Isaiah 35:3 — Word Study
WLCחַזְּק֖וּ יָדַ֣יִם רָפ֑וֹת וּבִרְכַּ֥יִם כֹּשְׁל֖וֹת אַמֵּֽצוּ׃
BSAStrengthenchâzaq [make strong, confirm] the limprâpheh [weak, feeble] handsyâd and steadyʼâmats [support, comfort] the feeblekâshal [stumbling, trembling] kneesberek [parts of the body used for movement and flexibility]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| חַזְּק֖וּ | strengthen | Verb, Piel, imperative second person masculine plural |
| יָדַ֣יִם | hands | Noun common, both dual absolute |
| רָפ֑וֹת | slack | Adj |
| וּבִרְכַּ֥יִם | and knees | Conjunction, noun common feminine dual absolute |
| כֹּשְׁל֖וֹת | stumbling | Verb, Qal, participle (active) feminine plural |
| אַמֵּֽצוּ׃ | make firm | Verb, Piel, imperative second person masculine plural |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Strengthen the limp hands and steady the feeble knees! |
| KJV | ¶ Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. |
| ASV | Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. |
| YLT | Strengthen ye the feeble hands, Yea, the stumbling knees strengthen. |
| WEB | Strengthen the weak hands, and make the feeble knees firm. |
| BBE | Make strong the feeble hands, give support to the shaking knees. |
Where they part company is רָפֶה — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has a main command followed by a secondary command, both directed towards the same audience, emphasizing the call to action.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbחָזַק
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Isaiah 35:3
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Message of Comfortgenerated
Isaiah 35:3 is part of a larger passage that speaks of hope and restoration for the people of Israel. The prophet Isaiah encourages those who are weak and fearful, assuring them that God will bring strength and healing. This verse specifically calls for the strengthening of hands and knees, symbolizing the need for support in times of distress. The surrounding verses elaborate on the transformation and glory that will come from God, as seen in Isaiah 35:4.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 40:1–2 | “Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God. |
| 2 | Isaiah 52:1–2 | Awake, awake, clothe yourself with strength, O Zion! Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, holy city! For the uncircumcised and unclean will no longer enter you. |
| 3 | Isaiah 57:14–16 | And it will be said, “Build it up, build it up, prepare the way, take every obstacle out of the way of My people.” |
| 4 | Judges 7:11 | and listen to what they are saying. Then your hands will be strengthened to attack the camp.” So he went with Purah his servant to the outposts where armed men were guarding the camp. |
| 5 | Job 4:3–4 | Surely you have instructed many, and have strengthened their feeble hands. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חַזְּק֖וּ, cha.ze.Kugenerated
The verb חָזַק (chazaq) is in the Piel stem, indicating an intensive action, which means to strengthen or make firm. It is used here in the imperative form, calling the audience to take action and support those who are weak.
This word encompasses a range of meanings, including to support, encourage, and make strong. The command to strengthen the hands implies a direct action towards those who are faltering, emphasizing the communal responsibility to uplift one another.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against. The BSB has feeble, which aligns with the KJV and ASV: all three convey the idea of weakness inherent in רָפֶה.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse comprises two main imperatives: חַזְּק֖וּ and אַמֵּֽצוּ, each calling for action. The structure emphasizes the dual focus on both hands and knees, highlighting the physical and spiritual aspects of support.
The Hebrew word order places the commands first, underscoring the urgency of the message to strengthen and support those who are struggling.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates חַזְּק֖וּ as ἰσξύσατε, which carries a similar imperative meaning of strengthening. This choice reflects the translators' understanding of the need for empowerment.
For רָפֶה, the LXX uses ἀνειμέναι, which suggests a state of being that aligns with the concept of weakness but may not capture the full nuance of slackness present in the Hebrew.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Isaiah 35:3 encourages people to strengthen those who are weak and to support those who are trembling. This verse is part of a comforting message from God, assuring His people that He will bring strength and healing. The surrounding verses elaborate on the hope and transformation that God will provide.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means to provide support and encouragement to those who are feeling weak or discouraged.
Hands symbolize action and strength, while knees represent humility and submission; both need support in times of struggle.
This verse is part of a larger message of hope, indicating that God will restore and uplift His people, providing strength in their weakness.
It emphasizes the need for courage and resilience, encouraging the community to uplift one another in faith.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need to seek strength and support from others?
- How can I encourage someone who is feeling weak or discouraged?
- What does it mean for me to be strong in my faith during difficult times?
- How can I actively participate in uplifting my community?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers refer to this verse to discuss healing and strength, highlighting its prophetic significance in the New Testament.
