Isaiah 55:12 - Exposition

Ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace (comp. Isaiah 35:10 ; Isaiah 40:9-11 ; Isaiah 43:3-6 , Isaiah 43:19-21 , etc.). A strong contrast is frequently drawn between the exodus from Babylon and that from Egypt. On the former occasion all was hurry, alarm, disquiet, danger. The later exodus will be accompanied with "peace" and "joy" (see Isaiah 51:9-16 , etc.). (For the fulfilment, see Ezra 1:1-11 ; Ezra 2:1-70 , and Ezra 7:1-28 ; Ezra 8:1-36 .) The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing . All nature shall rejoice at your deliverance, especially the noblest and the grandest parts of nature—"the mountains and the hills." Isaiah's admiration of mountains continually reveals itself throughout the work ( Isaiah 5:25 ; Isaiah 13:2 , Isaiah 13:4 ; Isaiah 14:25 ; Isaiah 22:5 ; Isaiah 30:17 , Isaiah 30:25 ; Isaiah 34:3 ; Isaiah 40:4 , Isaiah 40:9 , Isaiah 40:12 ; Isaiah 42:11 , Isaiah 42:15 , etc.). It is quite in his manner to speak of nature as bursting forth into singing ( Isaiah 35:2 ; Isaiah 44:23 ; Isaiah 49:13 ). All the trees of the field shall clap their hands . The metaphor is not found elsewhere in Isaiah, but appears in Psalms 98:8 .