Isaiah 62:10
in Isaiah 62Go out, go out through the gates; prepare the way for the people! Build it up, build up the highway; clear away the stones; raise a banner for the nations!
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up an ensign for the peoples.
KJV
Go 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.
⋯
This verse in Isaiah 62
Commentary
12 notes on this verse"And salvation, along the way of his steps." Note the exact words, "his steps," where there are no rocks, where there are no thorns or thistles, where the path is even, where he may walk, where he cannot stumble. Let us, therefore, make way for the Lord in our heart, that way for which John [the Baptist] was giving his life's effort.… Although formerly we faced obstacles of thorns and thistles, although we had stones, he declares to us in Isaiah, "clear the highway of stones."
This site's exposition
Go out, go out through the gates
on Isaiah 62:10-11
The chapter turns outward, “build up the highway; clear away the stones”, the road language of 40:3. The call to “raise a banner for the nations” makes the return public. Verse 11 carries the news “to the ends of the earth” that her Savior comes with His reward.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Vers. 10-12.) Go through, go through the gates, prepare the way for the people, make the road smooth, and choose stones, raise a signal for the people. Behold, the Lord has made his message heard to the ends of the earth: say to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your Savior comes: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. And they shall call them the holy people, redeemed by the Lord. But you shall be called a sought-after city, and not forsaken. LXX: Go through my gates and make a way for my people. Cast stones out of the way. Lift up a sign among the nations. For behold, the Lord has made his hearing reach to the ends of the earth. Say to the daughters of Zion: Behold, your Savior comes, having his reward with him, and his work before his face. And he will call them a holy people, redeemed by the Lord. But you will be called a sought-after city, and not forsaken. He commanded the keepers of the walls of Jerusalem, to whom he had previously commanded not to keep silent, not to cease praying, so that they may pass through the gates of Jerusalem and make a way for the people. The statement argues that in the last days, when Israel is to be saved after the fullness of the Gentiles, the semi-Jews believe that they will return to the Lord. However, others think that it will be fulfilled in the kingdom of heaven, when there will be true joy and each person will receive according to their merit. They will not see the Lord in humility, but will feel His judgment when He comes on the clouds with a multitude of angels to render to each person according to their works. […]
The Medieval Church1 voice
Second, as to the liberation of captives, as to the preparation of the way: go through, you messengers of Cyrus and Darius; pick out the stones, impediments: take the stones out of the way (Jer 50:26); or you, watchmen of the walls: preachers. As to …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Thus John Baptist was sent to prepare the way of the Lord, Matt. iii. And, before Christ by his graces and comforts comes to any for salvation, preparation is made for him by repentance, which is called the preparation of the gospel of peace, Eph. vi.
The Prosperity of the Church. 1 For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. 2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the L ORD shall name.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:94%@v1-3
Go through - It is doubled by way of emphasis. Go meet the Gentiles, whom God purposes to bring into the church. Prepare - Let them not have any obstructions in their way.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Go through, go through the gates,....
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
Of the people “For the people” - Before the word העם haam, the people, two MSS. insert יהוה Yehovah; one MS. adds the same word after; and eight MSS., three ancient, instead of העם haam, have יהוה Yehovah, and so likewise one edition. But though it makes a good sense either way, I believe it to be an interpolation, as the ancient Versions do not favor it. The Septuagint indeed read עמי ammi, my people. - L.
Beloved Friends, when poor souls are coming to Jesus they are generally, themselves, their own worst enemies. They have a singular ingenuity in finding out reasons why they should not be saved. A strange infatuation seems to possess them so that they ransack Heaven, earth and Hell to find discouragements. They become inventive of difficulties where difficulties are not and often the pastor, whose business it is to look after the little ones, finds himself, notwithstanding his former experience with persons of like character, utterly bewildered.
