Anakalypsis / Unveiling the Word
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⚙ Annotations & References ▾
Themes 13 ▾
New Creation 1-2 Hope 1, 3-4 Blessing and Curse 1 Glory of God 2 Joy 2, 10 Justice and Mercy 3 Redemption 4, 8, 10 Judgment 4 Messianic Promise 5 Water and Living Water 6 Holiness 8 Promised Land 8 Exile and Return 10
Places 2 ▾
Mount Carmel Galilee 2 Plain of Sharon Coastal Plain 2
Speakers 1 ▾
Isaiah human 1-10
Prophecies 7 ▾
The Desert Shall Bloom 1-2 The Desert Blossoms as the Rose 1-2 The Blind See, the Lame Walk 5-6 The Blind See and the Deaf Hear 5-6 The Blind See and Lame Walk (Isaiah 35) 5-6 The Highway of Holiness 8, 10 The Ransomed of the LORD Return 10
Historic voices 13 ▾
Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans 1× 1 Church History (Historia Ecclesiastica) 2× 1, 4, 6-7 Against Heresies (Adversus Haereses) 1× 3, 5 Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew 1× 6 First Apology 1× 6 Summa Theologica 1× 8 Homilies on Matthew 2× 10 Homilies on the Epistle to the Hebrews 2× 10 John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible 1× 1-10 Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament 1× 1, 3, 5, 8 Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary 1× 1, 5 Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary 1× 2-10 Dialogue with Trypho 1× 5
Manuscript witnesses 6 ▾
Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a) c. 125 BC Codex Sinaiticus Aleph c. AD 330-360 Codex Vaticanus B c. AD 300-325 Codex Alexandrinus A c. AD 400-440 Aleppo Codex (Crown of Aleppo) c. AD 930 Leningrad Codex (Codex Leningradensis) AD 1008
Cross-references 191 ▾
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What is Isaiah 35 about?

As bright as chapter 34 was dark, Isaiah turns from Edom's waste to a desert that blooms like the rose, calling the weak hands and feeble knees to take courage because their God will come to save them. When He comes the blind will see, the deaf hear, the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue break into song — the very signs Jesus later points to as the mark of His coming. Through this renewed land runs a highway called the Way of Holiness, closed to the unclean and the foolish but safe for the redeemed. Along it the ransomed of the LORD return to Zion with singing and everlasting joy, sorrow and sighing fleeing away — the goal toward which the whole first half of the book leans.

Historical backdrop

Assyria was the terror of the age, its armies driving west with siege ramps and cavalry, dragging conquered peoples into exile. In Isaiah's lifetime the northern kingdom fell and vanished, its ten tribes deported, and Sennacherib's host came up against the fortified cities of Judah until Jerusalem alone stood, surrounded. Isaiah prophesied in that shadow, in the court of Jerusalem across four kings, while the largest empire the world had yet seen closed its hand on the small kingdoms of the Levant.

Matthew Henry on Isaiah 35
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Isaiah 35
The Church Fathers on Isaiah 35

Isaiah 35

Isaiah Chapter 35
35

1The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 2It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon: they shall see the glory of Jehovah, the excellency of our God. 3Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. 4Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; he will come and save you.

5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

6Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. 7And the glowing sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water: in the habitation of jackals, where they lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. 8And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for the redeemed: the wayfaring men, yea fools, shall not err therein. 9No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up thereon; they shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: 10and the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

← Chapter 34 Chapter 36 →
What is Isaiah 35 about?

As bright as chapter 34 was dark, Isaiah turns from Edom's waste to a desert that blooms like the rose, calling the weak hands and feeble knees to take courage because their God will come to save them. When He comes the blind will see, the deaf hear, the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue break into song — the very signs Jesus later points to as the mark of His coming. Through this renewed land runs a highway called the Way of Holiness, closed to the unclean and the foolish but safe for the redeemed. Along it the ransomed of the LORD return to Zion with singing and everlasting joy, sorrow and sighing fleeing away — the goal toward which the whole first half of the book leans.