Symbolism is extensive throughout Isaiah. It is found in broad passages, but also in single words. Recognizing how Isaiah uses particular words can help us see themes and patterns unique to his writings.
Gordon B. Hinckley once said that we should “survey large fields and cultivate small ones,” and he explained: “we must know the big picture and then assiduously work on the particular niche assigned to each of us.”1 That approach applies to scripture study. In a prior post, “How is Isaiah Organized,” I talked about how important it is to see the big picture of Isaiah, to understand the broad story and context of his writing, and to know how he organized his writings following the timeline of the history of Israel. That is surveying the large field, as President Hinckley would have put it.
But at the same time, Isaiah’s message isn’t only painted in broad strokes. He uses individual words to convey meaningful concepts. Elder Ronald A. Rasband has said that “words matter,” and he emphasized that “words matter a lot.”2 Using President Hinckley’s analogy, studying individual words would be like cultivating small fields. We see the big picture, but we assiduously study small passages. There is no better place to use that dual approach than in Isaiah.
Of course, it is impossible to list all the words in Isaiah that matter, as we would just be reproducing his whole book. But in my recent study of Isaiah, there are several words that stood out to me. This post focuses on those few words and explores how Isaiah uses individual words to convey powerful ideas.
Vision
Isaiah begins his book by saying, “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz.”3 Simple enough, right? But the word “vision” carries significant meaning, and it is used by Isaiah in several other places to denote the work of a prophet, rather than just something he saw as a heavenly vision.
Use of “vision” in the Old Testament
Consider the use of the word “vision” in 1 Samuel 3:1:
And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.4
I previously wrote a post called “Is the Word of the Lord Precious in Your Life?” in which I address this scripture and what it meant that the word of the Lord was “precious.” 1 Samuel takes place after the book of Judges, when “every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”5 The use of “vision” in 1 Samuel emphasizes the calling of Samuel as a new prophet, in contrast with the lack of prophetic leadership throughout Judges.
When we think of “vision” in our English language, we think of “the act or power of seeing,” or “something seen in a dream,” or “a thought, concept, or object formed by the imagination.”6 But in the context of the Old Testament, the word “vision” means much more than mere sight: it refers to revelation and prophetic guidance.
In the example of 1 Samuel 3:1, the word “vision” is used in the context of an absence of the word of the Lord, so it brings to mind revelation, or a prophet receiving the word of the Lord to teach the Lord’s covenant people. Other scriptures reinforce this interpretation:
- 1 Chronicles 17:15, “According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.”
- Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”
As we consider the use of the word “vision” in the Old Testament, Isaiah’s use of that word in his opening statement conveys a powerful message: this book doesn’t simply present the ideas of one man; it contains the word of the Lord given to a prophet.
Valley of vision
Isaiah’s writings are filled with irony and sarcasm, and that is seen in his use of the word “vision.” In one passage, Isaiah calls Jerusalem the “valley of vision,” which is a targeted attack against Jerusalem’s wickedness. Considering how the word “vision” is used in the Old Testament, Isaiah in this context is criticizing Jerusalem for lacking revelation, or failing to seek inspiration from the Lord.
Chapters 13-23 of Isaiah are often called the “burden” chapters, in which Isaiah prophesies the destruction of the wicked. Isaiah 22:1 states, “The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?” In this chapter, Isaiah prophesies of “a day of trouble,” when Jerusalem will be attacked by armies.7 Why does he refer to Jerusalem as the “valley of vision?”
I previously wrote a post called “The Songs of Ascents,” in which I briefly discussed the geography of Jerusalem. It is often referred to as being on a “mountain,” and the word “mountain” itself carries significant meaning. So the use of the word “valley” in describing Jerusalem was heavy sarcasm: Isaiah was telling the inhabitants of Jerusalem that they had lost their status of being spiritually elevated, and were in something of a “spiritual valley.”
The addition of the word “vision” in this context is also quite ironic and cutting. Jerusalem was the place where God spoke to His people. It was the place of the temple, the Lord’s sanctuary. By calling it the “valley of vision,” Isaiah is telling Jerusalem that although they should be high and lifted up in a spiritual sense, they had lost all revelation and connection to God.
“Vision” is a powerful word in Isaiah. As we consider how that word is used throughout the Old Testament and in Isaiah’s writings, we receive rich teachings through the use of a single word.
Sign
I think the word “sign” often carries a negative connotation. For example, the Savior said, “a wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign.”8 The prophet Alma taught that people should exercise faith rather than seek after signs.9
However, in Isaiah, “signs” are presented as something invited by the Lord, and are much more than mere evidence. He uses this word as a symbol of a covenant relationship between the Lord and His people.
Perhaps the most famous use of this word is from Isaiah 7:14:
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
In that context, the word “sign” almost sounds like proof. But consider a related passage that uses the exact same Hebrew word translated to “sign”:
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.
And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.10
In this passage, the word “token” is translated from the same Hebrew word that is translated as “sign” in Isaiah 7:14. It’s also the same word translated as “token” in Genesis 17:11, when the Lord described circumcision as a “token of the covenant betwixt me and you.”
For Isaiah, the word “sign” was not just evidence. It was a symbol of the Lord’s covenant with His people, just as the blood was a token during the Passover, and just as circumcision was a token of the Lord’s covenant.
Isaiah chapter 55 is part of Isaiah’s Book of Comfort, written to a people suffering in bondage in Babylon.11 Throughout chapters 40 to 55, He makes many promises, and those promises culminate with Isaiah’s use of the word “sign.” Chapter 55 begins with an invitation: “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”12 The chapter ends with a promise that their suffering will end:
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.13
In this context, the word “sign” carries covenant meaning beyond mere proof or evidence. It is the Lord’s covenant that His people will be saved. It is an “everlasting” sign, not just a one-time thing.
