Isaiah 40:11 (YLT)

Passage

As a shepherd His flock He feedeth, With His arm He gathereth lambs, And in His bosom He carrieth <FI>them<Fi> : Suckling ones He leadeth.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 40:9 On a high mountain get thee up, O Zion, Proclaiming tidings, Lift up with power thy voice, O Jerusalem, proclaiming tidings, Lift up, fear not, say to cities of Judah, `Lo, your God.'

Isaiah 40:10 Lo, the Lord Jehovah with strength cometh, And His arm is ruling for Him, Lo, His hire <FI>is<Fi> with Him, and His wage before Him.

Isaiah 40:11 As a shepherd His flock He feedeth, With His arm He gathereth lambs, And in His bosom He carrieth <FI>them<Fi> : Suckling ones He leadeth.

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

Isaiah 40:13 Who hath meted out the Spirit of Jehovah, And, <FI>being<Fi> His counsellor, doth teach Him!

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shepherd", "flock", "feedeth", "gathereth", "lambs", "bosom", "carrieth", and "suckling". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shepherd" and "flock", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "Lo the Lord Jehovah with strength cometh..." into verse 12's "Who hath measured in the hollow of...", so "shepherd" and "flock" 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 "shepherd" and "flock" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.