Isaiah 43:19
New International Version
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

New Living Translation
For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

English Standard Version
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Berean Standard Bible
Behold, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.

King James Bible
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

New King James Version
Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.

New American Standard Bible
“Behold, I am going to do something new, Now it will spring up; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.

NASB 1995
“Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.

NASB 1977
“Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.

Legacy Standard Bible
Behold, I will do something new; Now it will spring forth; Will you not know it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the wasteland.

Amplified Bible
“Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even put a road in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.

Christian Standard Bible
Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.

American Standard Version
Behold, I will do a new thing; now shall it spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

Contemporary English Version
I am creating something new. There it is! Do you see it? I have put roads in deserts, streams in thirsty lands.

English Revised Version
Behold, I will do a new thing; now shall it spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I am going to do something new. It is already happening. Don't you recognize it? I will clear a way in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land.

Good News Translation
Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already--you can see it now! I will make a road through the wilderness and give you streams of water there.

International Standard Version
Watch! I'm about to carry out something new! And now it's springing up— don't you recognize it? I'm making a way in the wilderness and paths in the desert.

Majority Standard Bible
Behold, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.

NET Bible
"Look, I am about to do something new. Now it begins to happen! Do you not recognize it? Yes, I will make a road in the desert and paths in the wilderness.

New Heart English Bible
Look, I will do a new thing. It springs forth now. Do you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

World English Bible
Behold, I will do a new thing. It springs out now. Don’t you know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Behold, I am doing a new thing, now it springs up, "" Do you not know it? Indeed, I put a way in a wilderness, "" In a desolate place—floods.

Young's Literal Translation
Lo, I am doing a new thing, now it springeth up, Do ye not know it? Yea, I put in a wilderness a way, In a desolate place -- floods.

Smith's Literal Translation
Behold me doing a new thing; now it shall spring forth, shall ye not know it? I will also set a way in the desert, rivers in the waste.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Behold I do new things, and now they shall spring forth, verily you shall know them: I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Behold, I am accomplishing new things. And presently, they will spring forth. With certainty, you will know them. I will make a way in the desert, and rivers in an impassible place.

New American Bible
See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the wilderness I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers.

New Revised Standard Version
I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth and you shall know it. I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Behold, I make a new thing, and now it will sprout and you shall know it, and I shall make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Behold, I will do a new thing; Now shall it spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, And rivers in the desert.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Behold, I will do new things, which shall presently spring forth, and ye shall know them: and I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the dry land.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God's Mercy
18“Do not call to mind the former things; pay no attention to the things of old. 19Behold, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert. 20The beasts of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I provide water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people.…

Cross References
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!

Revelation 21:5
And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.”

Isaiah 42:9
Behold, the former things have happened, and now I declare new things. Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”

Isaiah 48:6
You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not acknowledge them? From now on I will tell you of new things, hidden things unknown to you.

Ezekiel 36:26
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Jeremiah 31:22
How long will you wander, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the land—a woman will shelter a man.”

Romans 6:4
We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.

Isaiah 35:6-7
Then the lame will leap like a deer and the mute tongue will shout for joy. For waters will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. / The parched ground will become a pool, the thirsty land springs of water. In the haunt where jackals once lay, there will be grass and reeds and papyrus.

John 7:38
Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’”

Isaiah 41:18
I will open rivers on the barren heights, and fountains in the middle of the valleys. I will turn the desert into a pool of water, and the dry land into flowing springs.

Isaiah 65:17
For behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.

Philippians 3:13-14
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, / I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 51:3
For the LORD will comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; He will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and melodious song.

Isaiah 55:13
Instead of the thornbush, the cypress will grow, and instead of the brier, the myrtle will spring up; this will make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign, never to be destroyed.”

Hosea 2:15
There I will give back her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor into a gateway of hope. There she will respond as she did in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.


Treasury of Scripture

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

I will do

Isaiah 42:9
Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

Isaiah 48:6
Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.

Jeremiah 31:22
How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.

I will even

Isaiah 35:6-10
Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert…

Isaiah 40:3,4
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God…

Isaiah 48:21
And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.

rivers

Isaiah 41:18
I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

Isaiah 48:21,22
And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out…

Exodus 17:6
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Jump to Previous
Aware Country Desert Desolate Dry Floods Forth Making New Note Perceive Rivers Roadway Something Spring Springeth Springs Starting Streams Waste Wasteland Way Wilderness
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Aware Country Desert Desolate Dry Floods Forth Making New Note Perceive Rivers Roadway Something Spring Springeth Springs Starting Streams Waste Wasteland Way Wilderness
Isaiah 43
1. The Lord comforts the church with his promises.
8. He appeals to the people for witness of his omnipotence
14. He foretells them the destruction of Babylon
18. And his wonderful deliverance of his people
22. He reproves the people as inexcusable














Behold, I am about to do something new;
This phrase signals a divine announcement of a transformative act by God. In the context of Isaiah, this "new" thing refers to the deliverance of Israel from Babylonian captivity, symbolizing a fresh start and a new covenant. Theologically, it points to God's sovereignty and His ability to bring about change and renewal. This concept of "newness" is echoed in the New Testament, particularly in 2 Corinthians 5:17, where believers are described as new creations in Christ.

even now it is coming.
The immediacy of this phrase emphasizes the certainty and imminence of God's action. Historically, this would have been a message of hope to the Israelites in exile, assuring them that their deliverance was not a distant promise but an impending reality. This reflects God's faithfulness and His active involvement in the lives of His people. It also foreshadows the coming of Christ, who fulfills God's promises and brings spiritual renewal.

