Focused Passage

Isaiah 41:21-29

The LORD’s Courtroom, the Futility of Idols, and Comfort for Israel His Servant

Isaiah 41 moves from the LORD summoning the nations and coastlands into courtroom silence, to His sovereign raising of a conqueror from the east, to the nations’ fearful idol-making, to the LORD’s tender assurance to Israel His servant, to the promise that enemies will become nothing, to the transformation of weak Jacob into a threshing sledge, to wilderness provision for the poor and needy, and finally to the LORD’s challenge for idols to prove themselves by declaring the future, which they cannot do.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

21 “Present your case,” says the LORD. “Submit your arguments,” says the King of Jacob.

22 “Let them come and tell us what will happen. Tell the former things, so that we may reflect on them and know the outcome. Or announce to us what is coming.

23 Tell us the things that are to come, so that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do something good or evil, that we may look on together in dismay.

24 Behold, you are nothing and your work is of no value. Anyone who chooses you is detestable.

25 I have raised up one from the north, and he has come—one from the east who calls on My name. He will march over rulers as if they were mortar, like a potter who treads the clay.

26 Who has declared this from the beginning, so that we may know, and from times past, so that we may say: ‘He was right’? No one announced it, no one foretold it, no one heard your words.

27 I was the first to tell Zion: ‘Look, here they are!’ And I gave to Jerusalem a herald of good news.

28 When I look, there is no one; there is no counselor among them; when I ask them, they have nothing to say.

29 See, they are all a delusion; their works amount to nothing; their images are as empty as the wind.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 21

Original words

Present קָרְב֥וּ H7126 Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine plural your case רִֽיבְכֶ֖ם H7379 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural says יֹאמַ֣ר H559 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular the LORD יְהוָ֑ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular Submit הַגִּ֙ישׁוּ֙ H5066 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural your arguments עֲצֻמ֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔ם H6110 Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine plural says יֹאמַ֖ר H559 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular the King מֶ֥לֶךְ H4428 Noun - masculine singular construct of Jacob יַעֲקֹֽב׃ H3290 Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 22

Original words

Let them come יַגִּ֙ישׁוּ֙ H5066 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural and tell וְיַגִּ֣ידוּ H5046 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural us לָ֔נוּ Preposition | first person common plural - אֵ֖ת H853 Direct object marker what אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative will happen תִּקְרֶ֑ינָה H7136 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural Tell הַגִּ֜ידוּ H5046 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural the former things הָרִאשֹׁנ֣וֹת׀ H7223 Article | Adjective - feminine plural . . . מָ֣ה H4100 Interrogative . . . הֵ֗נָּה H2007 Pronoun - third person feminine plural so that we may reflect on וְנָשִׂ֤ימָה H7760 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural them לִבֵּ֙נוּ֙ H3820 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural and know וְנֵדְעָ֣ה H3045 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural the outcome אַחֲרִיתָ֔ן H319 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine plural Or א֥וֹ H176 Conjunction announce to us הַשְׁמִיעֻֽנוּ׃ H8085 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural | first person common plural what is coming הַבָּא֖וֹת H935 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural
Verse 23

Original words

Tell us הַגִּ֙ידוּ֙ H5046 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural the things הָאֹתִיּ֣וֹת H857 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural that are to come לְאָח֔וֹר H268 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular so that we may know וְנֵ֣דְעָ֔ה H3045 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural that כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction you אַתֶּ֑ם H859 Pronoun - second person masculine plural are gods אֱלֹהִ֖ים H430 Noun - masculine plural Yes אַף־ H637 Conjunction do something good תֵּיטִ֣יבוּ H3190 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural or evil וְתָרֵ֔עוּ H7489 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - second person masculine plural that we may look on together in dismay וְנִשְׁתָּ֖עָה H8159 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural . . . וְנִרָא H7200 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural . . . יַחְדָּֽו׃ H3162 Adverb
Verse 24

