Isaiah 40:28–31

Context

Chapter 40 of Isaiah opens with "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people" (Isaiah 40:1) and is the first chapter of the section (chapters 40–55) that proclaims comfort and restoration. The traditional view holds that the chapter records words that the prophet Isaiah spoke in advance to a people who would later be carried off to Babylon. Historical-critical scholarship attributes it to an anonymous prophet active during the exile (sixth century BC), commonly called "Second Isaiah" (Deutero-Isaiah). On either view, the audience is an Israel worn out by long captivity.

In verse 27, immediately before the passage, the people lament, "My way is hid from the LORD." Verses 28–31 answer that lament. The preceding section (verses 12–26) demonstrates the powerlessness of idols and of the nations. This passage then concludes that God, "the Creator of the ends of the earth," "fainteth not, neither is weary," and that He imparts His strength to the weary.

Interpretation

The Korean term angmang (仰望), used in Korean translations for "wait upon," means to look up in hope. The corresponding Hebrew word, qavah, combines the ideas of waiting and hoping. The Revised New Korean Standard Version renders it as "those who make [the LORD] their hope." The Korean rendering "shall obtain new strength" is sometimes explained, in keeping with the sense of the Hebrew, as "to renew (or exchange) strength."

• Historical reading: This reading takes the passage as a promise of strength for the journey home from exile (compare Isaiah 40:3, "Prepare ye the way of the LORD").
• Reading centered on the doctrine of God: This reading focuses on the contrast between the tireless Creator and failing human beings ("the youths" and "the young men"). It understands the passage as a call to trust in God's creation and providence.
• Devotional reading: This reading takes the passage as a promise that believers who wait on God in prayer will have their strength restored. It often draws attention to the sequence of mounting up, running, and walking. A common interpretation in preaching holds that the climax is not dramatic experience but a steady faith that keeps walking without fainting.

Questions Concerning Application

First, there is the question of whether "waiting" may be read as passive resignation. Commentators often explain that qavah includes active trust and expectation.

Second, the passage is frequently used as a prayer for personal success or for passing examinations. In response, some point out that it should also be read as comfort originally addressed to an entire weary community of faith.

Third, a story claiming that the eagle (or kite), at about forty years of age, plucks out its own beak and talons and is reborn is sometimes used as an illustration of this passage. This story, however, has been criticized as having no biological basis.

In the Korean Church

The passage is widely used as a Scripture memory verse. It is also often used as a New Year's motto, a retreat theme, and a word of encouragement for graduates and students preparing for examinations. The phrase "they shall mount up with wings as eagles" appears in the lyrics of many gospel songs and has become a familiar expression even outside the church.

Related Passages

• Psalm 103:5
• Psalm 27:14
• Isaiah 30:15
• 2 Corinthians 4:16
• Habakkuk 3:19