Isaiah 40:31 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →There comes a day when your strength simply runs out. The task is unfinished, the road keeps going, and you have nothing left to give it. You have run until your legs gave way and walked until each step felt like the last. Into that emptiness this verse speaks a quiet, stubborn hope. As you wait upon the LORD, strength is renewed in you, lifting you up when you were sure you would fall.
For the tired who keep turning to God, strength is renewed from a source outside themselves.
The Context of Isaiah 40:31
The close of Isaiah 40, a chapter written to comfort a weary, waiting people. After verses about youths who faint and strong men who fall, this verse turns the picture around for those who wait on the LORD.
What Does Isaiah 40:31 Mean?
The verse begins with 'But,' and that single word carries the weight. Just before, even the young and strong stumble and fall. Here a different people are described, marked out by one thing: they wait on the LORD. Their strength is renewed, traded in for His. The images climb and then descend on purpose: mounting up with wings like eagles, then running, then simply walking. Anyone can soar on a good day. The deeper promise is the walking, the long ordinary stretches where we do not faint because we are not running on our own supply.
To wait on the LORD is to lean our whole weight on Him, and Jesus invites exactly this: 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest' (Matthew 11:28). He is the source the eagle-strength comes from. When our own strength is spent, this verse promises that waiting is never wasted. The God who does not faint shares His own tirelessness with the tired who keep turning to Him.
The Hebrew for "wait," qavah (קָוָה), carries the sense of a cord pulled taut, separate strands twisted into one strength. To wait on the LORD is not idle delay but a tension-bearing bond, our frayed thread braided into His. And "renew" translates chalaph, the word for changing a garment: the tired exchange their spent strength as one lays down a worn cloak for a fresh one. This answers the verse just above, where God "fainteth not, neither is weary" (v28). His inexhaustibility is the reservoir. Paul knew the exchange well: "though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day" (2 Corinthians 4:16). The walking that does not faint is His tirelessness, borrowed daily and worn like new clothing over old bones.
Isaiah 40:31 in the Original Language
qavah (קָוָה), 'wait' -- to wait with hope and tension, like a cord pulled taut, expecting God to act.
Bible Verses Related to Isaiah 40:31
“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”
- Psalm 27:14
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:16
“The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.”
- Lamentations 3:25
“Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
- Psalm 103:5
How to Apply Isaiah 40:31 Today
When we are worn down and our own strength has run out, this verse points us away from gritting our teeth and toward waiting on God. The renewal it promises is His strength taking the place of ours. Even on the days when we can only walk, not soar, He keeps us from fainting.
Frequently Asked Questions About Isaiah 40:31
What does Isaiah 40:31 mean?
For the tired who keep turning to God, strength is renewed from a source outside themselves.
What is the context of Isaiah 40:31?
The close of Isaiah 40, a chapter written to comfort a weary, waiting people. After verses about youths who faint and strong men who fall, this verse turns the picture around for those who wait on the LORD.
How can I apply Isaiah 40:31 today?
When we are worn down and our own strength has run out, this verse points us away from gritting our teeth and toward waiting on God. The renewal it promises is His strength taking the place of ours. Even on the days when we can only walk, not soar, He keeps us from fainting.
Reflection & Prayer
Waiting can feel like doing nothing, yet here it becomes the very place where strength returns. Notice the gentle order of the promise. First you mount up, then you run, then you walk and do not faint. God meets you for the soaring days and the slow, plodding ones alike. Bring him your weariness today and let him carry what you cannot. Father, I have come to the end of my own strength. Renew me as I wait on you, and hold me up so that I will not faint along the way.