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.

23Tell 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.

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

25I 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.

26Who 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.

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

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

29See, 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

Presentקָרְב֥וּH7126Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine pluralyour caseרִֽיבְכֶ֖םH7379Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine pluralsaysיֹאמַ֣רH559Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularthe LORDיְהוָ֑הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularSubmitהַגִּ֙ישׁוּ֙H5066Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine pluralyour argumentsעֲצֻמ֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔םH6110Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine pluralsaysיֹאמַ֖רH559Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularthe Kingמֶ֥לֶךְH4428Noun - masculine singular constructof Jacobיַעֲקֹֽב׃H3290Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 22

Original words

Let them comeיַגִּ֙ישׁוּ֙H5066Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine pluraland tellוְיַגִּ֣ידוּH5046Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine pluralusלָ֔נוּPreposition | first person common plural-אֵ֖תH853Direct object markerwhatאֲשֶׁ֣רH834Pronoun - relativewill happenתִּקְרֶ֑ינָהH7136Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine pluralTellהַגִּ֜ידוּH5046Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine pluralthe former thingsהָרִאשֹׁנ֣וֹת׀H7223Article | Adjective - feminine plural. . .מָ֣הH4100Interrogative. . .הֵ֗נָּהH2007Pronoun - third person feminine pluralso that we may reflect onוְנָשִׂ֤ימָהH7760Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common pluralthemלִבֵּ֙נוּ֙H3820Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common pluraland knowוְנֵדְעָ֣הH3045Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common pluralthe outcomeאַחֲרִיתָ֔ןH319Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine pluralOrא֥וֹH176Conjunctionannounce to usהַשְׁמִיעֻֽנוּ׃H8085Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural | first person common pluralwhat is comingהַבָּא֖וֹתH935Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural
Verse 23

Original words

Tell usהַגִּ֙ידוּ֙H5046Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine pluralthe thingsהָאֹתִיּ֣וֹתH857Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine pluralthat are to comeלְאָח֔וֹרH268Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singularso that we may knowוְנֵ֣דְעָ֔הH3045Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common pluralthatכִּ֥יH3588Conjunctionyouאַתֶּ֑םH859Pronoun - second person masculine pluralare godsאֱלֹהִ֖יםH430Noun - masculine pluralYesאַף־H637Conjunctiondo something goodתֵּיטִ֣יבוּH3190Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralor evilוְתָרֵ֔עוּH7489Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - second person masculine pluralthat we may look on together in dismayוְנִשְׁתָּ֖עָהH8159Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural. . .וְנִרָאH7200Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural. . .יַחְדָּֽו׃H3162Adverb
Verse 24

Original words

Beholdהֵן־H2005Interjectionyouאַתֶּ֣םH859Pronoun - second person masculine pluralare nothingמֵאַ֔יִןH369Preposition-m | Adverband your workוּפָעָלְכֶ֖םH6467Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine pluralis of no valueמֵאָ֑פַעH659Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singularAnyone who choosesיִבְחַ֥רH977Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularyouבָּכֶֽם׃Preposition | second person masculine pluralis detestableתּוֹעֵבָ֖הH8441Noun - feminine singular
Verse 25

Original words

I have raised upהַעִיר֤וֹתִיH5782Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular[one] from the northמִצָּפוֹן֙H6828Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singularand he has comeוַיַּ֔אתH857Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularone from the eastמִמִּזְרַח־H4217Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct. . .שֶׁ֖מֶשׁH8121Noun - common singularwho calls onיִקְרָ֣אH7121Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularMy nameבִשְׁמִ֑יH8034Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularHe will march overוְיָבֹ֤אH935Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singularrulersסְגָנִים֙H5461Noun - masculine pluralas ifכְּמוֹ־H3644Prepositionthey were mortarחֹ֔מֶרH2563Noun - masculine singularlikeוּכְמ֥וֹH3644Conjunctive waw | Prepositiona potterיוֹצֵ֖רH3335Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularwho treadsיִרְמָס־H7429Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularthe clayטִֽיט׃H2916Noun - masculine singular
Verse 26

Original words

Whoמִֽי־H4310Interrogativehas declared [this]הִגִּ֤ידH5046Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singularfrom the beginningמֵרֹאשׁ֙H7218Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singularso that we may knowוְנֵדָ֔עָהH3045Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common pluraland from times pastוּמִלְּפָנִ֖יםH6440Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine pluralso that we may sayוְנֹאמַ֣רH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common pluralHe was rightצַדִּ֑יקH6662Adjective - masculine singular. . .אַ֣ףH637ConjunctionNoאֵין־H369Adverbone announced itמַגִּ֗ידH5046Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular. . .אַ֚ףH637Conjunctionno oneאֵ֣יןH369Adverbforetold itמַשְׁמִ֔יעַH8085Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular. . .אַ֥ףH637Conjunctionnoאֵין־H369Adverbone heardשֹׁמֵ֖עַH8085Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularyour wordsאִמְרֵיכֶֽם׃H561Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Verse 27

Original words

I was the first to tellרִאשׁ֥וֹןH7223Adjective - masculine singularZionלְצִיּ֖וֹןH6726Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singularLookהִנֵּ֣הH2009Interjectionhere they areהִנָּ֑םH2005Interjection | third person masculine pluralAnd I gaveאֶתֵּֽן׃H5414Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularto Jerusalemוְלִירוּשָׁלִַ֖םH3389Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singulara herald of good newsמְבַשֵּׂ֥רH1319Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Or Formerly I said to Zion:
Verse 28

Original words

When I lookוְאֵ֙רֶא֙H7200Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - first person common singularthere is noוְאֵ֣יןH369Conjunctive waw | Adverboneאִ֔ישׁH376Noun - masculine singularthere is noוְאֵ֣יןH369Conjunctive waw | Adverbcounselorיוֹעֵ֑ץH3289Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularamong themוּמֵאֵ֖לֶּהH428Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Pronoun - common pluralwhen I ask themוְאֶשְׁאָלֵ֖םH7592Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine pluralthey have nothing to sayוְיָשִׁ֥יבוּH7725Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural. . .דָבָֽר׃H1697Noun - masculine singular
Verse 29

Original words

Seeהֵ֣ןH2005Interjection[they are] allכֻּלָּ֔םH3605Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plurala delusionאָ֥וֶןH205Noun - masculine singulartheir worksמַעֲשֵׂיהֶ֑םH4639Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralamount to nothingאֶ֖פֶסH657Noun - masculine singulartheir imagesנִסְכֵּיהֶֽם׃פH5262Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralare as emptyוָתֹ֖הוּH8414Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularas the windר֥וּחַH7307Noun - 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.