What Does Isaiah 40:11 Mean in the King James?

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Isaiah 40:11 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The shepherd’s strength appears in bearing the smallest ones and keeping pace with those who need gentleness.

THE MEANING

The one who tends your life gathers what is vulnerable close, carries it against the heart, and leads at the pace of those nursing young. Care adjusts its pace to the needs of the ones entrusted to it.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

You must keep pace on your own before you deserve care.

THE ROOT

יִשָּׂא

yissāʾ

GROWS FROM

נָשָׂא

nasa

to lift, carry, or bear

“carry” in this verse is yissāʾ. This root also forms ⁨מַשָּׂא⁩ (maśśāʾ), meaning a load or burden, and ⁨נָשִׂיא⁩ (nāśîʾ), meaning a leader or chief, traditionally understood as one raised up. The verse shows the shepherd’s leadership through bearing the vulnerable close.

ALSO GROWS

maśśāʾ: a load or burden

מַשָּׂא

This branch names what is carried; here, the shepherd bears the lambs themselves close to the heart.

nāśîʾ: a leader or chief; one raised up

נָשִׂיא

The kinship gives leadership a physical image: the one who leads is also able to lift and carry.

THE PATTERN

The shepherd’s strength takes the form of rest, carrying, and tenderness paced to the vulnerable.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Psalm 23:2 · KJVThe shepherd leads by making room for rest and guiding the flock to sustaining waters.

And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

Luke 15:5 · KJVThe shepherd carries the one who cannot return alone, and carries it with joy.

But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:

1 Thessalonians 2:7 · KJVCare for the vulnerable is pictured as a nurse’s gentleness toward her children.

THE THREAD

Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?

Numbers 11:12 · KJV

Numbers uses the same root, ⁨נָשָׂא⁩ (nasa, carry or bear), and pairs carrying with ⁨חֵיק⁩ (ḥēq, bosom), as Isaiah does. One verse voices the weight of carrying a people; Isaiah reveals that same carrying as the shepherd’s tender work.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us