Isaiah’s use of the word “sign” is powerful. It is an indication of God’s covenant with His people. It is something that binds the Lord to His people.
Highway
Isaiah’s use of the word “highway” is a perfect example of how Isaiah uses single words to evoke remembrance of the Lord’s deliverance.
Isaiah prophesied that the “outcasts of Israel” would be gathered “from the four corners of the earth.”14
And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.15
This passage’s allusion to the history of Israel is clearer and more direct than many of Isaiah’s references. The gathering of Israel would be similar to the Exodus, when Israel was brought out of Egypt. However, it would be more dramatic and remarkable, as prophesied by Jeremiah:
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
But, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.16
The use of the word “highway” has a significant impact on the imagery of the gathering. The Hebrew word translated to “highway” means a “raised way,” “public road,” or “a way cast up, embanked.”17 This is much more than a trail, or even the “way” that the Lord led Israel out of Egypt. In Exodus 13:18, the Hebrew word translated “way” is more of a journey, course of life, direction, or a path.18 The Lord led the children of Israel out of Egypt, but when He gathers Israel, he will create a highway that will be raised up and visible to the world, making the gathering unmistakable.
Isaiah’s intent in using the word “highway” is made more clear in Isaiah 62:10: “[P]repare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.” Isaiah’s use of the word “highway” implies a road that is built up and elevated; it isn’t just a path that is worn down over time. In regard to the gathering of Israel, the highway the Lord prepares will be evident and easy for the outcasts to follow.
Ensign
I love this one. As Latter-day Saints, we often equate the word “Ensign” with the former name of the Church’s magazine, and we are likely familiar with the most famous passages using that word:
And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.19
In this context, we believe that this refers to the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ:
In Isaiah’s day, an ensign was a flag or banner that an army carried that showed which nation they were from. The ensign was raised up during battle so that the army’s soldiers could gather beneath it or march behind it. The ensign spoken of in Isaiah 11:10, which the Gentiles would seek, is the “everlasting covenant,” or the gospel of Jesus Christ. The restored Church of Jesus Christ is an ensign to gather scattered Israel back to Him.20
What I find most fascinating is examining how that word is used in other places in the Old Testament, and perhaps why Isaiah chose that word. Using the site blueletterbible.org, we can look up this verse and see all the uses of that same Hebrew word throughout the King James Version of the Bible. That same Hebrew word translated to “ensign” is used in the following verses:
And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.21
The word “pole” is the exact same Hebrew word translated into “ensign” in Isaiah. He uses that same word to show that it is the Savior who is lifted up. In the story of the fiery serpents, Moses lifted up a serpent to be in the view of all the people. This was a symbol of the Savior, and if the people looked to Him, they were healed:
And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished.22
In this context, the word “ensign” becomes much more powerful. Yes, it is a reference to the gospel of Jesus Christ. But Isaiah’s use of that word provides powerful imagery of the Savior. It is Jesus Christ himself who is being lifted up. He is our standard. And just as the serpent was raised up for the people to see, Jesus Christ is lifted up before all nations as His gospel is preached to the world.
Words are powerful
We know that words have meaning. Language is formed of words, and so it might seem obvious to say that words in Isaiah are laden with symbolism. But for a master like Isaiah writing under the direction of the Savior himself, every word is meaningful.
Isaiah uses words that evoke powerful remembrances from the history of Israel. Those words help us think of the Lord’s power to deliver. As we consider the context in which Isaiah wrote,23 we learn that Isaiah was the prophet when the ten tribes of Israel were scattered by Assyria. He also wrote about the Jews in Jerusalem being taken into exile by Babylon. In both contexts, he wrote about Israel being gathered, and so he often refers to the Exodus. That story showed the Lord’s power of deliverance, and even one word can allude to the Exodus, bringing to mind the Lord’s power and grace in saving His people.
It can be overwhelming to try to understand Isaiah. But we can find greater meaning in his writings as we take it one word at a time.
References
- Gordon B. Hinckley, “This Work Is Concerned with People,” April 1995, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1995/04/this-work-is-concerned-with-people?lang=eng&id=p21#p21. ↩︎
- Ronald A. Rasband, “Words Matter,” April 2024, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2024/04/41rasband?lang=eng&id=p2#p2. ↩︎
- Isaiah 1:1. ↩︎
- 1 Samuel 3:1. ↩︎
- Judges 21:25. ↩︎
- Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “vision,” accessed September 8, 2026, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vision. ↩︎
- Isaiah 22:5-7. ↩︎
- Matthew 16:4. ↩︎
- Alma 32:17-18, “Yea, there are many who do say: If thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe. Now I ask, is this faith? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it.” ↩︎
- Exodus 12:12-13. ↩︎
- See my prior post, “How is Isaiah Organized?” ↩︎
- Isaiah 55:1. ↩︎
- Isaiah 55:13. ↩︎
- Isaiah 11:12. ↩︎
- Isaiah 11:16. ↩︎
- Jeremiah 16:14-15. ↩︎
- “H4546 – mᵊsillâ – Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible. Accessed 10 Sep, 2026. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h4546/kjv/wlc/0-1/. ↩︎
- “H1870 – dereḵ – Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible. Accessed 10 Sep, 2026. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h1870/kjv/wlc/0-1/. ↩︎
- Isaiah 11:12. ↩︎
- Scripture Helps: Old Testament, “Isaiah 1-12,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/scripture-helps-old-testament/36-isaiah-1-12?lang=eng&id=p_ukufv#p_ukufv. ↩︎
- Numbers 21:8-9. ↩︎
- 1 Nephi 17:41. ↩︎
- See my prior post, “How is Isaiah Organized?” ↩︎
