Isaiah 41:16

16 You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away. But you will rejoice in the LORD and glory in the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 41:16 in Other Translations

KJV
16 Thou 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.
ESV
16 you shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the LORD; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.
NLT
16 You will toss them into the air, and the wind will blow them all away; a whirlwind will scatter them. Then you will rejoice in the LORD . You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
MSG
16 You'll open the rough ground to the weather, to the blasts of sun and wind and rain. But you'll be confident and exuberant, expansive in The Holy of Israel!
CSB
16 You will winnow them and a wind will carry them away, and a gale will scatter them. But you will rejoice in the Lord; you will boast in the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 41:16 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 41:16

Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away,
and the whirlwind shall scatter them
In illusion to the custom of the Jews, who had their threshingfloors on the tops of hills and mountains, where they took the opportunity and advantage of the wind in winnowing their corn, which fanned it, and carried away the chaff, and scattered it abroad; in like manner, it is suggested, the enemies of the church and people of God should be dealt with, which are like the chaff the wind driveth away, and is found no more, ( Psalms 1:5 ) , and so Rome Pagan was no more as such when subdued by Constantine, nor will the Papal antichristian states, ( Daniel 2:35 ) . Compare with this what is said of literal Babylon, which will have its accomplishment in mystical Babylon, ( Jeremiah 51:33 ) : and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord:
the Targum is,

``in the word of the Lord;''
and so it paraphrases the preceding clause,
``his word shall scatter them as the whirlwind chaff;''
and therefore in him the saints shall rejoice, because it is he that destroys their enemies; so when Rome Pagan was abolished, and the devil and his angels, or the Heathen emperors, were drove out of it and destroyed, there was great joy among the people of God, saying, "now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ", ( Revelation 12:10 ) ( Revelation 19:1 Revelation 19:2 ) there will be great rejoicing in the Lord likewise when Rome Papal falls, and the saints have got the victory over the beast, ( Revelation 15:2 Revelation 15:3 ) ( 18:20 ) ( Revelation 19:1 Revelation 19:2 ) and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel;
whose arm alone has done the above things, and to whom the glory is to be given: it is the true character of believers to rejoice in Christ, in his person, offices, and grace, and to glory in his being made unto them wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. ( Philippians 3:3 ) ( 1 Corinthians 1:30 1 Corinthians 1:31 ) .

Isaiah 41:16 In-Context

14 Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,” declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
15 “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.
16 You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away. But you will rejoice in the LORD and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17 “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
18 I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.

Cross References 6

  • 1. Jeremiah 15:7; Jeremiah 51:2
  • 2. Isaiah 40:24
  • 3. Daniel 2:35
  • 4. S Isaiah 25:9
  • 5. Isaiah 45:25; Isaiah 60:19
  • 6. S ver 14; S Mark 1:24
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