Isaiah 40 · Verse 2

Isaiah 40:2

Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
Isaiah 40:2, King James Version

Isaiah 40:2 in other translations

BSB“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her forced labor has been completed; her iniquity has been pardoned. For she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.”
WEB“Speak comfortably to Jerusalem, and call out to her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received of the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.”
ASVSpeak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she hath received of Jehovah’s hand double for all her sins.
YLTSpeak to the heart of Jerusalem, and call to her, That her warfare hath been completed, That accepted hath been her punishment, That she hath received from the hand of Jehovah Double for all her sins.
DARBYSpeak to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her time of suffering is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she hath received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins.
BBESay kind words to the heart of Jerusalem, crying out to her that her time of trouble is ended, that her punishment is complete; that she has been rewarded by the Lord's hand twice over for all her sins.
WebsterSpeak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry to her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received from the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.

What does Isaiah 40:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. comfortably--literally, "to the heart"; not merely to the intellect. Jerusalem--Jerusalem though then in ruins, regarded by God as about to be rebuilt; her people are chiefly meant, but the city is personified. cry--publicly and emphatically as a herald cries aloud (Is 40:3). warfare--or, the appointed time of her misery (Job 7:1, Margin; Job 14:14; Da 10:1). The ulterior and Messianic reference probably is the definite time when the legal economy of burdensome rites is at an end (Ga 4:3, 4). pardoned--The Hebrew expresses that her iniquity is so expiated that God now delights in restoring her. double for all her sins--This can only, in a very restricted sense, hold good of Judah's restoration after the first captivity. For how can it be said her "warfare was accomplished," when as yet the galling yoke of Antiochus and also of Rome was before them? The "double for her sins" must refer to the twofold captivity, the Assyrian and the Roman; at the coming close of this latter dispersion, and then only, can her "iniquity" be said to be "pardoned," or fully expiated [Houbigant]. It does not mean double as much as she deserved, but ample punishment in her twofold captivity. Messiah is the antitypical Israel (compare Mt 2:15, with Ho 11:1). He indeed has "received" of sufferings amply more than enough to expiate "for our sins" (Ro 5:15, 17). Otherwise (cry unto her) "that she shall receive (blessings) of the Lord's hand double to the punishment of all her sins" (so "sin" is used, Zec 14:19, Margin) [Lowth]. The English Version is simpler.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 Double for all her sins "Blessings double to the punishment" - It does not seem reconcilable to our notions of the Divine justice, which always punishes less than our iniquities deserve, to suppose that God had punished the sins of the Jews in double proportion; and it is more agreeable to the tenor of this consolatory message to understand it as a promise of ample recompense for the effects of past displeasure, on the reconciliation of God to his returning people. To express this sense of the passage, which the words of the original will very well bear, it was necessary to add a word or two in the version to supply the elliptical expression of the Hebrew. Compare Isa 61:7; Job 42:10; Zac 9:12. חטאה chattaah signifies punishment for sin, Lam 3:39; Zac 14:19. But Kimchi says, "Double here means the two captivities and emigrations suffered by the Israelites. The first, the Babylonish captivity; the second, that which they now endure." This is not a bad conjecture.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 40:1-11

The preaching of the gospel, and glad tidings of the coming of Christ. (Is. 40:1-11) The almighty power of God. (Is. 40:12-17) The folly of idolatry. (Is. 40:18-26) Against unbelief. (Is. 40:27-31) Verses 1-11 All human life is a warfare; the Christian life is the most so; but the struggle will not last always. Troubles are removed in love, when sin is pardoned. In the great atonement of the death of Christ, the…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 40:1-11 →

Isaiah 40:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

דַּבְּר֞וּda.be.RuspeakH1696
עַל\־'al-toH5921
לֵ֤בlev[the] heart ofH3820
יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ye.ru.sha.LimJerusalemH3389
וְקִרְא֣וּve.kir.'Uand proclaimH7121
אֵלֶ֔יהָ'e.Lei.hato itH413
כִּ֤יkithatH3588
מָֽלְאָה֙mal.'Ahit has been completedH4390
צְבָאָ֔הּtze.va.'Ahservice itsH6635
כִּ֥יkiforH3588
נִרְצָ֖הnir.Tzahit has been acceptedH7521
עֲוֹנָ֑הּ'a.vo.Nahiniquity itsH5771
כִּ֤יkithatH3588
לָקְחָה֙la.ke.Chahit has receivedH3947
מִיַּ֣דmi.Yadfrom [the] hand ofH3027
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
כִּפְלַ֖יִםkif.La.yimdoubleH3718
בְּכָל\־be.kholfor allH3605
חַטֹּאתֶֽיהָ\׃\ \סcha.to.Tei.hasins itsH2403

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 40:2

  • Zechariah 9:12

    Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;

  • Isaiah 61:7

    For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.

  • Hosea 2:14

    Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.

  • Jeremiah 33:8-9

    And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me. And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.

  • Revelation 18:6

    Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

  • Isaiah 43:25

    I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

  • Song of Solomon 2:11-13

    For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

  • Isaiah 44:22

    I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

  • Jeremiah 16:18

    And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things.

  • Jeremiah 29:11

    For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

  • Habakkuk 2:3

    For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

  • Isaiah 35:4

    Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
comfortably. Heb. to the heart.
Ge 34:3; 2Ch 30:22; Ho 2:14; *marg:
warfare. or, appointed time.
Ps 102:13-28; So 2:11-13; Jer 29:11; Da 9:2,24-27; 11:35; 12:4,9
Hab 2:3; Ac 1:7; Ga 4:4; Re 6:10,11; 11:15-18
that her iniquity.
12:1; 33:24; 43:25; 44:22; 61:7; Ps 32:1; Jer 31:33,34; 33:8,9
1Co 6:9-11
double.
61:7; Job 42:10-12; Jer 16:18; 17:18; Da 9:12; Zec 1:15; 9:12
Re 18:6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 40:1

    Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

  • Isaiah 40:2

    Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

  • Isaiah 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.

Read all of Isaiah 40

Isaiah 40:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Hablad al corazón de Jerusalem: decidle á voces que su tiempo es ya cumplido, que su pecado es perdonado; que doble ha recibido de la mano de Jehová por todos sus pecados.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Parlez au cœur de Jérusalem, et criez-lui que son temps de détresse est accompli, que son iniquité est acquittée; qu’elle a reçu de la main de l’ Éternel le double pour tous ses péchés.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Redet zum Herzen Jerusalems, und rufet ihr zu, daß ihre Mühsal vollendet, daß ihre Schuld abgetragen ist, daß sie von der Hand Jehovas Zwiefältiges empfangen hat für alle ihre Sünden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Loquimini ad cor Jerusalem, et advocate eam, quoniam completa est malitia ejus, dimissa est iniquitas illius: suscepit de manu Domini duplicia pro omnibus peccatis suis.