The sick of the palsy is healed, and that in public, in the sight of the people. For, says Isaiah, “they shall see the glory of the Lord and the excellence of our God.” What glory, and what excellence? “Be strong,Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 35 →
Now we have this prophecy fulfilled in the Gospels, partly, when they brought to our Lord and Savior a paralytic lying on a bed, who he made whole with a word;Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 35 →
Therefore the traders came from Gilead, that is, from their possessions of or dwelling in the law, and brought their wares to the church, so that that balm might heal the sins of the nations.Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 35 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Isaiah 35:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleStrengthen ye the weak hands,.... These are the words of the prophet, as the Targum, "the prophet said, strengthen the weak hands;'' or rather of God, by the prophet, to the converted Gentiles, to
Read John Gill on Isaiah 35 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryStrengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Strengthen ye the weak hands ... confirm the feeble knees.
Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 35 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleYe prophets and ministers of God, comfort and encourage God’ s people, who are now ready to faint, with hopes and assurance of that salvation which, in due time, I will work for them. He mentions hands and knees, because the strength and weakness of any man eminently appears in those parts.
Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 35 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsIsaiah 35:3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.Ver. 3. Strengthen ye the weak hands,] q.d., Cheer up, my hearts; be of good courage, and God shall strengthen your hearts, all ye that hope in the Lord. Comfort ye also one another with these words, and build up each other in your most holy faith; and I will show you how, and in what terms, you shall do it.
Read John Trapp on Isaiah 35 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(3) Strengthen ye the weak hands . . .—Here the words are obviously, as they are quoted in Hebrews 12:12, figurative and not literal, and so far suggest a like interpretation for what follows.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 35 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges3, 4. An exhortation to the despondent. For the figures of Isa 35:3 see Job 4:3-4.
Read Cambridge on Isaiah 35 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleStrengthen ye - That is, you who are the religious teachers and guides of the people. This is an address made by the prophet in view of what he had said and was about to say of the proraised blessings.
Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 35 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible3, 4. Strengthen… hands… confirm… knees — The officials of the nation are here addressed.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Isaiah 35 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Strengthen the limp hands and steady the feeble knees!
Strengthen the weak hands, and make the feeble knees firm.
Strengthen the limp hands and steady the feeble knees!
Strengthen the hands that have gone limp, steady the knees that shake!
Tyndale line
¶ Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
Strengthen the weake handes, and comfort the feeble knees.
Strictly literal
Strengthen the weak hands and confirm the tottering knees.
Strengthen ye the feeble hands, Yea, the stumbling knees strengthen.
Strengthen the feeble hands, || Indeed, strengthen the stumbling knees.
Strengthen ye weak hands, and stumbling knees make ye firm.
Strengthen the weak hands, and steady the knees that shake.
From the Latin
Strengthen ye the feeble hands, and confirm the weak knees.
Simplified
Make the weak hands strong, and make the trembling knees firm!
Make strong the feeble hands, give support to the shaking knees.
Word by word, the decisions they made
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Dead Sea Scrolls agree closely, with the same imperative forms and vocabulary. The Septuagint matches five of the six words, indicating a strong alignment in the core message, despite differences in word order.
חַזְּק֖וּ יָדַ֣יִם רָפ֑וֹת וּבִרְכַּ֥יִם כֹּשְׁל֖וֹת אַמֵּֽצוּ׃
5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
חזקו ידים רפות וברכים כושלות אמצו
6 words on the leather.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Isaiah 35:3
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word חָזַק (chazaq) means to be strong or to strengthen. It encompasses a range of meanings including to support, encourage, and make firm, as well as to seize or hold fast. The word can be used in various forms, such as to strengthen oneself or to display strength. There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.
חָזַק 291 vb. be or grow firm, strong, strengthen
Qal
intrans. be or grow strong
transit. only strengthened him not
Pi.
make strong (physically)
strengthen the hands (acc.) of anyone, sustain, encourage
make strong = bold, encourage
make firm
make rigid, hard, i.e. perverse, obstinate, harden
Hiph.
make strong, strengthen
make firm, the kingdom
display strength
make severe, of battle
support
= repair
prevail
esp. take or keep hold of, seize, grasp
Hithp.
