Isaiah 41

Isaiah · Chapter 41

Isaiah 41:1

1Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.2Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.3He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.4Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.5The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.6They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.7So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.8But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.9Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.10Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.11Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.12Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.13For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.14Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.15Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.16Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.17When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.18I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.19I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:20That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.21Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.22Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.23Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.24Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.25I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.26Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.27The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.28For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.29Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
1Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.“Be silent before Me, O islands, and let the peoples renew their strength. Let them come forward and testify; let us together draw near for judgment.Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the peoples renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak; let us come near together to judgment.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
be silentהַחֲרִ֤ישׁוּha-cha-RI-shuH2790B
be quiet

חָרֵשׁ (cha.resh) 1) to be silent, be dumb, be speechless, be deaf 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be silent 1a2) to be deaf 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to be silent, keep quiet 1b2) to make silent 1b3) to be deaf, show deafness 1c) (Hithpael) to remain silent

to meאֵלַי֙'e-LAIH0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

O islandsאִיִּ֔ים'i-YIMH0339
coastland

אִי (i) coast, island, shore, region

and peoplesוּלְאֻמִּ֖יםu-le-'u-MIMH3816
people

לְאֹם (le.om) a people, nation

let them renewיַחֲלִ֣יפוּya-cha-LI-fuH2498
to pass

חָלַף (cha.laph) 1) to pass on or away, pass through, pass by, go through, grow up, change, to go on from 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to pass on quickly 1a2) to pass away (vanish) 1a3) to come on anew, sprout again (of grass) 1a4) to pass through 1a5) to overstep, transgress 1b) (Piel) to cause to pass, change 1c) (Hiph) 1c1) to change, substitute, alter, change for better, renew 1c2) to show newness (of tree) Aramaic equivalent: cha.laph (חֲלַף "to pass" H2499)

strengthכֹ֑חַKHO-achH3581B
strength

כֹּחַ (ko.ach) 1) strength, power, might 1a) human strength 1b) strength (of angels) 1c) power (of God) 1d) strength (of animals) 1e) strength, produce, wealth (of soil)

let them approachיִגְּשׁוּ֙yi-ge-SHUH5066G
to approach: approach

נָגַשׁ (na.gash) : approach 1) to draw near, approach 1a) (Qal) to draw or come near 1a1) of humans 1a1a) of sexual intercourse 1a2) of inanimate subject 1a2a) to approach one another 1b) (Niphal) to draw near 1c) (Hiphil) to cause to approach, bring near, bring 1d) (Hophal) to be brought near 1e) (Hithpael) to draw near Also means: na.gash (נָגַשׁ ": bring" H5066H)

thenאָ֣ז'azH0227A
then

אֱדַ֫יִן (e.da.yin) then, afterwards, thereupon, from that time Aramaic of az (אָז "then" H0227A)

let them speakיְדַבֵּ֔רוּye-da-BE-ruH1696G
to speak: speak

דָבַר (da.var) : speak/tell/command 1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing 1a) (Qal) to speak 1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to speak 1c2) to promise 1d) (Pual) to be spoken 1e) (Hithpael) to speak 1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight

togetherיַחְדָּ֖וyach-DAVH3162B
together

יָחְדָּו (yach.dav) adv together

for the judgmentלַמִּשְׁפָּ֥טla-mish-PATH4941G
justice: judgement

מִשְׁפָּט (mish.pat) : judgement/punishment 1) judgment, justice, ordinance 1a) judgment 1a1) act of deciding a case 1a2) place, court, seat of judgment 1a3) process, procedure, litigation (before judges) 1a4) case, cause (presented for judgment) 1a5) sentence, decision (of judgment) 1a6) execution (of judgment) 1a7) time (of judgment) 1b) justice, right, rectitude (attributes of God or man) 1c) ordinance 1d) decision (in law) 1e) right, privilege, due (legal) 1f) proper, fitting, measure, fitness, custom, manner, plan

let us draw nearנִקְרָֽבָה׃nik-RA-vahH7126G
to present: come

קָרַב (qa.rav) : come/approach 1) to come near, approach, enter into, draw near 1a) (Qal) to approach, draw near 1b) (Niphal) to be brought near 1c) (Piel) to cause to approach, bring near, cause to draw near 1d) (Hiphil) to bring near, bring, present

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.