Isaiah 41

God Helps Israel

1 Listen to me in silence, coastlands, and let nations renew [their] strength. Let them approach, then let them speak; let us draw near together for judgment.

2 Who has roused salvation from the east, summoned him to his foot, gives nations {in his presence}, and subjugates kings? He makes [them] like the dust [with] his sword, like scattered stubble [with] his bow.

3 He pursues them [and] passes on [in] peace; he does not enter [the] path with his feet.

4 Who has accomplished and done [this], calling the generations from [the] {beginning}? I, Yahweh, [am] first; and I [am] the one with [the] last.

5 [The] coastlands have seen and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble. They have drawn near, and they have come.

6 Each one helps his neighbor; he says to his brother, "Take courage!"

7 And [the] artisan encourages [the] {goldsmith}, [the] one who makes smooth with [the] hammer [encourages the] one who strikes [the] anvil, saying of the soldering, "It [is] good!" And they strengthen it with nails [so] it cannot be knocked over.

8 But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you, the {offspring} of Abraham my {friend},

9 you whom I grasped from the ends of the earth and called from its remotest parts and told, "You [are] my servant; I have chosen you and I have not rejected you."

10 You must not fear, for I [am] with you; you must not be afraid, for I [am] your God. I will strengthen you, indeed I will help you, indeed I will take hold of you with the right hand of my salvation.

11 Look! All those who are angry with you shall be ashamed and humiliated; {your opponents} shall be like nothing and shall become lost.

12 You shall seek them, but you shall not find them; {your opponents} shall be like nothing, and the men of your war like nothing.

13 For I, Yahweh your God, [am] grasping your right hand; {it is I who say} to you, "You must not fear; I myself, I will help you.

14 You must not fear, O worm of Jacob; people of Israel, I myself, I will help you," {declares} Yahweh, "and your redeemer [is] the holy one of Israel.

15 Look! I will make you into a new sharp threshing sledge, {with} sharp edges. You shall thresh and crush [the] mountains, and you shall make [the] hills like chaff.

16 You shall winnow them and [the] wind shall carry them, and [the] tempest shall scatter them. And you yourself shall rejoice in Yahweh; you shall boast in the holy one of Israel.

17 The poor and the needy [are] seeking water and [there is] none; their tongue is dried up with thirst. I, Yahweh, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

18 I will open rivers on [the] barren heights and fountains in [the] midst of [the] valleys. I will make [the] wilderness like a pool of water and [the] land of dryness like springs of water.

19 I will {put} [the] cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive oil tree in the wilderness; I will set [the] cypress, elm, and box tree together in the desert

20 so that they may see and know, and take to heart and understand together that the hand of Yahweh has done this, and the holy one of Israel has created it."

21 "Present your legal case," says Yahweh. "Bring your evidence," says the king of Jacob.

22 Let them bring [them], and let them tell us what will happen. Tell us what the former things [are] {so that} we may take [them to] our heart and know their outcome. Declare to us the things to come;

23 tell [us] the things coming {hereafter}, that we may know that you [are] gods. Indeed, do good or do evil, that we may be afraid and see together.

24 Look! you [are] nothing, and your work [is] something worthless; whoever chooses you [is] an abomination.

25 I stirred up [one] from [the] north, and he has come from [the] rising of the sun. He shall call on my name, and he shall come [on] officials as [on] mortar, and as [the] {potter} treads clay.

26 Who declared [it] from [the] {beginning} {so that} we might know, and {beforehand} {so that} we might say, "[He is] {right}!" Indeed, there was no one who declared [it]; Indeed, there was no one who proclaimed [it]. Indeed there was no one who heard your words.

27 First to Zion, look! Look at them! And I give a herald of good tidings to Jerusalem.

28 But I look and there is no man, and [I look] among these and there is no counselor, that I might ask them and they might answer a word.

29 Look! All of them [are] deception; their works [are] nothing; their images [are] wind and emptiness.

Isaiah 41 Commentary

Chapter 41

God's care of his people. (1-9) they are encouraged not to fear. (10-20) The vanity and folly of idolatry. (21-29)

Verses 1-9 Can any heathen god raise up one in righteousness, make what use of him he pleases, and make him victorious over the nations? The Lord did so with Abraham, or rather, he would do so with Cyrus. Sinners encourage one another in the ways of sin; shall not the servants of the living God stir up one another in his service? God's people are the seed of Abraham his friend. This is certainly the highest title ever given to a mortal. It means that Abraham, by Divine grace, was made like to God, and that he was admitted to communion with Him. Happy are the servants of the Lord, whom he has called to be his friends, and to walk with him in faith and holy obedience. Let not such as have thus been favoured yield to fear; for the contest may be sharp, but the victory shall be sure.

