Isaiah 41
41
1Listen to me in silence, you people who live in lands beyond the sea. Let the nations regain their strength. Then let them come and speak, and let us join together for judgment.#41:1. From what follows, and the context of previous verses, this chapter appears to be a call to decide between the true God and idols.
2Who has encouraged this one from the east who is called into God's service#41:2. “Into God's service”: literally, “to his feet.” to do what is right?#41:2. The prophecy is usually taken to refer to King Cyrus. He gives him nations, and helps him trample kings underfoot. He makes them like dust with his sword, and turns them into chaff with his bow, blown before him on the wind. 3He chases them down, and goes on unharmed, not following the usual routes. 4Who has achieved and done this, calling into existence each generation from the beginning of time? I, the Lord, the first and the last, I am the one.
5The islands watch in fear, the distant lands tremble. They get together and consult. 6They all help each other, encouraging one another to “Be strong!” 7The craftsman encourages the goldsmith; the one who beats out the metal with a hammer encourages the one hitting the anvil, saying the soldering is good. They nail the idol down so it won't fall over.
8But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, the ones I have chosen, descendants of my friend Abraham, 9I brought you back from distant lands, I called you back from faraway places, telling you, “You are my servants.” I have chosen you, and I have not abandoned you. 10Don't be afraid, for I am with you! Don't be frightened for I, your God, will make you strong, and I will certainly help you. I will support you with my strong hand, acting for what is right.
11See—everyone who is angry with you will be ashamed and disgraced. Those who fight against you will end up as nothing and die. 12Even though you look for your enemies, you won't find them. Those who attack you will become absolutely nothing. 13For I the Lord will grab you by the hand and tell you, “Don't be afraid! I myself will help you. 14Don't be frightened, Jacob, you little worm, you people of Israel, for I will help you,” declared the Lord your Savior, the Holy One of Israel. 15Look! I will make you into a new and sharp threshing device,#41:15. “Threshing device”: used for processing grain. with many pointed teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush the hills, turning them into chaff. 16You will throw them into the air, the wind will carry them away, and a storm will scatter them. Then you will be happy in the Lord, and boast about the Holy One of Israel.
17The poor and needy search for water, but don't find any—their tongues are dry with thirst. I, the Lord, will respond to them; I, the God of Israel, won't abandon them. 18I will open up rivers in the desolate highlands and springs in the valleys. I will make pools in the wilderness and springs in the desert. 19I will plant cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees in the desert. I will place evergreens in the desert, firs and box trees together. 20In this way everyone can see and know, they can think about it and draw the conclusion that it is the Lord who has done this, that the Holy One of Israel made it happen.
21“Now you submit your case,”#41:21. Regarding the abilities of idols in contrast to the evidence of the actions of God already mentioned says the Lord. “Present your evidence,” says the King of Jacob. 22“Let them#41:22. Referring to the idols, the false gods. come and tell us what's about to happen. Let them explain the things of the past, so that we can think about them and discover the final outcome. Or they can tell us about the future. 23Predict what's coming so we can know for sure that you are gods. At least do something, good or bad, to impress us when we see it. 24But look at you! You're nothing, and you can't do anything! Anyone who chooses you is disgusting!
25I have encouraged the one who comes from the north. He is from the east,#41:25. If this prophecy is taken to refer to Cyrus (see verse 2), then he comes from the east (literally “the rising sun”), but his entrance into Palestine would be from the north. and will respect me.#41:25. “Respect me”: literally, “call on my name,” often associated with the idea of worship. He will tread on rulers as if they were mortar, like a potter treading on clay.#41:25. Both mortar and clay were mixed using the feet.
26Who announced this beforehand so that we could know about it? Who let us know in the past, so that now we could say: ‘He was right’? None of you announced it, none of you predicted it, and nobody heard you say a word!#41:26. Referring to the inability of idols to predict the future. 27I was the first to announce to Zion: ‘Look, here they are!’ I was the one who brought to Jerusalem the good news. 28I look at these idols, and find there is no one who can say anything.#41:28. Expanded for clarity. None of them can give advice; when I ask them something, they can't even answer. 29Look at them! They're all evil, deceptive things. They can't do anything! They're just idols full of hot air!#41:29. “Hot air”: literally, “wind and emptiness.””
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Isaiah 41
41
1Listen to me in silence, O coastlands;
let the peoples renew their strength;
let them approach, then let them speak;
let us together draw near for judgment.
2Who stirred up one from the east
whom victory meets at every step?
He gives up nations before him,
so that he tramples kings under foot;
he makes them like dust with his sword,
like driven stubble with his bow.
3He pursues them and passes on safely,
by paths his feet have not trod.
4Who has performed and done this,
calling the generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord, the first,
and with the last; I am He.
5The coastlands have seen and are afraid,
the ends of the earth tremble;
they have drawn near and come.
6Every one helps his neighbor,
and says to his brother, “Take courage!”
7The craftsman encourages the goldsmith,
and he who smooths with the hammer him who strikes the anvil,
saying of the soldering, “It is good”;
and they fasten it with nails so that it cannot be moved.
8 #
Jas 2.23. #Lk 1.54; Heb 2.16. But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
9you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, “You are my servant,
I have chosen you and not cast you off”;
10 #
Acts 18.10. fear not, for I am with you,
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
11Behold, all who are incensed against you
shall be put to shame and confounded;
those who strive against you
shall be as nothing and shall perish.
12You shall seek those who contend with you,
but you shall not find them;
those who war against you
shall be as nothing at all.
13For I, the Lord your God,
hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Fear not,
I will help you.”
14Fear not, you worm Jacob,
you men of Israel!
I will help you, says the Lord;
your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
15Behold, I will make of you a threshing sledge,
new, sharp, and having teeth;
you shall thresh the mountains and crush them,
and you shall make the hills like chaff;
16you shall winnow them and the wind shall carry them away,
and the tempest shall scatter them.
And you shall rejoice in the Lord;
in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.
17When the poor and needy seek water,
and there is none,
and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the Lord will answer them,
I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
18I will open rivers on the bare heights,
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 put in the wilderness the cedar,
the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive;
I will set in the desert the cypress,
the plane and the pine together;
20that men may see and know,
may consider and understand together,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
21Set forth your case, says the Lord;
bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.
22Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen.
Tell us the former things, what they are,
that we may consider them,
that we may know their outcome;
or declare to us the things to come.
23Tell us what is to come hereafter,
that we may know that you are gods;
do good, or do harm,
that we may be dismayed and terrified.
24Behold, you are nothing,
and your work is naught;
an abomination is he who chooses you.
25I stirred up one from the north, and he has come,
from the rising of the sun, and he shall call on my name;
he shall trample#41.25 Cn: Heb come on rulers as on mortar,
as the potter treads clay.
26Who declared it from the beginning, that we might know,
and beforetime, that we might say, “He is right”?
There was none who declared it, none who proclaimed,
none who heard your words.
27I first have declared it to Zion,#41.27 Cn: Heb first to Zion, Behold, behold them
and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good tidings.
28But when I look there is no one;
among these there is no counselor
who, when I ask, gives an answer.
29Behold, they are all a delusion;
their works are nothing;
their molten images are empty wind.
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