The Meaning of Isaiah 35:8 Explained

Isaiah 35:8

KJV: And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

YLT: And a highway hath been there, and a way, And the 'way of holiness' is called to it, Not pass over it doth the unclean, And He Himself is by them, Whoso is going in the way -- even fools err not.

Darby: And a highway shall be there and a way, and it shall be called, The way of holiness: the unclean shall not pass through it; but it shall be for these. Those that go this way even fools, shall not err therein.

ASV: And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but is shall be for the redeemed : the wayfaring men, yea fools, shall not err therein .

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And an highway  shall be there, and a way,  and it shall be called  The way  of holiness;  the unclean  shall not pass over  it; but it [shall be] for those: the wayfaring men,  though fools,  shall not err  [therein]. 

What does Isaiah 35:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

A highway will be there leading through the then-lush landscape to Zion ( Isaiah 35:10). It will be used by the ransomed of the Lord ( Isaiah 35:10) to travel to Messiah"s capital. It will be a highway marked by holiness because only redeemed people will travel on it. Fools, the morally perverse, will not wander onto it because they are unholy. Is this a literal road? It may be, but it certainly pictures God"s people at that time streaming to Zion through a renovated earth.

Context Summary

Isaiah 35:1-10 - The Rejoicing Of The Redeemed
God's judgments change Carmel and Sharon into a waste; but His blessing makes the wilderness and parched land as Carmel and Sharon. Where the smile of God rests, deserts sing and become carpeted with flowers. Your hands may be weak and your knees feeble, but when your helplessness invokes the help of God, He will begin to perform wonderful things that pass expectation. Say over and over to yourself: "My God will come: be strong, my heart, and fear not. He will come and save." Oh, for the quickened sense; the bounding leap of our nature lamed by the fall; the songs from lips that God will touch! Your dreariest desert shall become water-springs; the mirage shall no longer disappoint; thirst shall be satisfied; and the dragons of the heart extirpated. Nothing can hurt us while we walk with God in holiness. Dreaded evils may threaten to cast their shadows on our path, but they shall not stay our songs as we come with singing unto the everlasting joy.
For Review Questions, see the e-Sword Book Comments. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 35

1  The joyful flourishing of Christ's kingdom
3  The weak are encouraged by the virtues and privileges of the Gospel

What do the individual words in Isaiah 35:8 mean?

And shall be there a highway and a road and the Highway of Holiness shall be called it not shall pass over it the unclean but it [shall be] for others Whoever walks the road and although a fool not shall go astray
וְהָיָה־ שָׁ֞ם מַסְל֣וּל וָדֶ֗רֶךְ וְדֶ֤רֶךְ הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙ יִקָּ֣רֵא לָ֔הּ לֹֽא־ יַעַבְרֶ֥נּוּ טָמֵ֖א וְהוּא־ לָ֑מוֹ הֹלֵ֥ךְ דֶּ֛רֶךְ וֶאֱוִילִ֖ים לֹ֥א יִתְעֽוּ

וְהָיָה־  And  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
מַסְל֣וּל  a  highway 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַסְלוּל  
Sense: highway.
וָדֶ֗רֶךְ  and  a  road 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
וְדֶ֤רֶךְ  and  the  Highway 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular construct
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙  of  Holiness 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
יִקָּ֣רֵא  shall  be  called 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
יַעַבְרֶ֥נּוּ  shall  pass  over  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
טָמֵ֖א  the  unclean 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָמֵא  
Sense: unclean, impure.
וְהוּא־  but  it  [shall  be] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
לָ֑מוֹ  for  others 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
הֹלֵ֥ךְ  Whoever  walks 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
דֶּ֛רֶךְ  the  road 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
וֶאֱוִילִ֖ים  and  although  a  fool 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱוִיל  
Sense: be foolish, foolish.
יִתְעֽוּ  shall  go  astray 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: תָּעָה  
Sense: to err, wander, go astray, stagger.