Verses 10-20 God speaks with tenderness; Fear thou not, for I am with thee: not only within call, but present with thee. Art thou weak? I will strengthen thee. Art thou in want of friends? I will help thee in the time of need. Art thou ready to fall? I will uphold thee with that right hand which is full of righteousness, dealing forth rewards and punishments. There are those that strive with God's people, that seek their ruin. Let not God's people render evil for evil, but wait God's time. It is the worm Jacob; so little, so weak, so despised and trampled on by every body. God's people are as worms, in humble thoughts of themselves, and in their enemies' haughty thoughts of them; worms, but not vipers, not of the serpent's seed. Every part of God's word is calculated to humble man's pride, and to make him appear little in his own eyes. The Lord will help them, for he is their Redeemer. The Lord will make Jacob to become a threshing instrument. God will make him fit for use, new, and having sharp spikes. This has fulfilment in the triumphs of the gospel of Christ, and of all faithful followers of Christ, over the power of darkness. God has provided comforts to supply all their wants, and to answer all their prayers. Our way to heaven lies through the wilderness of this world. The soul of man is in want, and seeks for satisfaction; but becomes weary of seeking that in the world, which is not to be had in it. Yet they shall have a constant supply, where one would least expect it. I will open rivers of grace, rivers of living water, which Christ spake of the Spirit, ( john 7:38 john 7:39 ) . When God sets up his church in the Gentile wilderness, there shall be a great change, as if thorns and briers were turned into cedars, and fir-trees, and myrtles. These blessings are kept for the poor in spirit, who long for Divine enlightening, pardon, and holiness. And God will render their barren souls fruitful in the grace of his Spirit, that all who behold may consider it.

Verses 21-29 There needs no more to show the folly of sin, than to bring to notice the reasons given in defence of it. There is nothing in idols worthy of regard. They are less than nothing, and worse than nothing. Let the advocates of other doctrines than that of salvation through Christ, bring their arguments. Can they tell of a cure for human depravity? Jehovah has power which cannot be withstood; this he will make appear. But the certain knowledge of the future must be only with Jehovah, who fulfils his own plans. All prophecies, except those of the Bible, have been uncertain. In the work of redemption the Lord showed himself much more than in the release of the Jews from Babylon. The good tidings the Lord will send in the gospel, is a mystery hid from ages and generations. A Deliverer is raised up for us, of nobler name and greater power than the deliverer of the captive Jews. May we be numbered among his obedient servants and faithful friends.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "called"
• [b]. Literally "before his face"
• [c]. Or "gives"
• [d]. Literally "head"
• [e]. Hebrew "help"
• [f]. Literally "refiner"
• [g]. Or "And"
• [h]. Literally "seed"
• [i]. Literally "beloved"
• [j]. Literally "the men of your strife"
• [k]. Or "and"
• [l]. Literally "the men of your strife"
• [m]. Literally "the sayer"
• [n]. Literally "declaration of"
• [o]. Literally "owner of"
• [p]. Literally "give"
• [q]. Or "And"
• [r]. Or "end"
• [s]. Literally "later"
• [t]. Or "and"
• [u]. Or "and"
• [v]. Or "and"
• [w]. Following the reading tradition (Qere); the written text (Kethib) has "fear"
• [x]. Literally "head"
• [y]. Or "and"
• [z]. Literally "from before faces"
• [aa]. Or "and"
• [ab]. Literally "righteous"
• [ac]. Or "And"
• [ad]. Or "and"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 41

This chapter contains a summons to the enemies of Christ to come and try the cause between God and them before him; words of comfort to true believers, promising them help, protection, and provision; full conviction of idolaters, and their practices; and is closed with a promise of some great person, and what he will do unto them, and for the people of God. The summons is in Isa 41:1, expressed according to the forms used in courts of judicature. The issue of the controversy is put upon this foot, the raising up a certain person from the east, who it was that did it, which appearing to be the work of the Lord, proves the point contended about, Isa 41:2-4, the obstinate persistence of idolaters in their idolatry, notwithstanding this is observed, Isa 41:5-7, the people of God, under the names of Jacob and Israel, the objects of God's choice and affection, Isa 41:8,9 are encouraged against the fear of men, with promises of help and strength from the Lord, Isa 41:10,13,14 of confusion to their enemies, and victory over them, Isa 41:11,12,15,16, and of spiritual provisions, and great prosperity in their wilderness state, in which they should manifestly see the hand of the Lord, Isa 41:17-20 when the idolatrous nations are challenged to produce their strong reasons for their idolatry, and are put upon proving that their idols can foretell things to come, or do good or evil to men, or own they are nothing but an abomination, Isa 41:21-24,26 and then one is spoken of that should come as a mighty warrior, and tread down the Pagan princes, and a set of Gospel ministers should be sent, bringing good tidings to Zion, to the silencing of idolaters, and the cessation of idolatrous worship, Isa 41:25,27,28.