The Meaning of Isaiah 40:9 Explained

Isaiah 40:9

KJV: O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

YLT: On a high mountain get thee up, O Zion, Proclaiming tidings, Lift up with power thy voice, O Jerusalem, proclaiming tidings, Lift up, fear not, say to cities of Judah, 'Lo, your God.'

Darby: O Zion, that bringest glad tidings, get thee up into a high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest glad tidings, lift up thy voice with strength: lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

ASV: O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up on a high mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your God!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

O Zion,  that bringest good tidings,  get thee up  into the high  mountain;  O Jerusalem,  that bringest good tidings,  lift up  thy voice  with strength;  lift [it] up,  be not afraid;  say  unto the cities  of Judah,  Behold your God! 

What does Isaiah 40:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The voice now summoned the people of Israel, collectively identified with Zion and Jerusalem, to announce the coming of their God. They were to go up on a high mountain and speak loudly without fear, so everyone else would hear their message of good news (cf. Acts 1:8).
"The essence of the message is: "Look, it"s God."" [1]

Context Summary

Isaiah 40:9-17 - Creator And Ruler Of All The Earth
Zion is bidden to climb the highest mountain within reach, and announce the advent of the Savior-God. When all eyes are turned to behold Him, expecting a mighty hero, lo, a shepherd conducts His flock across the waste lands, gathering the weakly lambs to His bosom and gently leading the ewes with their young. Do not be afraid of God; He has a shepherd's heart. Words can never tell out all His tenderness; His pitying, understanding love.
We are next conducted to the Great Sea, Isaiah 40:12. Remember, says the prophet, that God's hands are so strong that the ocean lies in them as a drop of water in man's. He can place mountains in the scales He holds. So great is He that if all Lebanon's forests were laid as wood on His altar, and all its beasts were consumed as burnt sacrifices, it would not be sufficient to set forth Page 68 His praise. And this God is our God forever and ever. The Creator of the ends of the earth is our Father. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 40

1  The promulgation of the Gospel
3  The preaching of John Baptist foretold
9  The preaching of the apostles foretold
12  The prophet, by the omnipotence of God
18  And his incomparableness
26  Comforts the people

What do the individual words in Isaiah 40:9 mean?

Into the mountain high Get up You who bring good tidings Zion Lift up with strength your voice You who bring good tidings Jerusalem Lift [it] up not be afraid Say to the cities of Judah behold your God
עַ֣ל הַר־ גָּבֹ֤הַ עֲלִי־ לָךְ֙ מְבַשֶּׂ֣רֶת צִיּ֔וֹן הָרִ֤ימִי בַכֹּ֙חַ֙ קוֹלֵ֔ךְ מְבַשֶּׂ֖רֶת יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם הָרִ֙ימִי֙ אַל־ תִּירָ֔אִי אִמְרִי֙ לְעָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה הִנֵּ֖ה ! אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם

עַ֣ל  Into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַר־  the  mountain 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
גָּבֹ֤הַ  high 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹהַּ  
Sense: high, exalted.
עֲלִי־  Get  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
מְבַשֶּׂ֣רֶת  who  bring  good  tidings 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, feminine singular construct
Root: בָּשַׂר  
Sense: to bear news, bear tidings, publish, preach, show forth.
צִיּ֔וֹן  Zion 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צִיּׄון  
Sense: another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books.
הָרִ֤ימִי  Lift  up 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
בַכֹּ֙חַ֙  with  strength 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּחַ 
Sense: strength, power, might.
קוֹלֵ֔ךְ  your  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
מְבַשֶּׂ֖רֶת  You  who  bring  good  tidings 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, feminine singular construct
Root: בָּשַׂר  
Sense: to bear news, bear tidings, publish, preach, show forth.
יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
הָרִ֙ימִי֙  Lift  [it]  up 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
תִּירָ֔אִי  be  afraid 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
אִמְרִי֙  Say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לְעָרֵ֣י  to  the  cities 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
יְהוּדָ֔ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
הִנֵּ֖ה  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
! אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).