God's Power in the Heavens and on Earth
A. Maclaren, D. D. Isaiah 40:29-31 He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength.… (with ver. 26): — These two verses set forth two widely different operations of the Divine power as exercised in two sadly different fields, the starry heavens and this weary world. The one verse says, "He is strong in power"; the other, "He giveth power." In the former verse, "the greatness of His might" sustains the stars; in the latter verse, a still greater operation is set forth in that "to them that have no might He increaseth strength." Thus there are three contrasts suggested; that between unfailing stars, and men that faint; that between the unwearied God and wearied men; and that between the sustaining power that is exercised in the heavens and the restoring power that is manifested on earth. There is another interlocking between the latter of these two texts and its context, which is indicated by a similar recurrence of epithets. In my second text we read of the "faint," and in the verse that follows it again we find the expression "faint" and "weary," while in the verse before my text we read that "the Lord fainteth not, neither is weary." So again the contrast between Him and us is set forth, but in the verse that closes the chapter we read how that contrast merges into likeness, inasmuch as the unfainting and unwearied God makes even the men that wait upon Him unwearied and unfainting. (A. Maclaren, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. WEB: He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might.