The Meaning of Isaiah 55:12 Explained

Isaiah 55:12

KJV: 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.

YLT: For with joy ye go forth, And with peace ye are brought in, The mountains and the hills Break forth before you with singing, And all trees of the field clap the hand.

Darby: 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.

ASV: 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 fields shall clap their hands.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Isaiah 55:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The "For" (Heb. ki) that begins this verse serves to introduce the conclusion to this pericope ( Isaiah 55:6-13), and the entire section dealing with God"s atonement (chs40-55). "Surely" (the asseverative use of ki) would be a good translation.
Throughout this section Isaiah was describing another Exodus , a redemption from sin, that the Servant would make possible. In view of that redemption, sinners need to seek the Lord, to come to Him for it ( Isaiah 55:6-11). Now the prophet concluded, by describing the redeemed, led forth from their "Egypt," going out on their journey to their "Promised Land." They would do so with joy and peace because of the redemption that the Lamb of God would provide. As they would do Song of Solomon , all creation would rejoice because sin had been dealt with for all eternity. This description also fits the return of God"s people to the Promised Land, in the Millennium, that the prophet spoke of earlier ( Isaiah 51:11).

Context Summary

Isaiah 55:1-13 - The Free Offer Of Pardoning Grace
The Prince of Life, Isaiah 55:4, r.v. Four times in the New Testament this title is applied to our Lord, and always in connection with His Resurrection. See Acts 3:14-15; Acts 5:31; Hebrews 2:9-10; Hebrews 12:2, where the words prince, author, and captain, are various translations of the same Greek word. The meaning of the original word is file leader. He leads out of death into life; out of defeat into victory; out of suffering into perfection; out of the sorrow and pain of discipline into the triumph of the sons of light.
The everlasting covenant, Isaiah 55:3. David's sin could not cancel the sure mercies of God. See 2 Samuel 7:14-16 and 2 Samuel 23:5. God will never go back on that covenant which includes us! See Hebrews 8:1-13. God's mercies in Christ are sure. Listen! Come! Hear! We are not only forever safe, but we are provided against all want.
God's abundant provision is described under several terms: waters, wine, milk, wholesome and satisfying bread, the good, fatness, Isaiah 55:1-2. We are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ, Ephesians 1:3. And because God's thoughts and ways are not as ours, the result is the transformation of thorns into firs and briars into myrtles. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 55

1  The prophet, with the promises of Christ, calls to faith
6  And to repentance
8  The happy success of those who believe

What do the individual words in Isaiah 55:12 mean?

For with joy you shall go out and with peace be led out the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing and all the trees of the field shall clap [their] hands
כִּֽי־ בְשִׂמְחָ֣ה תֵצֵ֔אוּ וּבְשָׁל֖וֹם תּֽוּבָל֑וּן הֶהָרִ֣ים וְהַגְּבָע֗וֹת יִפְצְח֤וּ לִפְנֵיכֶם֙ רִנָּ֔ה וְכָל־ עֲצֵ֥י הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה יִמְחֲאוּ־ כָֽף

בְשִׂמְחָ֣ה  with  joy 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׂמְחָה  
Sense: joy, mirth, gladness.
תֵצֵ֔אוּ  you  shall  go  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
וּבְשָׁל֖וֹם  and  with  peace 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלֹום  
Sense: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.
תּֽוּבָל֑וּן  be  led  out 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: יָבַל  
Sense: to bring, lead, carry, conduct, bear along.
הֶהָרִ֣ים  the  mountains 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
וְהַגְּבָע֗וֹת  and  the  hills 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: גִּבְעָה  
Sense: hill.
יִפְצְח֤וּ  shall  break  forth 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: פָּצַח 
Sense: to cause to break or burst forth, break forth with, break out.
לִפְנֵיכֶם֙  before  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
רִנָּ֔ה  into  singing 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: רִנָּה  
Sense: ringing cry.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עֲצֵ֥י  the  trees 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה  of  the  field 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
יִמְחֲאוּ־  shall  clap 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מָחָא  
Sense: to strike, clap (the hands).
כָֽף  [their]  hands 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: כַּף  
Sense: palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand.