Isaiah 55:12 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Isaiah 55:12
For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figurative… · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
hills
וְהַגְּבָע֗וֹתve.ha.ge.va.'ot
H1389
a hillock · conjunction + definite article + noun, common feminine plural absolute
forth
יִפְצְח֤וּyif.tze.Chu
H6476
to break out (in joyful sound) · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
before
לִפְנֵיכֶם֙lif.nei.Khem
H6440
the face (as the part that turns) · preposition + noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine plural
singing
רִנָּ֔הri.Nah
H7440
properly · noun, common feminine singular absolute
trees
עֲצֵ֥י'a.Tzei
H6086
a tree (from its firmness) · noun, common masculine plural construct
field
הַשָּׂדֶ֖הha.sa.Deh
H7704
a field (as flat) · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
clap
יִמְחֲאוּyim.cha.'u-
H4222
to rub or strike the hands together (in exultation) · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
hands
כָֽףKhaf
H3709
the hollow hand or palm (so of the paw of an animal · noun, common feminine singular absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Isaiah 44:23 Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and eve…
Psalms 105:43 And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:
Psalms 96:11-13 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
Psalms 98:7-9 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
Revelation 19:1-6 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto t…
Isaiah 49:13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have me…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Isaiah 55:6–end
We have here a further account of that covenant of grace which is made with us in Jesus Christ, both what is required and what is promised in the covenant, and of those considerations that are sufficient abundantly to confirm our believing compliance with and reliance on that covenant. This gracious discovery of God's good-will to the children of men is not to be confined either to the Jew or to the Gentile, to the Old Testament or to the New, much less to the captives in Babylon. No, both the precepts and the promises are here given to all, to every one that thirsts after happiness, Isa 55:1. And who does not? Hear this, and live.
I. Here is a gracious offer made of pardon, and peace, and a…
go out--from the various countries in which ye (the Jews) are scattered, to your own land (Eze 11:17).
led--by Messiah, your "Leader" (Isa 55:4; Isa 52:12; Mic 2:12-13).
mountains . . . trees, &c.--images justly used to express the seeming sympathy of nature with the joy of God's people. For, when sin is removed, the natural world shall be delivered from "vanity," and be renewed, so as to be in unison with the regenerated moral world (Isa 44:23; Psa 98:8; Rom 8:19-22).
Adam Clarke on Isaiah 55:12
The mountains and the hills - These are highly poetical images to express a happy state attended with joy and exultation.
Ipsi laetitia voces ad sidera jactant
Intonsi montes: ipsae jam carmina rupes,
Ipsa sonant arbusta.
Virg. Ecl. 5:61.
"The mountain tops unshorn, the rocks rejoice;
The lowly shrubs partake of human voice."
Dryden.
John Gill on Isaiah 55:12
For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace,.... Though these words may literally respect the Jews' return from captivity to their own land, attended with joy and peace; as the preceding verse may respect the word of promise concerning it; as it is interpreted by the Targum,
"for with joy shall ye go out from among the people, and with peace shall ye be brought to your own land;''
yet they may be spiritually applied to the conversion of men, in consequence of the word being made effectual, of which the deliverance from the Babylonish thraldom was a type; when men "go out" of a state of bondage to sin, Satan, and the law; out of a state of darkness and ignorance; out of the pi…
The Church Fathers
The mountains are the heavenly powers that are instituted in heaven by God for the sake of those who are on the earth. For they are ministering spirits sent for the service of those inheriting the future salvation. And they also offer thanks for even one repentant sinner. … Or they could be understood to be those who have a teaching practice in the church and care not for earthly things but those that are above.… And the trees of the field can be understood as those who are perfected among the people. For the Savior has a flowering garden. And since, indeed, it flourishes there and produces good fruit, it is written in the Song of Songs of the bride, "May my beloved come into his garden."
