Isaiah 41

King James Version

Full text for Isaiah Chapter 41

1¶ Keep 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.

9[Thou] 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.

10¶ Fear 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.

17[When] 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.

21¶ Produce 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

God challenges the nations and their idols to a divine judgment, asserting His unique power as the orchestrator of history, the First and the Last. He then reassures Israel, His chosen servant, promising unwavering help, strength, and victory over their adversaries. God also pledges to miraculously provide for the needy and transform desolate lands, contrasting His omnipotence with the utter futility of idols and their inability to declare the future.

Medium Summary

The chapter opens with God summoning the nations to a divine court, challenging them to identify who raised up a conqueror from the east and granted him victory over kings. God declares Himself as the sole orchestrator of history, the Lord, the First and the Last. Observing these events, the nations respond with fear and by reinforcing their idol worship. In stark contrast, God addresses Israel, His chosen servant and friend, promising unwavering support. He assures them not to fear, for He will strengthen, help, and uphold them, causing their enemies to vanish. Furthermore, God pledges to miraculously provide for the poor and needy, transforming desolate lands into fertile oases, so that all may recognize His hand. He then issues a final challenge to the false gods, demanding they predict the future or explain the past, revealing their utter powerlessness and vanity.

Long Summary

Isaiah 41 commences with a divine summons to the islands and peoples to present themselves for judgment before the Lord. God challenges them to identify the one who raised a righteous conqueror from the east, granting him dominion over nations and kings, and making them as dust before his sword. The Lord unequivocally declares Himself as the author of these events, the Eternal One who calls forth generations from the beginning, the First and the Last. Witnessing these displays of power, the distant nations react with fear, seeking solace and strength in their idol worship, encouraging one another in their futile craft. However, God then turns His attention to Israel, addressing them as His chosen servant, Jacob, the seed of Abraham, His friend. He reassures them, whom He has taken from the ends of the earth, not to fear or be dismayed, for He is their God who will strengthen, help, and uphold them with His righteous hand. God promises that all who are incensed against Israel will be shamed, confounded, and utterly perish, becoming as nothing. He likens Israel to a new, sharp threshing instrument, empowering them to overcome mountains and hills, scattering their adversaries like chaff. Beyond military triumph, God also pledges compassionate provision for the poor and needy who seek water in their distress. He promises to open rivers in high places, fountains in valleys, and transform wildernesses into pools and dry lands into springs. Furthermore, He will plant a variety of trees in the desert, all so that humanity may observe, know, and understand that these miraculous acts are the direct work of the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. The chapter concludes with God issuing a final, decisive challenge to the false gods and their adherents. He demands they present their strong reasons, declare former things, or predict future events to prove their divine authority. Since they are incapable of such foresight, God declares them to be nothing, their works of nought, and their molten images mere wind and confusion, contrasting their impotence with His own ability to raise up a conqueror and bring good tidings to Zion.

Core Concepts

  • Divine SovereigntyGod asserts His absolute control over history and nations, raising up conquerors and orchestrating events from the beginning to the end, declaring Himself the First and the Last.
  • Israel's Election and AssuranceGod reaffirms Israel as His chosen servant, the seed of Abraham, promising them unwavering presence, strength, and help against all adversaries, assuring them not to fear.
  • Futility of IdolatryThe chapter starkly contrasts God's power with the impotence of idols, which cannot declare the past or future, and whose makers seek false security in them, ultimately being declared vanity and nothing.
  • Transformation and ProvisionGod promises to miraculously transform barren lands into fertile oases and provide abundant water for the poor and needy, demonstrating His creative and sustaining power for all to witness.
  • Vindication of IsraelGod assures Israel that their enemies will be utterly shamed and annihilated, while Israel itself will be empowered like a threshing instrument to overcome obstacles and rejoice in the Lord.
  • God's Unique ForeknowledgeA central theme is God's exclusive ability to declare things from the beginning and to reveal future events, a challenge He poses to idols to prove their divinity, which they utterly fail to do.