King James Version

Isaiah 40:31

Isaiah 40:31 promises that those who wait upon the LORD will have their strength renewed. They will mount up with wings as eagles, run and not be weary, and walk and not faint.

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But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31 · KJV

Isaiah 40:31 in context

²⁸Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

²⁹He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

³⁰Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

³¹But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31, King James Version. Read the whole chapter →

What Isaiah 40:31 means

The verse is a promise with a condition. The condition is to wait upon the LORD. In the Bible, waiting on God is not idle waiting. It means looking to him with hope and trust, depending on him rather than on your own strength. The promise is that such people shall renew their strength.

The verse then gives three pictures, and they move in an unexpected order: flying, then running, then walking. Some readers see this as a slide downward. Many others see it as true to life, since most of life is ordinary walking, and the promise is that God's strength lasts even for that, so that his people walk and do not faint.

Eagles were a familiar picture of strength and renewal. Psalm 103:5 speaks of youth renewed like the eagle's, and in Exodus 19:4 God says he bore Israel on eagles' wings.

Verse 31 begins with 'But', setting it against verse 30: even the youths faint and the young men utterly fall. Natural strength runs out. The strength in verse 31 comes from the God of verse 28, who fainteth not, neither is weary, and of verse 29, who giveth power to the faint.

Background and context

The book carries the name of Isaiah the son of Amoz, a prophet in Jerusalem in the 700s BC (Isaiah 1:1). Many scholars think chapters 40-66 were written later, addressed to Jews in or after the exile in Babylon, while others hold to Isaiah's authorship of the whole book.

Chapter 40 opens a new section with the words Comfort ye, comfort ye my people. It speaks to a weary people who felt God had forgotten them (verse 27). The chapter answers by showing how great God is, the Creator who names every star, and closes with this promise of renewed strength.

Key verses

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Isaiah 40:28-29 · KJV

Cross references

Isaiah 40:1 The chapter opens: Comfort ye, comfort ye my people.Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Psalm 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart.Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
Psalm 103:5 Thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Exodus 19:4 God says he bore Israel on eagles' wings and brought them to himself.Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.
Lamentations 3:25-26 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him.The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
Galatians 6:9 Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
2 Corinthians 4:16 The inward man is renewed day by day.For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

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Common questions

What does Isaiah 40:31 mean?

It means that people who trust and hope in God will be given fresh strength from him when their own strength runs out. The pictures of flying, running and walking show that his strength covers every pace of life.

Who wrote Isaiah 40:31?

It is in the book of the prophet Isaiah and is traditionally attributed to him. Many scholars think chapters 40-66 were written later, during or after the Babylonian exile.

What does 'wait upon the LORD' mean?

It means to look to God with expectant trust and to depend on him. The same idea appears in Psalm 27:14 and Lamentations 3:25.

Why does Isaiah 40:31 mention eagles?

Eagles soar high with little effort and were a common picture of strength and renewal. Psalm 103:5 also speaks of youth renewed like the eagle's.

What is the verse before Isaiah 40:31?

Isaiah 40:30 says even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. Verse 31 contrasts that with the strength God gives.