strengthen oneself
put forth strength, use one's strength
withstand
hold strongly with
base
H2388 חָזַק be or grow firm, strong, strengthen .. intrans. be or grow strong
. transit. only strengthened him not
. . make strong (physically)
. strengthen the hands (acc.) of anyone, sustain, encourage
. make strong = bold, encourage
. make firm
. make rigid, hard, i.e. perverse, obstinate, harden
. . . make strong, strengthen
. make firm, the kingdom
. display strength
. make severe, of battle
. support
. = repair
. prevail
. esp. take or keep hold of, seize, grasp
. . strengthen oneself
. put forth strength, use one's strength
. withstand
. hold strongly with
2388 chazaq khaw-zak'
a primitive root; to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong
(figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help,
repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restrain, conquer:--aid,
amend, X calker, catch, cleave, confirm, be constant,
constrain, continue, be of good (take) courage(-ous, -ly),
encourage (self), be established, fasten, force, fortify, make
hard, harden, help, (lay) hold (fast), lean, maintain, play
the man, mend, become (wax) mighty, prevail, be recovered,
repair, retain, seize, be (wax) sore, strengthen (self), be
stout, be (make, shew, wax) strong(-er), be sure, take (hold),
be urgent, behave self valiantly, withstand.
חָזַק (cha.zaq) — to strengthen: strengthen.
: strengthen/support/encourage
1) to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be strong, grow strong
1a1a) to prevail, prevail upon
1a1b) to be firm, be caught fast, be secure
1a1c) to press, be urgent
1a1d) to grow stout, grow rigid, grow hard (bad sense)
1a1e) to be severe, be grievous
1a2) to strengthen
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to make strong
1b2) to restore to strength, give strength
1b3) to strengthen, sustain, encourage
1b4) to make strong, make bold, encourage
1b5) to make firm
1b6) to make rigid, make hard
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to make strong, strengthen
1c2) to make firm
1c3) to display strength
1c4) to make severe
1c5) to support
1c6) to repair
1c7) to prevail, prevail upon
1c8) to have or take or keep hold of, retain, hold up, sustain, support
1c9) to hold, contain
1d) (Hithpael)
V-Piel-Impv-2mp — Verb · Piel · imperative second person masculine pluralHVpv2mp
יָד (yad) means 'hand' and can also refer to strength or power in a figurative sense. It encompasses various technical uses, such as a sign or monument, parts or shares, and even specific components in construction, like axle-trees and supports for the laver. The word is versatile, appearing in both literal and metaphorical contexts.
יָד 1604 n.f. hand
hand
Fig. = strength, power
Fig. = side
יָד is used in various special, technical senses:—
sign, monument
part, fractional part or share
time, repetition
axle-trees
stays, supports for laver
tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle
a (beckoning) hand
יַד with prep.
base
H3027 יָד hand . hand
. Fig. = strength, power
. Fig. = side
. יָד is used in various special, technical senses:— . sign, monument
. part, fractional part or share
. time, repetition
. axle-trees
. stays, supports for laver
. tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle
. a (beckoning) hand
. יַד with prep.
3027 yad yawd
a primitive word; a hand (the open one (indicating power,
means, direction, etc.), in distinction from 3709, the closed
one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of
applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate
and remote (as follows):--(+ be) able, X about, + armholes,
at, axletree, because of, beside, border, X bounty, + broad,
(broken-)handed, X by, charge, coast, + consecrate, +
creditor, custody, debt, dominion, X enough, + fellowship,
force, X from, hand(-staves, -y work), X he, himself, X in,
labour, + large, ledge, (left-)handed, means, X mine,
ministry, near, X of, X order, ordinance, X our, parts, pain,
power, X presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay,
draw with strength, stroke, + swear, terror, X thee, X by
them, X themselves, X thine own, X thou, through, X throwing,
+ thumb, times, X to, X under, X us, X wait on, (way-)side,
יָד (yad) — hand.
: hand/arm[anatomy]
1) hand
1a) hand (of man)
1b) strength, power (fig.)
1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)
1d) (various special, technical senses)
1d1) sign, monument
1d2) part, fractional part, share
1d3) time, repetition
1d4) axle-trees, axle
1d5) stays, support (for laver)
1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)
1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)
1d8) wrists
יָד (yad) — hand: power.
: hand/arm[anatomy]
1) hand
1a) hand (of man)
1b) strength, power (fig.)
1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)
1d) (various special, technical senses)
1d1) sign, monument
1d2) part, fractional part, share
1d3) time, repetition
1d4) axle-trees, axle
1d5) stays, support (for laver)
1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)
1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)
1d8) wrists
יָד (yad) — hand: themselves.
: hand/arm[anatomy]
1) hand
1a) hand (of man)
1b) strength, power (fig.)
N-cd — Noun common · both dual absoluteHNcbda
רָפֶה (rapheh) means 'slack' or 'weak' and is derived from the root רָפָה (raphah). The term can refer to a lack of strength in body or mind. It is noted in various contexts, but specific verse references are not provided in the entries.
