Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This isn't just about giving a pep talk; it's a call to bolster people's resolve. The original Hebrew suggests not just encouraging words, but actively helping someone grip something firmly ("strengthen your weak hands") and planting their feet so they can stand their ground ("confirm your feeble knees"). This implies a tangible, supportive action beyond mere comfort, helping others to stand firm in their faith.
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a larger prophecy describing a future restoration of creation and God's people. Following a description of God's judgment on His enemies, Isaiah now turns to encourage those who feel weak and despondent. The prophet is calling on leaders and teachers to offer comfort and strength, assuring them that God will soon intervene to save them.
When faced with overwhelming challenges, where do we find the strength to keep going? Isaiah offers a powerful directive.
This verse isn't just a poetic image; it's a command from God, spoken through the prophet Isaiah, to those who minister His word and His people. It's an instruction to actively bolster those who are faltering.
When our own strength fails, where does true power come from? This prophecy points to an astonishing source.
The reason for this exhortation to strengthen the weak lies in an incredible promise: God Himself is coming to act.
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This passage in Isaiah speaks powerfully to the exiles in Babylon, offering comfort and a promise of future restoration after the devastating destruction of Jerusalem and their land. It calls them to strengthen their resolve amidst despair, assuring them that God will intervene and bring them home.
c. 740 BC
Isaiah's Ministry Begins
Isaiah begins his prophetic ministry in Judah during a time of political instability and looming Assyrian threat.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The northern kingdom of Israel is conquered by the Assyrian Empire, leading to the exile of its people and instilling fear in Judah.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and deports a portion of the population, including the prophet Daniel, to Babylon.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylonian forces destroy Jerusalem and its sacred Temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This marks a period of deep despair for the Jewish people.
c. 539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers the Babylonian Empire, setting the stage for the return of the Jewish exiles.
c. 538 BC
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple, offering a glimmer of hope and restoration.
This passage directly quotes Isaiah 35:3, applying the imagery of strengthening weak hands and feeble knees to believers facing spiritual struggles and urging them to persevere.
Luke 1:69This verse speaks of God raising up a 'horn of salvation' for His people, echoing the theme of divine intervention and rescue that strengthens the fearful and weak.
1 Samuel 2:3Hannah's prayer uses similar language about God being a God of knowledge who weighs actions, and that the strong are brought low while the weak are girded with strength, reflecting the reversal of fortunes promised in Isaiah.
Jeremiah 31:9This prophecy describes God comforting His people and leading them with streams of water, a similar theme of restoration and guidance that would strengthen those who had become weak and despairing.
bensonIsaiah 35:3: "Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees."
Isaiah 35:3-4 . Strengthen ye the weak hands — Ye prophets and ministers of God, comfort and encourage his people, who are now ready to faint, with hopes of that salvation which, in due time, he will work for them. The prophet mentions hands and knees, because the strength or weakness of any man eminently appears in those parts. Say to them that are of a fearful heart — Who, because of their own weakness and the strength…
barnesIsaiah 35:3: "Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees."
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 Isaiah 34 that all the enemies of God and his people will be destroyed; and that he will manifest himself as t…
This isn't just about giving a pep talk; it's a call to bolster people's resolve. The original Hebrew suggests not just encouraging words, but actively helping someone grip something firmly ("strengthen your weak hands") and planting their feet so they can stand their ground ("confirm your feeble knees"). This implies a tangible, supportive action beyond mere comfort, helping others to stand firm in their faith.
This passage is part of a larger prophecy describing a future restoration of creation and God's people. Following a description of God's judgment on His enemies, Isaiah now turns to encourage those who feel weak and despondent. The prophet is calling on leaders and teachers to offer comfort and strength, assuring them that God will soon intervene to save them.
This passage is part of a larger prophecy describing a future restoration of creation and God's people. Following a description of God's judgment on His enemies, Isaiah now turns to encourage those who feel weak and despondent. The prophet is calling on leaders and teachers to offer comfort and strength, assuring them that God will soon intervene to save them.
"Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees." — This isn't just about giving a pep talk; it's a call to bolster people's resolve. The original Hebrew suggests not just encouraging words, but actively helping someone grip something firmly ("stren…
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Last reviewed October 2026