Do you not see it?
This rhetorical question challenges the audience to perceive God's work and recognize His hand in unfolding events. It implies a call to spiritual awareness and discernment. In the broader biblical narrative, this echoes the call for faith and understanding, as seen in Jesus' teachings, where He often urged His followers to have eyes to see and ears to hear (Matthew 13:16).

Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness
This imagery of making a way in the wilderness draws on the Exodus motif, where God led the Israelites through the desert to the Promised Land. It signifies God's provision and guidance through seemingly impossible circumstances. Geographically, the wilderness represents desolation and hardship, yet God promises a path through it. This is a type of Christ, who declares Himself the Way (John 14:6), guiding believers through the spiritual wilderness of life.

and streams in the desert.
Streams in the desert symbolize life, refreshment, and sustenance in barren places. This promise of water in the desert is reminiscent of God's provision of water from the rock during the Israelites' journey in the wilderness (Exodus 17:6). It also points to the spiritual refreshment found in Christ, who offers living water (John 4:10-14). This imagery underscores God's ability to bring life and hope where there seems to be none, fulfilling His promises and sustaining His people.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Isaiah
A major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah is the author of the book that bears his name. He prophesied to the Kingdom of Judah during a time of moral and spiritual decline.

2. God (Yahweh)
The speaker in this verse, God is declaring His intention to bring about a new work for His people, demonstrating His sovereignty and power.

3. Wilderness
Symbolically represents a place of desolation and difficulty, often used in Scripture to describe times of trial and testing.

4. Desert
Similar to the wilderness, the desert is a place of barrenness and lack, highlighting the miraculous nature of God's provision.

5. Israel
The primary audience of Isaiah's prophecy, representing God's chosen people who are in need of renewal and hope.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty and Creativity
God is always at work, bringing about new things in His perfect timing. Trust in His ability to transform situations that seem barren or hopeless.

Perception and Faith
"Do you not see it?" challenges us to have spiritual eyes to perceive God's work. Cultivate a heart of faith that looks beyond current circumstances.

Provision in Desolation
God promises to provide a way and sustenance even in the most desolate places. Rely on His provision in times of personal wilderness.

Hope and Renewal
This verse offers hope for renewal and change. Embrace the new things God is doing in your life, even if they are not yet fully visible.

Participation in God's Work
Be open to participating in the new things God is doing. Seek His guidance on how you can be part of His transformative work in the world.Verse 19. - Behold, I will do a new thing (comp. Isaiah 42:9, with the comment). It is, of course, quite possible that the novelty is not merely in the circumstances of the deliverance, but extends to all its results, among which is the Messianic kingdom - verily, a "new thing" (see Jeremiah 31:22). Now it shall spring forth; rather, already it is springing up (comp. Isaiah 42:9). Things, however, are more advanced (to the prophet's eye) than when that passage was written. Events are shaping themselves - the deliverance approaches. Shall ye not know it? rather, will ye not give heed to it? Will not the exiled people, whom Isaiah addresses, turn their thoughts this way, and let the idea of deliverance take possession of their minds, instead of brooding on past and present sufferings (see Isaiah 40:30; Isaiah 41:17; Isaiah 42:22)? God is about to make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. As he led his people out of their Egyptian bondage, first through the Red Sea, and then through a "howling wilderness" (Deuteronomy 32:10), so now he will "make a way" for them through a still more desolate tract. We are nowhere historically told by what route the Israelites ultimately returned. If they went by Tadmor and Damascus, they must have traversed a most arid and difficult desert. Even if they did not quit the Euphrates till they reached the latitude of Aleppo, still they must have had some wide tracts of wilderness to cross.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Behold,
הִנְנִ֨י (hin·nî)
Interjection | first person common singular
Strong's 2005: Lo! behold!

I am about to do
עֹשֶׂ֤ה (‘ō·śeh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

something new;
חֲדָשָׁה֙ (ḥă·ḏā·šāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 2319: New

even now
עַתָּ֣ה (‘at·tāh)
Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time

it is coming.
תִצְמָ֔ח (ṯiṣ·māḥ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 6779: To sprout, spring up

Do you not
הֲל֖וֹא (hă·lō·w)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

see it?
תֵֽדָע֑וּהָ (ṯê·ḏā·‘ū·hā)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

Indeed,
אַ֣ף (’ap̄)
Conjunction
Strong's 637: Meaning accession, yea, adversatively though

I will make
אָשִׂ֤ים (’ā·śîm)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

a way
דֶּ֔רֶךְ (de·reḵ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

in the wilderness
בַּמִּדְבָּר֙ (bam·miḏ·bār)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech

[and] streams
נְהָרֽוֹת׃ (nə·hā·rō·wṯ)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5104: A stream, prosperity

in the desert.
בִּֽישִׁמ֖וֹן (bî·ši·mō·wn)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3452: Waste, wilderness


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 43:19 Behold I will do a new thing (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 43:18
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