Isaiah 41:12

12 Thou shalt seek them, and thou shalt not find thy rebel men; they shall be as if they be not, and as the wasting of a man fighting against thee.

Isaiah 41:12 Meaning and Commentary

Ver. 12 Thou shall seek them, and shalt not find them
They not existing, or being fled into holes and corners, to rocks and mountains, to hide themselves from the wrath of the Lamb, ( Revelation 6:15-17 ) : even them that contended with thee;
or, "the men of thy contention" {p}; who contended with them, not by words and arguments, but by severe persecutions, striving thereby to hinder the progress of the Gospel, and to root Christianity out of the world: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of
nought:
or, "the men of thy war" ^F17; that proclaimed and carried on war against the Christians, in order to destroy them utterly; yet they, and all their efforts, came to nothing, the Gospel prevailed, and Paganism was utterly abolished; which came to pass in Constantine's time, at the opening of the sixth seal, ( Revelation 6:12-14 ) which is a proper comment on this text.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 (Kytum yvna) "viros jurgii tui", Montanus.
F17 (Ktmxlm yvna) "viri belli tui", Vatablus; "pugnae tuae", Montanus.

Isaiah 41:12 In-Context

10 Dread thou not, for I am with thee; bow thou not away, for I am thy God. I comforted thee, and helped thee; and the right hand of my just man uptook thee. (Fear thou not, for I am with thee; turn thou not away, for I am thy God. I shall strengthen thee, and I shall help thee, and I shall uphold thee with my just right hand.)

11 Lo! all men shall be shamed, and shall be ashamed, that fight against thee; they shall be as if they be not, and men shall perish, that against-say thee. (Lo! all people shall be shamed, and shall be ashamed, who say against thee; and those who fight against thee shall perish, they shall be as if they be not.)

12 Thou shalt seek them, and thou shalt not find thy rebel men; they shall be as if they be not, and as the wasting of a man fighting against thee.

13 For I am thy Lord God, taking thine hand, and saying to thee, Dread thou not, I helped thee. (For I am the Lord thy God, who taketh thy hand, and saith to thee, Fear thou not, I shall help thee.)

14 Do not thou, worm of Jacob, dread, ye that be (the) dead of Israel. I helped thee, saith the Lord, and thine again-buyer, the Holy of Israel. (Do not thou fear, O worm of Jacob, and ye louse of Israel. I shall help thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.)