What is the meaning of Isaiah 35:3?

Strengthen the limp hands

Isaiah 35:3a: “Strengthen the limp hands”

• God pictures hands that have gone slack from fear, weariness, or disappointment. They can no longer grasp sword, plow, or even the hand of a friend.

• The command is present-tense and direct: give those hands firmness again. Action, not sympathy alone, is required.

• Cross references weave the same call:

– Isaiah 41:13—“For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand…”—reminding us that strength begins with His grip.

– Job 4:3-4—Job once “strengthened feeble hands,” proving people really can infuse courage into others.

– Hebrews 12:12 quotes this very verse, urging believers to rise from discouragement by looking to Christ, “the Author and Finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

• Practical picture: encourage the discouraged, speak courage, meet tangible needs; your words and deeds become God’s hands to them.

• Because Scripture is accurate and literal, we receive this not as mere poetry but as a divine assignment for daily life.

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Steady the feeble knees

Isaiah 35:3b: “and steady the feeble knees!”

• Knees symbolize forward movement; shaky knees freeze progress. God tells us to brace those who can’t stand on their own.

• Cross references underline the theme:

– Psalm 18:33—God “makes my feet like the feet of a deer,” showing He supplies sure footing when ours fails.

– Isaiah 33:2—“Be our strength every morning,” placing stability in His hands.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:14—“Encourage the fainthearted, help the weak,” a New-Testament echo of Isaiah’s charge.

• Ways to steady:

– Come alongside with presence; isolation magnifies weakness.

– Provide Scriptural promises that anchor wobbling faith (e.g., Psalm 27:14; Isaiah 40:31).

– Model steadfastness; courage is contagious.

• The literal picture of helping someone stand reflects a deeper spiritual reality: God uses His people to keep one another walking the narrow path.

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summary

Isaiah 35:3 delivers a two-fold command: actively fortify limp hands and brace feeble knees. The verse assumes real weakness yet insists on real, God-powered intervention through His people. Hands are strengthened to work again; knees are steadied to walk again. By obeying, we become conduits of the Lord’s own strength, fulfilling passages such as Hebrews 12:12 and 1 Thessalonians 5:14, and we help one another continue in the way of holiness promised in the very next verses of Isaiah 35.