Isaiah 41:26

26 Which of you predicted that this would happen, so that we could say that you were right? None of you said a word about it; no one heard you say a thing!

Isaiah 41:26 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 41:26

Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know?
&c.] Who of the idols, or of their priests, that have declared things future before they came to pass, or ever predicted such an event as this before mentioned; which, if understood of Cyrus, was an hundred and fifty years before it came to pass; and if of Constantine, near a thousand years: and before time, that we may say, he is righteous?
that is, who hath declared things before the time of the accomplishment of them, and they have come to pass, as they have been declared? by which it may be known that they are gods, or the priests of such that are so, by their having prescience of future events, or the spirit of prophecy; and so it may be said of them, that they are just in their pretensions, and have a rightful claim to deity, or are true prophets; so the Targum,

``that we may say it is true''
yea, there is none that showeth, yea, there is none that declareth;
that shows and declares things to come, or such as the true God shows and declares: yea, there is none that heareth your words;
none of your worshippers that ever heard you speak a word, who, when they have prayed to you, could never have an answer; and therefore you have no just claim to deity; or ever heard any of your prophets say such a thing should come to pass, and it did.

Isaiah 41:26 In-Context

24 You and all you do are nothing; those who worship you are disgusting!
25 "I have chosen a man who lives in the east; I will bring him to attack from the north. He tramples on rulers as if they were mud, like a potter trampling clay.
26 Which of you predicted that this would happen, so that we could say that you were right? None of you said a word about it; no one heard you say a thing!
27 I, the Lord, was the first to tell Zion the news; I sent a messenger to Jerusalem to say, "Your people are coming! They are coming home!'
28 When I looked among the gods, none of them had a thing to say; not one could answer the questions I asked.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.