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J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Isaiah 35:1

Wilderness and parched land, shall be glad for them, - And the waste plain, shall exult, and blossom as the lily:

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church;   Desert;   Gentiles;   Jesus, the Christ;   Joy;   Readings, Select;   Rose;   Scofield Reference Index - Redemption;   Thompson Chain Reference - Awakenings and Religious Reforms;   Beauties of Nature;   Beauty of Nature;   Beauty-Disfigurement;   Flowers;   Nature, Beauty of;   Places;   Revivals;   Rose;   Waste Places;   The Topic Concordance - Israel/jews;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Deserts;   Flowers;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Creation;   Rose;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Flowers;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Day of the Lord, God, Christ, the;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Desert;   Rose;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Desert;   Elisha;   Rose;   Wilderness of the Wanderings;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Crocus;   Desert;   Flowers;   Plants in the Bible;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Arabia, Arabs;   Joy;   Rose;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Rose,;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Rose;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Desert;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Poetry of the Hebrews;   Rose;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Champaign;   Eschatology of the Old Testament (with Apocryphal and Apocalyptic Writings);   Glowing, Sand;   Isaiah;   Rose;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Joy;   Sharon;   Wilderness;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
The dry desert will rejoice. The desert will be glad and blossom.
New Living Translation
Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses.
Update Bible Version
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
New Century Version
The desert and dry land will become happy; the desert will be glad and will produce flowers. Like a flower,
New English Translation
Let the desert and dry region be happy; let the wilderness rejoice and bloom like a lily!
Webster's Bible Translation
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.
World English Bible
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
Amplified Bible
The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; The Arabah (desert) will shout in exultation and blossom Like the autumn crocus.
English Standard Version
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The forsakun Judee and with outen weie schal be glad, and wildirnesse schal make ful out ioye, and schal floure as a lilie.
English Revised Version
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
Berean Standard Bible
The wilderness and the land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose.
Contemporary English Version
Thirsty deserts will be glad; barren lands will celebrate and blossom with flowers.
American Standard Version
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
Bible in Basic English
The waste land and the dry places will be glad; the lowland will have joy and be full of flowers.
Complete Jewish Bible
The desert and the dry land will be glad; the ‘Aravah will rejoice and blossom like the lily.
Darby Translation
The wilderness and the dry land shall be gladdened; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The wilderness and the parched land shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
King James Version (1611)
The wildernesse and the solitarie place shall be glad for them: and the desert shall reioyce and blossome as the rose.
New Life Bible
The waste-land and the dry land will be glad. The desert will be full of joy and become like a rose.
New Revised Standard
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus
Geneva Bible (1587)
The desert and the wildernes shall reioyce: and the waste ground shalbe glad and florish as the rose.
George Lamsa Translation
THE parched wilderness shall be glad, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus.
Douay-Rheims Bible
The land that was desolate and impassable shall be glad, and the wilderness shall rejoice, and shall flourish like the lily.
Revised Standard Version
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But the desert & wildernesse shall reioyce, the waste ground shall be glad and florishe as the Lilie.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Be glad, thou thirsty desert: let the wilderness exult, and flower as the lily.
Good News Translation
The desert will rejoice, and flowers will bloom in the wastelands.
Christian Standard Bible®
The wilderness and the dry land will be glad;
Hebrew Names Version
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
King James Version
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
Lexham English Bible
Wilderness and dry land shall be glad, and desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus.
Literal Translation
The wilderness and dry land shall rejoice for them; and the desert shall exult and bloom like the crocus.
Young's Literal Translation
They joy from the wilderness and dry place, And rejoice doth the desert, and flourish as the rose,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Bvt the deserte & wildernesse shal reioyse, ye waist grounde shal be glad, and florish as the lilly.
THE MESSAGE
Wilderness and desert will sing joyously, the badlands will celebrate and flower— Like the crocus in spring, bursting into blossom, a symphony of song and color. Mountain glories of Lebanon—a gift. Awesome Carmel, stunning Sharon—gifts. God 's resplendent glory, fully on display. God awesome, God majestic.
New American Standard Bible
The wilderness and the desert will rejoice, And the desert will shout for joy and blossom; Like the crocus
New King James Version
The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose;
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The wilderness and the desert will be glad, And the Arabah will rejoice and blossom; Like the crocus
Legacy Standard Bible
The wilderness and the desert will be delighted,And the Arabah will rejoice and flourish;Like the crocus

Contextual Overview

1 Wilderness and parched land, shall be glad for them, - And the waste plain, shall exult, and blossom as the lily: 2 It shall, blossom abundantly, and exult, Yea with exultation and shouts of triumph, The glory of Lebanon, hath been given to it, The splendour of Carmel, and Sharon, - They, shall see the glory of Yahweh, the splendour of our God. 3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, - The trembling knees, make ye firm: 4 Say to the hurried in heart, Be strong, Do not fear, - Lo! your God, with avenging, doth come, With the recompence of God, He, doth come to save you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

wilderness: Isaiah 29:17, Isaiah 32:15, Isaiah 32:16, Isaiah 40:3, Isaiah 51:3, Isaiah 52:9, Isaiah 52:10, Ezekiel 36:35

be: Psalms 48:11, Psalms 97:8, Revelation 19:1-7

desert: Isaiah 4:2, Isaiah 27:6, Isaiah 55:12, Isaiah 55:13, Isaiah 61:10, Isaiah 61:11, Isaiah 66:10-14, Hosea 14:5, Hosea 14:6

