Isaiah 40 · Verse 31

Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31, King James Version

Isaiah 40:31 in other translations

BSBBut those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.
WEBbut those who wait for the LORD will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.
ASVbut they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.
YLTBut those expecting Jehovah pass to power, They raise up the pinion as eagles, They run and are not fatigued, They go on and do not faint!
DARBYbut they that wait upon Jehovah shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not tire; they shall walk, and not faint.
BBEBut those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness.
WebsterBut they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.

What does Isaiah 40:31 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
31. mount up--(2Sa 1:23). Rather, "They shall put forth fresh feathers as eagles" are said to renovate themselves; the parallel clause, "renew their strength," confirms this. The eagle was thought to moult and renew his feathers, and with them his strength, in old age (so the Septuagint, Vulgate, Psa 103:5). However, English Version is favored by the descending climax, mount up--run--walk; in every attitude the praying, waiting child of God is "strong in the Lord" (Psa 84:7; Mi 4:5; He 12:1).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 31 They shall mount zap with wings as eagles "They shall put forth fresh feathers like the moulting eagle" - It has been a common and popular opinion that the eagle lives and retains his vigor to a great age; and that, beyond the common lot of other birds, he moults in his old age, and renews his feathers, and with them his youth. "Thou shalt renew thy youth like the eagle, "says the psalmist, Psa 103:5; on which place St. Ambrose notes, Aquila longam aetatem ducit, dum, vetustis plumis fatiscentibus, nova pennarum successione juvenescit: "The eagle lives to a very advanced age; and in moulting his youth is renewed with his new feathers." Phile, De Animalibus, treating of the eagle, and addressing himself to the emperor Michael Palaeologus junior, raises his compliment upon the same notion: - Τουτου συ, βασιλευ, τον πολυν ζωοις βιον, Αει νεουργων, και κρατυνων την φυσιν. "Long may'st thou live, O king; still like the eagle Renew thy youth, and still retain thy vigor." To this many fabulous and absurd circumstances are added by several ancient writers and commentators on Scripture; see Bochart, Hieroz. 2 ii. 1. Rabbi Saadias says, Every tenth year the eagle flies near the sun; and when not able any longer to bear the burning heat, she falls down into the sea, and soon loses her feathers, and thus renews her vigor. This she does every tenth year till the hundredth, when, after she has ascended near the sun, and fallen into the sea, she rises no more. How much proof do such stories require! Whether the notion of the eagle's renewing his youth is in any degree well founded or not, I need not inquire; it is enough for a poet, whether profane or sacred, to have the authority of popular opinion to support an image introduced for illustration or ornament. - L

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 40:27-31

The people of God are reproved for their unbelief and distrust of God. Let them remember they took the names Jacob and Israel, from one who found God faithful to him in all his straits. And they bore these names as a people in covenant with Him. Many foolish frets, and foolish fears, would vanish before inquiry into the causes. It is bad to have evil thoughts rise in our minds, but worse to turn them into evil…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 40:27-31 →

Isaiah 40:31 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.

וְקוֹיֵ֤ve.ko.Yeand [those who] wait forH6960
יְהוָה֙Yah.weh<of> YahwehH3068
יַחֲלִ֣יפוּya.cha.Li.futhey will renewH2498
כֹ֔חַKho.achstrengthH3581
יַעֲל֥וּya.'a.Luthey will go upH5927
אֵ֖בֶר'E.verwing[s]H83
כַּנְּשָׁרִ֑יםka.ne.sha.Rimlike <the> eaglesH5404
יָר֙וּצוּ֙ya.Ru.tzuthey will runH7323
וְלֹ֣אve.Lo'and notH3808
יִיגָ֔עוּyi.Ga.'uthey will become wearyH3021
יֵלְכ֖וּye.le.Khuthey will walkH1980
וְלֹ֥אve.Lo'and notH3808
יִיעָֽפוּ\׃\ \פyi.'A.futhey will grow wearyH3286

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

Cross references for Isaiah 40:31

  • Lamentations 3:25-26

    The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

  • 2 Corinthians 4:16

    For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

  • Psalms 27:13-14

    I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

  • Psalms 103:5

    Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

  • 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

    And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

  • Hebrews 12:1

    Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

  • Galatians 6:9

    And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

  • Romans 8:25

    But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

  • Isaiah 30:18

    And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

  • Psalms 84:7

    They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.

  • Psalms 37:34

    Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

  • Luke 18:1

    And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
they that.
8:17; 25:9; 30:18; Ps 25:3,5,21; 27:14; 37:34; 40:1; 84:7; 92:1,13
Ps 123:2; La 3:25,26; Ro 8:25; 1Th 1:10
renew. Heb. change.
Jud 16:28; Job 17:9; 33:24-26; Ps 103:5; 138:3; 2Co 1:8-10
2Co 4:8-10,16; 12:9,10
mount.
Ex 19:4; Ps 84:7; So 8:5; Zec 10:12; Re 4:7
not faint.
Ps 27:13; Lu 18:1; 2Co 4:1,16; Ga 6:9; Heb 12:1; Re 2:3

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

Context

  • Isaiah 40:30

    Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

  • Isaiah 40:31

    But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Read all of Isaiah 40

Isaiah 40:31 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas los que esperan á Jehová tendrán nuevas fuerzas; levantarán las alas como águilas; correrán, y no se cansarán; caminarán, y no se fatigarán.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		mais ceux qui s’attendent à l’ Éternel renouvelleront leur force; ils s’élèveront avec des ailes, comme des aigles; ils courront et ne se fatigueront pas, ils marcheront et ne se lasseront pas.
German
Elberfelder 1871		aber die auf Jehova harren, gewinnen neue Kraft: sie heben die Schwingen empor wie die Adler; sie laufen und ermatten nicht, sie gehen und ermüden nicht.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		qui autem sperant in Domino mutabunt fortitudinem, assument pennas sicut aquilæ: current et non laborabunt, ambulabunt et non deficient.