Beloved Friends, when poor souls are coming to Jesus they are generally, themselves, their own worst enemies. They have a singular ingenuity in finding out reasons why they should not be saved. A strange infatuation seems to possess them so that they ransack Heaven, earth and Hell to find discouragements. They become inventive of difficulties where difficulties are not and often the pastor, whose business it is to look after the little ones, finds himself, notwithstanding his former experience with persons of like character, utterly bewildered. He is often put to a nonplus with the strange and novel difficulties which awakened sinners will imagine and the reasons which they invent why they should not believe in Jesus Christ. One would hardly think that the human mind could twist itself into such knots. So many sinners, so many new arguments—for each one has a logic of his own by which he labors to prove the impossibility of his own salvation. Upon consideration, this will not appear very remarkable, for they have long been living in sin and it is no wonder that when they begin to see aright they should be bewildered with fear. Who would not be full of fear if all of a sudden he saw Hell opening right under his feet? They have been eating nothing lately but unsatisfying husks which may nourish swine, but cannot support men. No wonder that they are very weak and scarcely can stagger towards the Father's house! Poor souls, their hearts are in their mouths, for they cannot tell what is to come next—only a dreadful sound is in their ears, as of the destroying angel pursuing them with vengeance! They know that God is angry with them and they do not yet understand His great love to penitent sinners. And so they are like men in an upper chamber who start up in the night when a cry of fire is raised—they know not which way to turn.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Go through, go through the gates - The connection of this with what goes before is not very apparent, and there has been a great diversity of opinion in regard to it among interpreters. Grotius supposes that it refers to the priests and Levites who are referred to also in the previous verses, and that it is a command for them to enter into the temple. Calvin supposes that it refers to the Christian church, and that the idea is, that the gates of it should be continually open for the return of penitent sinners. Rosenmuller supposes that it is an address to the cities lying between Babylon and Jerusalem, and that the idea is, that their gates would be thrown open for the return of the exiles, and that all obstacles would be taken out of the way. Others suppose that it refers to the Jews, and that the command is to them to go through the gates of Babylon, and an immediate order is added to the people to prepare the way for them. This last seems to me to be the sense of the passage. It is a direction to the exiles in Babylon to go forth and return to their own land. The gates so long closed against their return would be thrown open, and they would now have liberty to depart for their own country. Thus explained, the connection is apparent. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Pass, pass through the portals Said the prophet, “Pass and return in the portals; turn the heart of the people to the proper path” [after Jonathan].
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
O prophets, pass through and return through the gates; turn the heart of the people into the right way; bring good tidings of good things, and consolations to the righteous, who remove the thoughts of an evil imagination, which are like a stone of stumbling; lift up a standard for the people.
Behold his reward [that is prepared] to give to His servants is prepared with Him.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עִבְר֤וּ | ʾivru | pass | H5674 → | 556 times |
| עִבְרוּ֙ | ʾivru | pass | H5674 → | 556 times |
| בַּשְּׁעָרִ֔ים | bashearim | in the gates | H8179 → | 374 times |
| פַּנּ֖וּ | panu | make clear | H6437 → | 135 times |
| דֶּ֣רֶךְ | derekh | [the] way of | H1870 → | 707 times |
| הָעָ֑ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| סֹ֣לּוּ | solu | build up | H5549 → | 12 times |
| סֹ֤לּוּ | solu | build up | H5549 → | 12 times |
| הַֽמְסִלָּה֙ | hamsilah | the highway | H4546 → | 27 times |
| סַקְּל֣וּ | sakelu | clear [it] | H5619 → | |
| מֵאֶ֔בֶן | meeven | from stone[s] | H68 → | 273 times |
| הָרִ֥ימוּ | harimu | raise | H7311 → | 190 times |
| נֵ֖ס | nes | a standard | H5251 → | 21 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָעַמִּֽים׃ | haamim | the peoples | H5971 → | 1873 times |
עִבְר֤וּpass
ʾivruH5674 →556 times
עִבְרוּ֙pass
ʾivruH5674 →556 times
בַּשְּׁעָרִ֔יםin the gates
bashearimH8179 →374 times
פַּנּ֖וּmake clear
panuH6437 →135 times
דֶּ֣רֶךְ[the] way of
derekhH1870 →707 times
הָעָ֑םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
סֹ֣לּוּbuild up
soluH5549 →12 times
סֹ֤לּוּbuild up
soluH5549 →12 times
הַֽמְסִלָּה֙the highway
hamsilahH4546 →27 times
סַקְּל֣וּclear [it]
sakeluH5619 →
מֵאֶ֔בֶןfrom stone[s]
meevenH68 →273 times
הָרִ֥ימוּraise
harimuH7311 →190 times
נֵ֖סa standard
nesH5251 →21 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָעַמִּֽים׃the peoples
haamimH5971 →1873 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 40:3A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.
it leads to
- Malachi 3:1
“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He…
- Mark 1:2–5
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way.”
- John 1:23
John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: “I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
- Matthew 3:1–3
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
- Luke 1:16–17
Many of the sons of Israel he will turn back to the Lord their God.
- Malachi 3:1
Through
Hebrews 12:13Make straight paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
it leads to
- Proverbs 4:26–27
Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.
- Proverbs 4:26–27
Through
Isaiah 11:10On that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and His place of rest will be glorious.
it leads to
- Romans 15:9–12
so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to Your name.”
- Luke 2:32
a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.”
- Romans 15:9–12
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1131: “Clearing the Road to Heaven” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Jerome, HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 17 (PSALM 85); Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.