Reciprocal: Numbers 17:5 - blossom Nehemiah 8:10 - the joy Job 38:26 - on the wilderness Psalms 65:13 - they shout Psalms 72:7 - In his days Psalms 72:9 - They that Psalms 89:12 - rejoice Song of Solomon 2:1 - the rose Song of Solomon 2:12 - flowers Isaiah 42:11 - Let the wilderness Isaiah 54:3 - thou shalt Ezekiel 34:27 - the tree Ezekiel 47:8 - and go down Joel 2:21 - be glad Amos 9:13 - the mountains Luke 11:24 - dry Acts 8:8 - General Acts 8:39 - and he Acts 11:1 - the Gentiles

Cross-References

Genesis 12:8
And he moved on from thence towards the hill country, on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, - with Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east, and bulk there an altar to Yahweh, and called on the name of Yahweh.
Genesis 16:8
So he said Hagar! handmaid of Sarai! Whence hast thou come, and whither wouldst thou go? And she said, From the face of Sarai, my lady, am, I, fleeing.
Genesis 22:14
So Abraham called the name of that place Yahweh, - as to which it is still said to-day, In the mountain of Yahweh, will provision be made.
Genesis 31:3
Then said Yahweh unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred, - that I may be with thee.
Genesis 31:13
I, am the GOD of Beth-el, where thou didst anoint a pillar, where thou didst vow to me a vow, - Now, rise, go forth out of this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.
Genesis 35:3
And let us arise, and go up to Beth-el, - that I may make there an altar to the GOD who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way that I went.
Genesis 35:4
So they gave unto Jacob all the gods of the alien which were in their hand, and the earrings which were in their ears, - and Jacob hid them under the oak, which was by Shechem.
Genesis 35:6
And Jacob came in towards Luz, which was in the land of Canaan, the same, is Beth-el, - he and all the people who were with him.
Genesis 35:7
And he built there an altar, and called the place El-Beth-el, - because, there, God revealed himself unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother,
Genesis 35:10
And God said to him, Thy name, is Jacob, - Thy name shall no longer he called Jacob But, Israel, shall be thy name. So he called his name, Israel.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The wilderness, and the solitary place, shall be glad for them,.... Either for the wild beasts, satyrs, owls, and vultures, that shall inhabit Edom or Rome, and because it shall be an habitation for them: or they shall be glad for them, the Edomites, and for the destruction of them; that is, as the Targum paraphrases it,

"they that dwell in the wilderness, in the dry land, shall rejoice;''

the church, in the wilderness, being obliged to fly there from the persecution of antichrist, and thereby become desolate as a wilderness; and so called, in allusion to the Israelites in the wilderness, Acts 7:38 shall now rejoice at the ruin of Rome, and the antichristian states; by which means it shall come into a more flourishing condition; see Revelation 12:14:

and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose; or "as the lily", as the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions; and so the Targum,

"as the lilies:''

not Judea or Jerusalem, as the Jewish writers, become like a desert, through the devastations made in it by the king of Assyria's army; and now made glad, and become flourishing, upon the departure of it from them: rather the Gentile world, which was like a wilderness, barren and unfruitful, before the Gospel came into it; but by means of that, which brought joy with it, and was attended with fragrancy, it diffusing the savour of the knowledge of Christ in every place, it became fruitful and flourishing, and of a sweet odour, and looked delightful, and pleasant: though it seems best to understand it of the Gentile church in the latter day, after the destruction of antichrist, when it shall be in a most desirable and comfortable situation. These words stand in connection with the preceding chapter Isaiah 34:1, and very aptly follow upon it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The wilderness and the solitary place - This is evidently figurative language, such as is often employed by the prophets. The word rendered ‘solitary place’ (ציה tsı̂yâh), denotes properly a dry place, a place without springs and streams of water; and as such places produce no verdure, and nothing to sustain life, the word comes to mean a desert. Such expressions are often used in the Scriptures to express moral or spiritual desolation; and in this sense evidently the phrase is used here. It does not refer to the desolations of Judea, but to all places that might be properly called a moral wilderness, or a spiritual desert; and thus aptly expresses the condition of the world that was to be benefited by the blessings foretold in this chapter. The parallel expressions in Isaiah 41:17-19; Isaiah 44:3-4, show that this is the sense in which the phrase is here used; and that the meaning is, that every situation which might be appropriately called a moral wilderness - that is, the whole pagan world - would ultimately be made glad. The sense is, that as great and happy changes would take place in regard to those desolations as if the wilderness should become a vast field producing the lily and the rose; or as if Isaiah 35:2 there should be imparted to such places the glory of Lebanon, and the beauty of Sharon and Carmel.

