The Meaning of Isaiah 41:19 Explained

Isaiah 41:19

KJV: I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:

YLT: I give in a wilderness the cedar, Shittah, and myrtle, and oil-tree, I set in a desert the fir-pine and box-wood together.

Darby: I will give in the wilderness the cedar, acacia, myrtle, and oleaster; I will set in the desert the cypress, pine, and box-tree together;

ASV: I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the fir-tree, the pine, and the box-tree together:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I will plant  in the wilderness  the cedar,  the shittah tree,  and the myrtle,  and the oil  tree;  I will set  in the desert  the fir tree,  [and] the pine,  and the box tree  together: 

What does Isaiah 41:19 Mean?

Verse Meaning

He would also provide the other necessity in the wilderness of life"s experiences beside water, namely: shade. All the trees mentioned (seven in all) were shade trees, but they did not normally grow together. This enhances the picture of God working wonders to provide for His people. Seven may symbolize the complete perfection of God"s work in this connection. [1] The emphasis on water and trees also marks Genesis 3 , suggesting a return to Edenic conditions.

Context Summary

Isaiah 41:17-29 - What The Lord's Hand Does For The Needy
Life is not easy for any of us, if we regard external conditions only; but directly we learn the divine secret, rivers flow from bare heights, fountains arise in sterile valleys, and the desert blooms like the forest-glade. To the ordinary eye there might appear no outward change in the forbidding circumstance; but faith's eye always beholds a very paradise of beauty where other eyes see only straitened circumstances and a trying lot.
Once again our minds are brought back to the great convocation announced in the opening verses of the chapter. The idols are asked to say or do something to prove that they are divine. See Isaiah 41:21-23. There is no response; with the result that a crushing verdict is passed on them as recorded in Isaiah 41:24. On the other hand, the prophet of the Lord is prepared with His predictions of Cyrus "the one from the East," (see Isaiah 41:2 and Isaiah 44:28) which would be fulfilled before that generation had passed away. Let us give heed to the sure word of prophecy, "as unto a light that shineth in a dark place," 2 Peter 1:19. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 41

1  God expostulates with his people, about his mercies to the church
10  About his promises
21  And about the vanity of idols

What do the individual words in Isaiah 41:19 mean?

I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree and the myrtle and the tree oil I will set in the desert the cypress tree [and] the pine and the box tree together
אֶתֵּ֤ן בַּמִּדְבָּר֙ אֶ֣רֶז שִׁטָּ֔ה וַהֲדַ֖ס וְעֵ֣ץ שָׁ֑מֶן אָשִׂ֣ים בָּעֲרָבָ֗ה בְּר֛וֹשׁ תִּדְהָ֥ר וּתְאַשּׁ֖וּר יַחְדָּֽו

אֶתֵּ֤ן  I  will  plant 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
בַּמִּדְבָּר֙  in  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
אֶ֣רֶז  the  cedar 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶרֶז  
Sense: cedar.
שִׁטָּ֔ה  and  the  acacia  tree 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׁטָּה  
Sense: acacia tree, acacia wood.
וַהֲדַ֖ס  and  the  myrtle 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הֲדַס  
Sense: myrtle (tree).
וְעֵ֣ץ  and  the  tree 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
שָׁ֑מֶן  oil 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁמֶן  
Sense: fat, oil.
אָשִׂ֣ים  I  will  set 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
בָּעֲרָבָ֗ה  in  the  desert 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲרָבָה  
Sense: desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness.
בְּר֛וֹשׁ  the  cypress  tree 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בְּרֹושׁ  
Sense: cypress, fir, juniper, pine.
תִּדְהָ֥ר  [and]  the  pine 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: תִּדְהָר  
Sense: a species of hardwood tree.
וּתְאַשּׁ֖וּר  and  the  box  tree 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: תְּאַשּׁוּר  
Sense: a species of tree.
יַחְדָּֽו  together 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַחַד 
Sense: union, unitedness adv.