Original words

Behold הֵן־ H2005 Interjection you אַתֶּ֣ם H859 Pronoun - second person masculine plural are nothing מֵאַ֔יִן H369 Preposition-m | Adverb and your work וּפָעָלְכֶ֖ם H6467 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural is of no value מֵאָ֑פַע H659 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular Anyone who chooses יִבְחַ֥ר H977 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular you בָּכֶֽם׃ Preposition | second person masculine plural is detestable תּוֹעֵבָ֖ה H8441 Noun - feminine singular
Verse 25

Original words

I have raised up הַעִיר֤וֹתִי H5782 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular [one] from the north מִצָּפוֹן֙ H6828 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular and he has come וַיַּ֔את H857 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular one from the east מִמִּזְרַח־ H4217 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct . . . שֶׁ֖מֶשׁ H8121 Noun - common singular who calls on יִקְרָ֣א H7121 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular My name בִשְׁמִ֑י H8034 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular He will march over וְיָבֹ֤א H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular rulers סְגָנִים֙ H5461 Noun - masculine plural as if כְּמוֹ־ H3644 Preposition they were mortar חֹ֔מֶר H2563 Noun - masculine singular like וּכְמ֥וֹ H3644 Conjunctive waw | Preposition a potter יוֹצֵ֖ר H3335 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular who treads יִרְמָס־ H7429 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular the clay טִֽיט׃ H2916 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 26

Original words

Who מִֽי־ H4310 Interrogative has declared [this] הִגִּ֤יד H5046 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular from the beginning מֵרֹאשׁ֙ H7218 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular so that we may know וְנֵדָ֔עָה H3045 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural and from times past וּמִלְּפָנִ֖ים H6440 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural so that we may say וְנֹאמַ֣ר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural He was right צַדִּ֑יק H6662 Adjective - masculine singular . . . אַ֣ף H637 Conjunction No אֵין־ H369 Adverb one announced it מַגִּ֗יד H5046 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular . . . אַ֚ף H637 Conjunction no one אֵ֣ין H369 Adverb foretold it מַשְׁמִ֔יעַ H8085 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular . . . אַ֥ף H637 Conjunction no אֵין־ H369 Adverb one heard שֹׁמֵ֖עַ H8085 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular your words אִמְרֵיכֶֽם׃ H561 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Verse 27

Original words

I was the first to tell רִאשׁ֥וֹן H7223 Adjective - masculine singular Zion לְצִיּ֖וֹן H6726 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular Look הִנֵּ֣ה H2009 Interjection here they are הִנָּ֑ם H2005 Interjection | third person masculine plural And I gave אֶתֵּֽן׃ H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular to Jerusalem וְלִירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם H3389 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular a herald of good news מְבַשֵּׂ֥ר H1319 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Or Formerly I said to Zion:
Verse 28

Original words

When I look וְאֵ֙רֶא֙ H7200 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - first person common singular there is no וְאֵ֣ין H369 Conjunctive waw | Adverb one אִ֔ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular there is no וְאֵ֣ין H369 Conjunctive waw | Adverb counselor יוֹעֵ֑ץ H3289 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular among them וּמֵאֵ֖לֶּה H428 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Pronoun - common plural when I ask them וְאֶשְׁאָלֵ֖ם H7592 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural they have nothing to say וְיָשִׁ֥יבוּ H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . דָבָֽר׃ H1697 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 29

Original words

See הֵ֣ן H2005 Interjection [they are] all כֻּלָּ֔ם H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural a delusion אָ֥וֶן H205 Noun - masculine singular their works מַעֲשֵׂיהֶ֑ם H4639 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural amount to nothing אֶ֖פֶס H657 Noun - masculine singular their images נִסְכֵּיהֶֽם׃פ H5262 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural are as empty וָתֹ֖הוּ H8414 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular as the wind ר֥וּחַ H7307 Noun - common singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.