Isaiah 40:29

29 He gives power to the feeble, increasing the strength of him who has no force.

Isaiah 40:29 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 40:29

He giveth power to the faint
Who are ready to faint under afflictions, because they have not immediate deliverance, or their prayers are not answered at once, or promises not fulfilled as they expected; to such he gives fresh supplies of spiritual strength; he strengthens their faith, and enlarges their views, to behold the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, and confirms his blessings and promises of grace unto them, ( Psalms 27:13 ) . The Targum is,

``who giveth wisdom to the righteous that breathe after the words of the law:''

and to them that have no might he increaseth strength;
not that they have no might at all, strictly speaking; for then it could not be properly said their strength was increased by him; but that their might and power were very small, and that in their own apprehensions they had none, and then it is that fresh strength is given them; as the apostle says, "when I am weak, then am I strong"; ( 2 Corinthians 12:10 ) , though this may be understood, not of the strength of their graces, but of their sins and corruptions: a word from the same root as this here used signifies "iniquity"; and the sense may be, that the Lord increases the spiritual strength of such on whom the lust's, corruptions, and virtuosity of nature have not the power and dominion ^F5.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 "Cur non sumatur", (Mynwa) "illis quibus non sunt vitiosae concupiscentiae robur auger", Gusset. Ebr. Comment. p. 21.

Isaiah 40:29 In-Context

27 Why do you say, O Jacob, such words as these, O Israel, The Lord's eyes are not on my way, and my God gives no attention to my cause?

28 Have you no knowledge of it? has it not come to your ears? The eternal God, the Lord, the Maker of the ends of the earth, is never feeble or tired; there is no searching out of his wisdom.

29 He gives power to the feeble, increasing the strength of him who has no force.

30 Even the young men will become feeble and tired, and the best of them will come to the end of his strength;

31 But 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.