Isaiah 40:11 (KJV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 40:9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

Isaiah 40:10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

Isaiah 40:11 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 40:12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

Isaiah 40:13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shall", "feed", "flock", "like", "shepherd", "gather", and "lambs". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shall" and "feed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "Behold the Lord GOD will come with..." into verse 12's "Who hath measured the waters in the...", so "shall" and "feed" belong inside that flow. In Isaiah context, the local focus is the Holy One of Israel, judgment and restoration, the servant of the LORD, and Zion's hope.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "shall" and "feed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.