Shall be glad for them - This is evidently a personification, a beautiful poetic figure, by which the wilderness is represented as expressing joy. The sense is, the desolate moral world would be filled with joy on account of the blessings which are here predicted. The phrase ‘for them,’ expressed in Hebrew by the affix מ (m) means, doubtless, on account of the blessings which are foretold in this prophecy. Lowth supposes, however, that the letter has been added to the word ‘shall be glad’ (ישׂשׂוּ yes'us'û), by mistake, because the following word (מדבר midbâr) begins with a מ (m). The reading of the present Hebrew text is followed by none of the ancient versions; but it is nevertheless probably the correct reading, and there is no authority for changing it. The sense is expressed above by the phrase ‘shall rejoice on account of the things contained in this prophecy;’ to wit, the destruction of all the foes of God, and the universal establishment of his kingdom. Those who wish to see a more critical examination of the words used here, may find it in Rosenmuller and Gesenius.

And blossom as the rose - The word rendered ‘rose’ (חבצלת chăbı̂tsâleth) occurs only here and in Song of Solomon 2:1, where it is also rendered a ‘rose.’ The Septuagint renders it, Κρίνον Krinon ‘Lily.’ The Vulgate also renders it, Lilium - the lily. The Syriac renders it also by a word which signifies the lily or narcissus; or, according to the Syriac lexicographers, ‘the meadow-saffron,’ an autumnal flower springing from poisonous bulbous roots, and of a white and violet color. The sense is not, however, affected materially whatever be the meaning of the word. Either the rose, the lily, or the saffron, would convey the idea of beauty compared with the solitude and desolation of the desert. The word ‘rose’ with us, as being a flower better known, conveys a more striking image of beauty, and there is no impropriety in retaining it.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XXXV

Flourishing state of the Church of God consequent to the awful

judgments predicted in the preceding chapter. The images

employed in the description are so very consolatory and sublime

as to oblige us to extend their fulfilment to that period of

the Gospel dispensation when Messiah shall take unto himself

his great power and reign. The fifth and sixth verses were

literally accomplished by our Saviour and his apostles: but

that the miracles wrought in the first century were not the

only import of the language used by the prophet, is

sufficiently plain from the context. They, therefore, have a

farther application; and are contemporary with, or rather a

consequence of, the judgments of God upon the enemies of the

Church in the latter days; and so relate to the greater

influence and extension of the Christian faith, the conversion

of the Jews, their restoration to their own land, and the

second advent of Christ. Much of the imagery of this chapter

seems to have been borrowed from the exodus from Egypt: but it

is greatly enlivened by the life, sentiments, and passions

ascribed to inanimate objects; all nature being represented as

rejoicing with the people of God in consequence of their

deliverance; and administering in such an unusual manner to

their relief and comfort, as to induce some commentators to

extend the meaning of the prophecy to the blessedness of the

saints in heaven, 1-10.


The various miracles our Lord wrought are the best comment on this chapter, which predicts those wondrous works and the glorious state of the Christian Church. See the parallel texts in the margin.

On this chapter Bishop Lowth has offered some important emendations. I shall introduce his translation, as the best yet given of this singular prophecy: -

1. The desert and the waste shall be glad;

And the wilderness shall rejoice, and flourish:

2. Like the rose shall it beautifully flourish;

And the well-watered plain of Jordan shall also rejoice:

The glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it,

The beauty of Carmel and of Sharon;

These shall behold the glory of JEHOVAH,

The majesty of our God.

3. Strengthen ye the feeble hands,

And confirm ye the tottering knees.

4. Say ye to the faint-hearted, Be ye strong;

Fear ye not; behold your God!

Vengeance will come; the retribution of God:

He himself will come, and will deliver you.

5. Then shall be unclosed the eyes of the blind;

And the ears of the deaf shall be opened:

6. Then shall the lame bound like the hart,

And the tongue of the dumb shall sing;

For in the wilderness shall burst forth waters,

And torrents in the desert:

7. And the glowing sand shall become a pool,

And the thirsty soil bubbling springs:

And in the haunt of dragons shall spring forth

The grass with the reed and the bulrush.

8. And a highway shall be there;

And it shall be called The way of holiness:

No unclean person shall pass through it:

But he himself shall be with them, walking in the way,

And the foolish shall not err therein:

9. No lion shall be there;

Nor shall the tyrant of the beasts come up thither:

Neither shall he be found there;

But the redeemed shall walk in it.

10. Yea, the ransomed of JEHOVAH shall return;

They shall come to Sion with triumph;

And perpetual gladness shall crown their heads.

Joy and gladness shall they obtain;

And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXXV

Verse Isaiah 35:1. Shall be glad — יששום yesusum; in one MS. the מ mem seems to have been added; and שום sum is upon a rasure in another. None of the ancient versions acknowledge it; it seems to have been a mistake, arising from the next word beginning with the same letter. Seventeen MSS. have ישושום yesusum, both vaus expressed; and five MSS. יששם yesusum, without the vaus. Probably the true reading is, "The wilderness and the dry place shall be glad." Not for them.


 
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