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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Isaiah 41: FBV
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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
Coming Conqueror
1“Be silent before Me, O islands! Let peoples renew their strength. Let them draw near, then let them speak. Let us come together for judgment.
2Who has stirred up one from the east? He calls justice to His feet. He gives nations over to him and subdues kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, as driven stubble with his bow.
3He pursues them, passing on safely, by a path his feet had not traveled.
4Who has performed and done it? Calling forth the generations from the beginning, I, Adonai, am the first and the last, I am He!”
5The coastlands have seen and fear. The ends of the earth tremble. They draw near and come.
6Each one helps his neighbor and says to his brother, “Be strong!”
7The craftsman encourages the smith, who smooths with the hammer, who strikes with the anvil, saying of the soldering, “It’s good!” as he fastens it with nails so that it will not totter.
My Servant, My Friend
8“But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham, My friend—
9I took hold of you from the ends of the earth, and called from its uttermost parts, and said to you, ‘You are My servant— I have chosen you, not rejected you.
10Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Surely I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
11Behold, all who were angry at you will be ashamed and disgraced. Those who quarrel with you will be as nothing and perish.
12Though you will look for those who contended with you, you will not find them. Those who warred against you will be as nothing at all.
13For I am Adonai your God who upholds your right hand, who says to you, “Fear not, I will help you.”
14Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you.” It is a declaration of Adonai, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
15“Look, I will make you a threshing sledge, new, with sharp, double-edged spikes. You will thresh the mountains and grind them up, and will make the hills like chaff.
16You will winnow them, and a wind will carry them away, a storm-wind will scatter them. But you will rejoice in Adonai. You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17“The poor and needy ask for water, but there is none, Their tongues are parched with thirst. I, Adonai, will answer them, I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
18I will open rivers on the bare hills and springs in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land into fountains of water.
19I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, the myrtle and the olive tree. I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine together with the box tree—
20so they may see and know, consider and understand together, that the hand of Adonai has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.”
Challenge to Idolaters
21“Present your case,” says Adonai. “Bring forth your reasons,” says the King of Jacob.
22Let them bring forth and tell us what will happen. The former things, what were they? Tell us, that we may consider them and know their outcome. Or announce to us things to come.
23Declare the things coming afterward, so we may know that you are gods! Indeed, do good or do evil, so we may all see and be awestruck.
24Behold, you are nothing, and your work is null. Whoever chooses you is loathsome.
25“I have stirred up one from the north, and he has come. From the rising of the sun, He will call upon My Name. He will trample rulers as on mortar, like a potter treading clay.”
26Who told this from the beginning, so that we may know? Or from former times, so we may say, “He is right”? In fact, no one foretold it, In fact, no one announced it. In fact, no one heard Your words.
27First it was to Zion: “Behold, here they are!” And to Jerusalem: “I will give a herald of good news.”
28But when I look, there is no one. There is no counselor among them. When I ask them, they have no response.
29Indeed, they are all a delusion. Their works are null. Their molten images are wind and waste.
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