Isaiah 49:11
And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
Original Language Analysis
וְשַׂמְתִּ֥י
And I will make
H7760
וְשַׂמְתִּ֥י
And I will make
Strong's:
H7760
Word #:
1 of 6
to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
כָל
H3605
כָל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
2 of 6
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
הָרַ֖י
all my mountains
H2022
הָרַ֖י
all my mountains
Strong's:
H2022
Word #:
3 of 6
a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)
לַדָּ֑רֶךְ
a way
H1870
לַדָּ֑רֶךְ
a way
Strong's:
H1870
Word #:
4 of 6
a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb
Cross References
Isaiah 11:16And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.Isaiah 62:10Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.
Historical Context
Persian road systems facilitated return under Cyrus, fulfilling this temporally. But the 'highway' ultimately is Christ, the 'way' that leads to Father. God's mountain-leveling work removes every hindrance to His sovereign purposes.
Questions for Reflection
- What mountains (obstacles) is God making into highways in your spiritual journey?
- How has God's grace removed barriers to salvation that you could never have overcome?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The declaration 'I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted' depicts God removing obstacles and preparing paths for restoration. This reverses the Babylonian deportation's difficulty, promising easy return. Spiritually, God removes barriers to salvation - not human merit but divine grace makes the way (John 14:6). The highway imagery anticipates 40:3's 'prepare ye the way of the LORD.'