רָפֶה adj. slack
base
H7504 רָפֶה slack
7504 rapheh raw-feh'
from 7503; slack (in body or mind):--weak.
raphah, Raphah. See 7497, 7498.
riphah. See 7383.
see HEBREW for 07503
see HEBREW for 07497
see HEBREW for 07498
see HEBREW for 07383
רָפֶה (ra.pheh) — weak.
slack
Adj — AdjHAafpa
בֶ֫רךְ (berek) means 'knee' in Hebrew, derived from the root for bending. It can also figuratively describe someone who is weak from fear. The Aramaic equivalent is בְּרַךְ (berakh), meaning 'knee' as well.
בֶ֫רךְ n.f. knee
base
H1290 בֶ֫רךְ knee
1290 berek beh'-rek
from 1288; a knee:--knee.
see HEBREW for 01288
בֶּ֫רֶךְ (be.rekh) — knee.
1) knee
2) weak from fear (fig.)
Aramaic equivalent: be.rekh (בְּרַךְ "knee" H1291)
Conj | N-fd — Conjunction · noun common feminine dual absoluteHC/Ncfda
כָּשַׁל (kashal) means to stumble or totter, often due to weakness. It can refer to physical stumbling, as well as metaphorical weakness or failure. The verb has various forms, including causing others to stumble or making them weak. The entries suggest a range of meanings from literal stumbling to broader implications of ruin and weakness.
כָּשַׁל vb. stumble, stagger, totter
Qal
stumble at, over, something (lit. by means of)
totter
Niph.
stumble
be tottering, feeble
Pi. only apparent
Hiph.
cause to stumble
make feeble, weak
Hoph. either and let them be ones who have stumbled before thee, i.e. regard them as such, or and let them be ones overthrown before thee
base
H3782 כָּשַׁל stumble, stagger, totter .. stumble at, over, something (lit. by means of)
. totter
. . stumble
. be tottering, feeble
. only apparent
. . cause to stumble
. make feeble, weak
. either and let them be ones who have stumbled before thee, i.e. regard them as such, or and let them be ones overthrown before thee
3782 kashal kaw-shal'
a primitive root; to totter or waver (through weakness of the
legs, especially the ankle); by implication, to falter,
stumble, faint or fall:--bereave (from the margin), cast down,
be decayed, (cause to) fail, (cause, make to) fall
(down, -ing), feeble, be (the) ruin(-ed, of), (be) overthrown,
(cause to) stumble, X utterly, be weak.
כָּשַׁל (ka.shal) — to stumble.
1) to stumble, stagger, totter
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to stumble
1a2) to totter
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to stumble
1b2) to be tottering, be feeble
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to stumble, bring injury or ruin to, overthrow
1c2) to make feeble, make weak
1d) (Hophal) to be made to stumble
1e) (Piel) bereave
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) feminine pluralHVqrfpa
אָמֵץ (amats) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be strong, bold, or alert. It encompasses a range of actions such as strengthening oneself, being determined, and exhibiting courage. The word can also imply making firm or obstinate. Various forms of the verb express different nuances, including the Qal (to be strong), Piel (to strengthen), and Hithpael (to make oneself alert).
[אָמֵץ] vb. be stout, strong, bold, alert
Qal
be strong
Imv. be bold
Pi.
make firm, strengthen
assure, secure for oneself
harden, make obstinate
Hithp.
strengthen oneself
confirm oneself in a purpose, be determined
make oneself alert, make haste
Hiph. exhibit strength, be strong
base
H553 אָמֵץ be stout, strong, bold, alert .. be strong
. Imv. be bold
. . make firm, strengthen
. assure, secure for oneself
. harden, make obstinate
. . strengthen oneself
. confirm oneself in a purpose, be determined
. make oneself alert, make haste
. exhibit strength, be strong
553 'amats aw-mats'
a primitive root; to be alert, physically (on foot) or
mentally (in courage):--confirm, be courageous (of good
courage, stedfastly minded, strong, stronger), establish,
fortify, harden, increase, prevail, strengthen (self), make
strong (obstinate, speed).
אָמֵץ (a.mats) — to strengthen.
1) to be strong, alert, courageous, brave, stout, bold, solid, hard
1a) (Qal) to be strong, brave, bold
1b) (Piel) to strengthen, secure (for oneself), harden (heart), make firm, make obstinate, assure
1c) (Hithpael) to be determined, to make oneself alert, strengthen oneself, confirm oneself, persist in, prove superior to
1d) (Hiphil) to exhibit strength, be strong, feel strong
V-Piel-Impv-2mp — Verb · Piel · imperative second person masculine pluralHVpv2mp