what he had said and was about to say of the proraised blessings. The sense is, strengthen and sustain the feeble and the desponding by the promised blessings; by the assurances Isa. 34 that all the enemies of God and his people will be destroyed; and that he will manifest himself as their Protector, and send upon them the promised blessings. Or it may be regarded as addressed to the officers and ministers of religion when these blessings should have come; and as being an exhortation to them to make use of the influences, the promises, and the consolations which would attend the coming of the Messiah, to strengthen the feeble, and confirm those who were faint-hearted.
The weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees - Strength resides mainly in the arms, and in the lower limbs, or the knees. If these are feeble, the whole frame is feeble. Fear relaxes the strength of the arms, and the firmness of the knees; and the expressions ‘ weak hands,’ and ‘ feeble knees,’ become synonymous with saying, of a timid, fearful, and desponding frame of mind. Such were to be strengthened by the assurance of the favor of God, and by the consolations which would flow from the reign of the Messiah. The Jews, who looked abroad upon the desolations of their country, were to be comforted by the hope of future blessings; those who lived in those future times were to be consoled by the assurances of the favor of God through the Messiah (compare the notes at Isa 40:1).
Poole -> Isa 35:3
Poole: Isa 35:3 - -- Ye prophets and ministers of God, comfort and encourage God’ s people, who are now ready to faint, with hopes and assurance of that salvation w...
Ye prophets and ministers of God, comfort and encourage God’ s people, who are now ready to faint, with hopes and assurance of that salvation which, in due time, I will work for them. He mentions
hands and
knees because the strength and weakness of any man eminently appears in those parts.
PBC -> Isa 35:3
See Philpot: THE WEAK HANDS STRENGTHENED AND THE FEEBLE KNEES CONFIRMED
Haydock -> Isa 35:3
Haydock: Isa 35:3 - -- Knees. Ye prophets, comfort the people with these promises. (Calmet) ---
The apostles taught the Gentiles to do good. (Menochius)
Knees. Ye prophets, comfort the people with these promises. (Calmet) ---
The apostles taught the Gentiles to do good. (Menochius)
Gill -> Isa 35:3
Gill: Isa 35:3 - -- Strengthen ye the weak hands,.... These are the words of the prophet, as the Targum,
"the prophet said, strengthen the weak hands;''
or rather o...
Strengthen ye the weak hands,.... These are the words of the prophet, as the Targum,
"the prophet said, strengthen the weak hands;''
or rather of God, by the prophet, to the converted Gentiles, to those who saw the glory of the Lord; particularly to the ministers of the Gospel, who have to do with weak and feeble persons, who can scarcely lift up their hands, or stand upon their legs, under a sense of sin, in a view of wrath, and immediate ruin and destruction, ready to sink and faint, because of their enemies, or through want of food; and their business is to comfort and strengthen them, by preaching the Gospel, and pointing out the promises of it to them:
and confirm the feeble knees; that so they may keep their ground against their enemies; shake off their fears and trembling; go on their way courageously and rejoicing; run, and not be weary; walk, and not faint: "hands" and "knees" are mentioned particularly, because a man's strength lies greatly in them; and his weakness is seen by the languor and trembling of them.

expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> Isa 35:3
NET Notes: Isa 35:3 Heb “staggering knees”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “feeble knees”; NIV “knees that give way.”
Geneva Bible -> Isa 35:3
Geneva Bible: Isa 35:3 ( d ) Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
( d ) He wills all to encourage one another, and especially the ministers to exhort...

expand allCommentary -- Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis -> Isa 35:1-10
TSK Synopsis: Isa 35:1-10 - --1 The joyful flourishing of Christ's kingdom.3 The weak are encouraged by the virtues and privileges of the Gospel.
MHCC -> Isa 35:1-4
MHCC: Isa 35:1-4 - --Judea was prosperous in the days of Hezekiah, but the kingdom of Christ is the great subject intended. Converting grace makes the soul that was a wild...
Matthew Henry -> Isa 35:1-4
Matthew Henry: Isa 35:1-4 - -- In these verses we have, I. The desert land blooming. In the foregoing chapter we had a populous and fruitful country turned into a horrid wildernes...
Keil-Delitzsch -> Isa 35:3-4
Keil-Delitzsch: Isa 35:3-4 - --
The prophet now exclaims to the afflicted church, in language of unmixed consolation, that Jehovah is coming. "Strengthen ye the weak hands, and ma...
Constable: Isa 7:1--39:8 - --III. Israel's crisis of faith chs. 7--39
This long section of the book deals with Israel's major decision in Isa...

Constable: Isa 13:1--35:10 - --B. God's sovereignty over the nations chs. 13-35
This major section of the book emphasizes the folly of ...

Constable: Isa 34:1--35:10 - --4. The consequences of Israel's trust chs. 34-35
This section concludes the major section of Isa...