(Vers. 12, 13.) Because you will go out in joy, and be led forth in peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush, the cypress will grow; and instead of briers, the myrtle will grow. And the Lord will be called an everlasting sign, that will not be taken away. LXX: You will go out in joy, and be led forth in gladness. The mountains and hills will leap with joy, eagerly awaiting your coming, and all the trees of the field will applaud with their branches. And in place of a heap of rubbish (that is, the lowest branches (Al. stems)) cypress will rise up; and in place of conyza myrtle will rise up. And the Lord will be a name and a perpetual sign, and he will not fail. My word, he says, will not return empty, but after it has accomplished all that I desired, and has made my will on earth, then it will come back to me; and that which is written will be fulfilled: The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand: until I make your enemies a footstool under your feet (Ps. 110:1-2). For in joy you will go forth from the blood of idolatry, and you will be led in peace, so that you may hear from the Apostle: Grace be to you and peace (Rom. I, 7). Whether you are led in joy, that you may learn the truth of the Gospel after the shadow of the Law. For the mountains and hills, which we can understand to be Angels, and the souls of the Saints, which are called mountains and hills by reason of the variety of virtues, will rejoice over the repentant and will indicate the joy of the mind by leaps. What the Lord says in the Gospel: There will be rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner (Luke 15:7). Also, all the trees of the field will clap their hands, or branches, that are planted along the watercourses, which will bear fruit in their season, and their leaves will not wither (Psalm 1). Concerning these trees, one tree was spoken of in the psalm: But I am like a fruitful olive tree in the house of the Lord (Psalm 52:10). Let us ask those who follow only simple history and eat cooked lamb. Whether the woods applaud with branches and crackle in the hand, and what is said about rivers: The rivers will clap their hands (Psalm 98:8), in what sense it should be understood. Not only will the mountains and hills leap and sing; and all the trees of the field, blessed by the Lord, will…
Dictionary and topics
Isaiah, Book Of — I. Chapters 1-5 contain Isaiah’s prophecies in the reigns of Uzziah and Jotham, foretelling that the present prosperity of Judah should be destroyed, and that Israel should be brought to desolation.…
Joy · 2:11;4:7;5:11;9:2,14;13:5;14:7;16:5,6,8,9,11;17:15;19:8;20:5;21:1,6;28:7;30:5,11,12;32:1,2,11;33:21;35:9;36:8;40:16;42:4;43:4;45:15;46:4;51:8,12;53:6;63:5-7,11;64:10;68:3;69:32;70:4;71:23;85:6;89:15,16;97:11,12;100:1,2;104:34;105:3,43;119:1,2,14,16,55,111,162,165;126:5,6;132:16;138:5;149:2,5; — 2:11;4:7;5:11;9:2,14;13:5;14:7;16:5,6,8,9,11;17:15;19:8;20:5;21:1,6;28:7;30:5,11,12;32:1,2,11;33:21;35:9;36:8;40:16;42:4;43:4;45:15;46:4;51:8,12;53:6;63:5-7,11;64:10;68:3;69:32;70:4;71:23;85:6;89:15,16;97:11,12;100:1,2;104:34;105:3,43;119:1,2,14,16,55,111,162,165;126:5,6;132:16;138:5;149:2,5;
Mountains · Illustrative: (Breaking forth into singing,) of exceeding joy — Illustrative: (Breaking forth into singing,) of exceeding joy
Peace · SPIRITUAL — SPIRITUAL
Peace, Spiritual · Promised to: Saints — Promised to: Saints
Righteousness · FRUITS OF — FRUITS OF
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
Therefore ye shall go out with joy. The Prophet concludes the subject of this chapter; for, when he spoke of the mercy of God, his object was, to convince the Jews that the Lord would deliver them. He now applies to his purpose what was contained in his discourse concerning the infinite goodness of God, and shows that his thoughts are very unlike the thoughts of men. And the true way of teaching is this, that we should apply general statements for present use. Finally, he treats of the restoration of the people, which depended on the undeserved mercy of God.
The mountains and hills shall break out before you. By "the mountains and hills" he means that everything which they shall meet in the…
The true point of comparison, however, is the energy with which the word is realized. Assuredly and irresistibly will the word of redemption be fulfilled. "For ye will go out with joy, and be led forth in peace: the mountains and the hills will break out before you into shouting, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn will cypresses shoot up, and instead of the fleabane will myrtles shoot up: and it will be to Jehovah for a name, for an everlasting memorial that will not be swept away." "With joy," i.e., without the hurry of fear (Isa 52:12); "in peace," i.e., without having to fight their way through or flee. The idea of the sufferer falls back in הוּבל b…
The prophet encourages his people to forget the past, to leave Babylon, and to accept the perspective of the coming age.
55:12 Joy is found in being redeemed from bondage. • Godly people experience an inner peace not known to the wicked (48:22). • mountains and hills . . . trees of the field: Creation participates in the freedom of the children of God (44:23; 49:11, 13; see Rom 8:19-23).
Rashi on Isaiah 55:12
For with joy shall you go forth from the exile.
the mountains and the hills shall burst into song before you for they will give you their fruit and their plants, and their inhabitants shall derive benefit. ([Some editions read:] And their inhabitants shall sing.)
