Isaiah 41:1 kjv
Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.
Isaiah 41:1 nkjv
"Keep silence before Me, O coastlands, And let the people renew their strength! Let them come near, then let them speak; Let us come near together for judgment.
Isaiah 41:1 niv
"Be silent before me, you islands! Let the nations renew their strength! Let them come forward and speak; let us meet together at the place of judgment.
Isaiah 41:1 esv
Listen to me in silence, O coastlands; let the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak; let us together draw near for judgment.
Isaiah 41:1 nlt
"Listen in silence before me, you lands beyond the sea.
Bring your strongest arguments.
Come now and speak.
The court is ready for your case.
Isaiah 41 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 41:1 | "Let the nations gather together; let the peoples assemble. Who among them declared this?" | God's summons to nations |
| Isaiah 40:15 | "Indeed, nations are as a drop of a bucket..." | God's dominion over nations |
| Isaiah 43:9 | "Let the nations be summoned. Present their case..." | Repetition of the theme |
| Isaiah 43:10 | "You are My witnesses," declares the LORD... | Israel as witnesses |
| Isaiah 44:7 | "Who is like Me? Let him proclaim it..." | God's uniqueness |
| Isaiah 45:20 | "Assemble yourselves and come..." | Nations called to judgment |
| Isaiah 49:12 | "See, these shall come from afar..." | Nations returning to God |
| Jeremiah 10:7 | "Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?" | God as King of nations |
| Jeremiah 16:19 | "O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in the day of trouble, to You the nations shall come..." | Nations coming to God |
| Matthew 25:32 | "Before Him all nations will be gathered..." | Final judgment |
| Revelation 15:4 | "Who will not fear You, Lord, and glorify Your name?" | Nations fearing God |
| Acts 17:31 | "He has set a day when He will judge the world..." | Universal judgment |
| Revelation 20:12 | "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne..." | Judgment of the dead |
| Psalm 82:8 | "Arise, O God, judge the earth, for to You belong all the nations!" | God as judge of nations |
| Psalm 96:10 | "He rules the peoples justly." | God's just rule |
| Psalm 67:4 | "May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You judge the peoples with equity..." | God's just judgment |
| Zechariah 14:16 | "Then the survivors of all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty..." | Nations worshiping God |
| John 3:17 | "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." | God's plan for salvation |
| Romans 3:19 | "...so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God." | Accountability of the world |
| Revelation 11:15 | "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ..." | God's eternal kingdom |
| 1 Timothy 2:4 | "...who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." | God's universal desire |
| 2 Peter 3:9 | "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." | God's patience and desire for repentance |
Isaiah 41 verses
Isaiah 41 1 Meaning
The verse speaks of nations being summoned to appear before God's presence. They are to present their arguments or proofs, which suggests a judicial proceeding where God is the judge and all nations are defendants or participants. It implies God's sovereignty over all peoples and His intention to vindicate His people.
Isaiah 41 1 Context
Chapter 41 of Isaiah marks a shift in the prophecy, moving from the comforting pronouncements about Israel's restoration (chapters 40-39) to a more confrontational tone directed at the nations and addressing Israel's future deliverance through a powerful deliverer, identified as Cyrus. This verse, the beginning of chapter 41, sets the stage for a divine tribunal. God is calling all the nations to appear before Him, to present their cases and perhaps their idols, in anticipation of His decisive actions on behalf of Israel. This rhetorical strategy highlights God's absolute sovereignty and the futility of idol worship or opposition from Gentile powers. The historical context is the impending rise of the Babylonian empire and the eventual decree of Cyrus the Great to allow the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem.
Isaiah 41 1 Word analysis
Shi"mū (שִׁימ֧וּ): Imperative plural form of the verb šūm (שׂוּם), meaning "put," "place," "set," or "consider." Here it carries the sense of "gather" or "come forward."
"AMMīm (עַמִּּים): Plural of ʿam (עָם), meaning "people" or "nation." It refers to the various Gentile nations.
yit-yákh-dū (יִתְיַּצְּבוּ): Third person plural, future tense of the verb yaṯaḇ (יָצַב), meaning "stand," "station oneself," or "present oneself." It implies a formal assembly or presentation.
hāmōṅ“: (הָמ֧וֹן): Can mean "multitude," "din," or "throng." In this context, it is used with ʿam, emphasizing a large assembly of peoples, a massive gathering.
yā-kheh“aḏ: (יֶּחֱרַג): Third person masculine singular, future tense of the verb ḵāraḡ (חָרַג), meaning "to leap," "to stride," or "to boast." Here, it questions who among the nations can "make good the prediction" or "bring it to pass."
qā-ri” (קָרָא): Qal infinitive construct of qārā' (קָרָא), meaning "to call," "to announce," or "to summon." Refers to the declaration of events.
mē-ri”-shōṅ (מֵרִאשׁ֑וֹן): "From the first," "from the beginning." It points to past declarations or prophecies.
lē-Hag-GID”: (לְהַגִּ֣יד): Piel infinitive construct of naḡaḏ (נַגַּד), meaning "to tell," "to declare," or "to report."
ye-dā“ōth“: (יְדָע֑וֹת): Plural of yəḏū‘ā (יְדִיעָה), meaning "tidings," "news," or "announcements." Here it signifies things that have been announced or foretold.
Groups of words analysis:
- "Let the nations gather together; let the peoples assemble": This is a strong imperative calling for a grand, unified assembly of all nations before God.
- "Who among them declared this?": This is a rhetorical question challenging the nations and their gods to demonstrate foresight and power by having predicted what God is about to do.
- "and tell us things to come": This refers to prophetic foresight and the ability to reveal future events.
Isaiah 41 1 Bonus section
The imagery of a divine tribunal, with nations summoned to present their cases, is a recurring motif in Isaiah. It emphasizes God's sovereignty and righteousness in His dealings with both His people and the wider world. This passage strongly refutes polytheism, where various gods would have their own spheres of influence. Instead, Isaiah presents Yahweh as the one true God over all nations, who can not only predict but also bring about historical events according to His divine plan. The "declarations" or "tidings" mentioned in the verse point to the nature of prophecy itself—a divine unveiling of future events.
Isaiah 41 1 Commentary
This verse initiates a divine courtroom drama. God commands all the nations to convene, presenting themselves and their claims before Him. The challenge is directed towards their false gods and their supporters: who among them has ever truly foretold future events, proving their divine nature and power? Isaiah uses this rhetorical device to showcase the unique prophetic ability of the one true God, contrasting Him with the mute, impotent idols of the surrounding nations. This sets the stage for God to declare His power and purpose in raising up Cyrus, the human instrument of Israel’s liberation. It is a declaration of God's ultimate authority and His commitment to His covenant people, demonstrating that His plans are not contingent on human will but are sovereignly executed. The inclusion of nations in this divine council underscores that God's actions impact the entire world.