The verse begins with "A voice cries," not attributing the cry to a specific person but emphasizing the sound itself. This sets the stage for a dramatic proclamation, inviting us to imagine the scene of a herald's urgent call echoing in a desolate place, not just preparing a physical road, but clearing the way for God's presence and action.
A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage opens a powerful section of Isaiah where God offers comfort and a message of impending liberation to His exiled people in Babylon. The prophet hears a divine call, like an announcement echoing through the barren lands, commanding preparations for God's glorious return to lead His people home. This imagery vividly recalls their ancestors' journey out of Egypt, but it also powerfully foreshadows a future, far greater redemption.
Imagine ancient kings on the move. How did they travel through barren lands, and what does this image tell us about God?
This verse paints a picture of a grand royal procession. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, when a king traveled, especially through undeveloped territory, heralds were sent ahead to clear the path, fill in ditches, level hills, and ensure a smooth, swift journey for the monarch and his army.
Isaiah uses this vivid imagery to announce God’s coming. It’s not just a quiet arrival; it’s a divine king making a triumphant entrance. The “highway” isn't just a path; it's a testament to the power and glory of the One for whom it’s being prepared. This echoes the Exodus, where God led His people through the wilderness, and anticipates the coming of the Messiah, God Himself, entering the world.
Why the wilderness? What’s so significant about this desolate place being the backdrop for God’s grand announcement?
The "wilderness" in Isaiah 40:3 is a powerful symbol. It points to a literal, harsh landscape that needed significant preparation for a royal journey.
More importantly, it’s a metaphor. The Jewish people were in exile in Babylon, far from their homeland and, spiritually, in a barren condition. The Gentile world, too, was spiritually desolate. John the Baptist, the voice crying in the wilderness, preached repentance in the Judean desert. This was a place removed from the religious and political centers, a place where people were stripped down, much like the barren landscape itself.
This barrenness serves a crucial purpose: it highlights the transformative power of God’s arrival. A path can only be truly prepared where there is no path, and a heart can only be truly ready for God when it acknowledges its own emptiness and need.
Ask a follow-up
Who is this 'voice crying'? And why is the identity of the crier so deliberately vague?
Isaiah doesn't name the crier. He simply says, 'A voice cries.' This isn't a human spotlight; it's a divine announcement.
The vagueness serves a brilliant purpose. It elevates the message over the messenger. While this cry was ultimately fulfilled by John the Baptist, who was a pivotal figure, the prophecy itself points beyond any single individual. It signifies that the primary actor is God, the Lord Himself, who is coming.
This emphasis on the 'voice' also allows the prophecy to encompass multiple fulfillments. It perfectly describes John the Baptist, but it also speaks to any who, like him, echo God's call to prepare the way for His presence and work in the world. The focus remains on the King, not the herald.
Understand the original words
midbar · Hebrew Noun
An uncultivated, desolate place; in Scripture, it is often a place of testing, transformation, and a setting where God manifests His presence away from the distractions of civilization.
kabod · Hebrew Noun
A term representing the weight, significance, and visible manifestation of God’s character, presence, and majesty; it is the outward expression of His inward divine essence.
basar · Hebrew Noun
A biblical term for humanity in its entirety; it emphasizes the temporary, mortal, and fragile nature of human beings compared to the eternal and sovereign God.
This prophecy, delivered centuries before the exile, envisioned a grand return journey from Babylon. The imagery of preparing a highway through the desert powerfully anticipates a miraculous restoration, a theme later echoed in John the Baptist's ministry preparing the way for Jesus' arrival.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
The Assyrian Empire under Sennacherib invades Judah and besieges Jerusalem. While Jerusalem is not captured, the event highlights Judah's vulnerability and dependence on God's intervention.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah, initiating the first wave of exiles, including Daniel. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
More Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon after a revolt. Jerusalem's temple is spared for the time being.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its magnificent temple, exiling the remaining population. This is the nadir of Judah's national and spiritual life.
c. 540 BC— this verse
Isaiah's Prophecy Written
Isaiah, centuries earlier, wrote this prophetic vision of comfort and restoration for a people facing or enduring exile. The prophet speaks of a new exodus, a divine highway being prepared.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
Cyrus of Persia captures Babylon. This pivotal event sets the stage for the decree allowing Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple.
c. 28 BC - AD 30
John the Baptist's Ministry
Centuries after Isaiah, John the Baptist appears in the Judean wilderness, proclaiming a message of repentance and preparing the way for Jesus, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy.
This passage directly quotes Isaiah 40:3 and applies it to John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus by preaching repentance in the wilderness.
Luke 3:4-6Similar to Matthew, Luke also quotes Isaiah 40:3, reinforcing the connection between John the Baptist's ministry and the prophecy of preparing God's way.
Isaiah 35:8-10This earlier passage in Isaiah describes a 'highway of holiness' that will be prepared for the redeemed to return, echoing the imagery of making a way in the wilderness for God's people.
Malachi 3:1This prophecy foretells a messenger who will prepare the way before the Lord, directly paralleling the concept of a herald announcing and making ready for God's coming.
John 1:23John the Baptist himself, when asked who he was, quoted Isaiah 40:3, clearly identifying his role as the fulfillment of this prophetic call to prepare the way.
bensonIsaiah 40:3: "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."
Isaiah 40:3-4 . The voice of him that crieth — Or, as the Hebrew may be properly rendered, A voice crieth; an abrupt and imperfect speech, implying, “Methinks I hear a voice;” or, “A voice shall be heard;” in the wilderness — Which word signifies the place, either where the cry was made, or where the way was to be prepared, as it is expressed in the f…
clarkeIsaiah 40:3: "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."
The voice of him that crieth to the wilderness "A voice crieth, In the wilderness" - The idea is taken from the practice of eastern monarchs, who, whenever they entered upon an expedition or took a journey, especially through desert and unpractised countries, sent harbingers before them to prepare all things for their passage, and pioneers to open the…
The verse begins with "A voice cries," not attributing the cry to a specific person but emphasizing the sound itself. This sets the stage for a dramatic proclamation, inviting us to imagine the scene of a herald's urgent call echoing in a desolate place, not just preparing a physical road, but clearing the way for God's presence and action.
This passage opens a powerful section of Isaiah where God offers comfort and a message of impending liberation to His exiled people in Babylon. The prophet hears a divine call, like an announcement echoing through the barren lands, commanding preparations for God's glorious return to lead His people home. This imagery vividly recalls their ancestors' journey out of Egypt, but it also powerfully foreshadows a future, far greater redemption.
This passage opens a powerful section of Isaiah where God offers comfort and a message of impending liberation to His exiled people in Babylon. The prophet hears a divine call, like an announcement echoing through the barren lands, commanding preparations for God's glorious return to lead His people home. This imagery vividly recalls their ancestors' journey out of Egypt, but it also powerfully foreshadows a future, far greater redemption.
"A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall bec…" — The verse begins with "A voice cries," not attributing the cry to a specific person but emphasizing the sound itself. This sets the stage for a dramatic proclamation, inviting us to imagine the sce…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
