Prophecy 19 of 30 · Prophet
A voice in the wilderness
A voice calls to prepare the way of the LORD in the wilderness.
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Hebrew · Leningrad Codexעִבְרִית
3ק֣וֹל קוֹרֵ֔א בַּמִּדְבָּ֕ר פַּנּ֖וּ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יְהוָ֑ה יַשְּׁרוּ֙ בָּעֲרָבָ֔ה מְסִלָּ֖ה לֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ׃kol kore bammidbar pannu derekh ADONAI yasheru ba'arava mesilla lelohenu
JPS 1917 · Jewish translation
3Hark! one calleth: ‘Clear ye in the wilderness the way of the LORD, make plain in the desert a highway for our God.
World Messianic Bible
3The voice of one who calls out, “Prepare the way of the LORD in the wilderness! Make a level highway in the desert for our God.The voice of one who calls out, “Prepare the way of Yahweh in the wilderness! Make a level highway in the desert for our God.
Isaiah 40:3. Transliteration simplified. Read the whole chapter
Also in this passage: Malachi 3:1
1הִנְנִ֤י שֹׁלֵחַ֙ מַלְאָכִ֔י וּפִנָּה־דֶ֖רֶךְ לְפָנָ֑י וּפִתְאֹם֩ יָב֨וֹא אֶל־הֵיכָל֜וֹ הָאָד֣וֹן ׀ אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֣ם מְבַקְשִׁ֗ים וּמַלְאַ֨ךְ הַבְּרִ֜ית אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֤ם חֲפֵצִים֙ הִנֵּה־בָ֔א אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃
hinni sholeach mal'akhi ufinna-derekh lefanay ufit'om yavo el-hekhalo ha'adon asher-attem mevakshim umal'akh habberit asher-attem chafetzim hinne-va amar ADONAI tzevaot
1Behold, I send My messenger, and he shall clear the way before Me; and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to His temple, and the messenger of the covenant, Whom ye delight in, Behold, he cometh, Saith the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 3:1 (Hebrew & JPS 1917)
Fulfilment · New CovenantWMB
Mark 1:2-4 As it is written in the Prophets, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you: the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!’” Yochanan came immersing in the wilderness and proclaiming the immersion of repentance for forgiveness of sins.
John 1:23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”
How rabbinic tradition reads it
Read as the return from Babylon, and in the Dead Sea Scrolls community (Rule of the Community 8:14) as their own life in the desert.
Why Messianic Jews read it as Yeshua
The way being prepared is for "the LORD" (YHWH) himself. All four Gospels apply it to John the Immerser preparing the way for Yeshua.
Look at the text for yourself
Read Isaiah 40:3 slowly, in the Hebrew and the JPS translation above. Then ask the question the Ethiopian official asked: "Who is the prophet talking about?"
Sources
- 1QS (Community Rule) 8:12-16
- Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), via OpenScriptures. English: JPS 1917; World Messianic Bible (public domain).
