Isaiah 41:21-29 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

Yahweh's Challenge to the Gods of the Nations. The nations are bidden to produce their case and bring forward their champions their idols (so emend strong reasons). Let the idols show that in days gone by they have foreseen the antecedents of present developments, or explain the events now happening and about to happen. They remain dumb, and Yahweh taunts them with their impotence. He has raised up Cyrus; who among them had foreseen the event? Not one; how patent, then, their nothingness!

Isaiah 41:22. latter end: issue. things for to come: the immediate development from the present situation.

Isaiah 41:23. be dismayed: rather (cf. mg.), open our eyes in wonder.

Isaiah 41:25. come upon: read, trample upon.

Isaiah 41:26. He is righteous: render, Right! is. declareth: render, was. declared, so in the two following clauses.

Isaiah 41:27-29. Read, perhaps, At the beginning I announced it to Zion, and to Jerusalem I gave a herald of good news. But among these gods there was none, among them no counsellor was found. Lo! all of them are nothing, none of them utters a word. Their works, eta

Related Commentaries of Isaiah 41:21

Isaiah 41:21-29

21 Produceg your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.

22 Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may considerh them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.

23 Shew 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.

24 Behold, ye are of nothing,i and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.

25 I 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.

26 Who 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.

27 The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.

28 For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answerj a word.

29 Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.