Isaiah 35:2
It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.
Study Note
Study Note
Isaiah 35's vision of the blossoming desert — where Lebanon's glory, Carmel's excellence, and Sharon's beauty converge on the transformed wilderness — employs the Hebrew Bible's richest horticultural vocabulary to depict the eschatological inversion of the judgment-desolation of chapter 34. The three landscapes (Lebanon, Carmel, Sharon) were proverbially known for their lushness and beauty in the ancient world, making their transfer to the desert a hyperbolic statement of total transformation. The explicit purpose — 'they shall see the glory of the Lord' — connects the physical renewal to theophanic disclosure: creation's transformation is simultaneously a revelation event. John 1:14 ('we beheld his glory') and Revelation 21–22's garden-city Eden-restoration both develop this Isaiah 35 vision of creation and theophany as inseparable.
Other Translations
It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon: they shall see the glory of Jehovah, the excellency of our God.
Flourishing it doth flourish, and rejoice, Yea, <FI>with<Fi> joy and singing, The honour of Lebanon hath been given to it, The beauty of Carmel and Sharon, They--they see the honour of Jehovah, The majesty of our God.
It will be flowering like the rose; it will be full of delight and songs; the glory of Lebanon will be given to it; the pride of Carmel and Sharon: they will see the glory of the Lord, the power of our God.
Cross References
And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the …
Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord, because he cometh to judge …
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.
They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.
The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also …
There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall …
And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and …
The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.