Isaiah 41 2

Isaiah 41:2 kjv

Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.

Isaiah 41:2 nkjv

"Who raised up one from the east? Who in righteousness called him to His feet? Who gave the nations before him, And made him rule over kings? Who gave them as the dust to his sword, As driven stubble to his bow?

Isaiah 41:2 niv

"Who has stirred up one from the east, calling him in righteousness to his service? He hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him. He turns them to dust with his sword, to windblown chaff with his bow.

Isaiah 41:2 esv

Who stirred up one from the east whom victory meets at every step? He gives up nations before him, so that he tramples kings underfoot; he makes them like dust with his sword, like driven stubble with his bow.

Isaiah 41:2 nlt

"Who has stirred up this king from the east,
rightly calling him to God's service?
Who gives this man victory over many nations
and permits him to trample their kings underfoot?
With his sword, he reduces armies to dust.
With his bow, he scatters them like chaff before the wind.

Isaiah 41 verses

Isaiah 41 2 Meaning

Isaiah 41:2 describes the Almighty God initiating and directing the rise of a powerful figure from the east. This figure is called by God's purpose, enabling him to conquer nations and rule over kings with decisive and overwhelming ease, likening his adversaries to dust before his sword and stubble before his bow. It underscores God's sovereignty over history and human rulers, predetermining events and using human instruments to fulfill His divine plan, often for the deliverance of His people.

Isaiah 41 2 Context

Isaiah 41 is part of a larger section (chapters 40-48) where God directly addresses His people in Babylonian exile, offering comfort, hope, and promises of restoration. These chapters strongly emphasize God's unique power, knowledge, and sovereignty as the only true God, directly contrasting Him with the impotent idols of other nations. Verse 2 specifically challenges these idols and pagan beliefs by demonstrating God's foreknowledge and active control over historical events, specifically His raising up of a powerful figure (identified as Cyrus in later chapters, 44:28-45:1) to conquer Babylon and facilitate Israel's return. The immediate context is a disputation or trial scene where God challenges nations and their idols to predict or explain the unfolding history, which only He can do.

Isaiah 41 2 Word analysis

• Who raised up: Hebrew: מִי הֵעִיר (mî hêʿîr). The rhetorical question highlights God's exclusive initiative. הֵעִיר (he'ir) implies stirring up, arousing, or awakening—suggesting a divine impulse.
• one from the east: Hebrew: מִמִּזְרָח (mimmiẓrāḥ). Lit. "from the sunrise." This points to the geographical origin of the conqueror. Historically, it refers to Cyrus the Great, whose Persian Empire rose from the east of Babylon and Judah. It also metaphorically suggests the dawning of God's new plan or the unexpected nature of a deliverer.
• Who called him: Hebrew: יִקְרָאֵהוּ (yiqrāʾēhū). Signifies a divine summons, a specific selection by God, giving authority and purpose to the chosen figure. It emphasizes a sovereign appointment.
• to his foot: Hebrew: לְרַגְלוֹ (leraglō). Can mean "at his steps," "in his wake," or "for his purposes/obedience." It indicates that this conqueror's actions, movements, and objectives are aligned with and subservient to God's will. It denotes complete submission to God's direction.
• He gives nations before him: God sovereignly hands over kingdoms and peoples to the chosen instrument. It suggests an effortless victory because God Himself is granting the power and opportunity.
• makes him rule over kings: Demonstrates the divine authority bestowed upon the chosen figure, granting him supremacy even over established monarchs. This isn't human ambition but divine mandate.
• he gives them as dust to his sword: Metaphorical imagery. Adversaries are made as light and insubstantial as dust, easily dispersed and defeated. It emphasizes their powerlessness and the conqueror's divinely-aided destructive force.
• as driven stubble to his bow: Another vivid metaphor. Stubble (dried stalks after harvest) is worthless and easily scattered by wind. Enemies are treated like defenseless, discarded refuse, effortlessly swept away by the force of the bow, highlighting the swift and comprehensive nature of their defeat.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Who raised up one from the east? Who called him to his foot?": These rhetorical questions powerfully assert God's absolute sovereignty and foreknowledge over historical events and individuals. Only Yahweh can predict and execute such a plan, directly challenging the claims of impotent idols.
• "He gives nations before him, and makes him rule over kings": This phrase details the outcome of God's anointing—unstoppable conquest and dominion. It highlights divine enablement as the source of success, not the individual's strength alone.
• "he gives them as dust to his sword, as driven stubble to his bow": This vivid parallel imagery communicates total, swift, and effortless victory. The enemies are insignificant and defenseless against the divinely empowered force, their defeat is assured and complete, leaving no room for resistance.

Isaiah 41 2 Bonus section

The Hebrew word for "east," mizraḥ, is literally "sunrise." This imagery of the sunrise could carry a symbolic double meaning beyond geographical location: the unexpected appearance of a new power on the horizon, or the dawning of God's new redemptive activity in the world for His people. The "calling to his foot" is more intimate than just 'summoning.' It suggests bringing someone into subservience or directing their very steps. This conqueror is not acting independently, but as an obedient, if unwitting, agent of the Divine. The entire chapter, and indeed much of Isaiah 40-48, constitutes a Gerichtsprozess (trial or legal dispute) between Yahweh and the pagan deities, where God uses His predictive prophecy and the fulfillment of these prophecies (like the raising of Cyrus) as undeniable evidence of His unique deity.

Isaiah 41 2 Commentary

Isaiah 41:2 is a profound declaration of God's active involvement in human history and His unmatched power over the fate of nations. Through rhetorical questions, God contrasts His divine orchestrations with the utter incapacity of pagan idols to foresee or influence events. The "one from the east," historically recognized as Cyrus the Great, serves as a powerful testament to God's specific prophecies and sovereign control, even over those who do not know Him. God "calls him to His foot," implying that even this mighty conqueror's actions are meticulously directed by God's overarching purpose. The metaphors of enemies as "dust" and "stubble" emphasize the ease with which God, through His chosen instrument, can bring down seemingly formidable powers, underscoring the futility of opposing His will. This verse serves as both a comfort to the exiled Israelites—assuring them God is at work for their deliverance—and a warning to the nations that human power is ultimately subservient to divine decree. It teaches that all earthly authority operates under God's ultimate authority, an authority exercised perfectly according to His divine wisdom and eternal plan, which ultimately culminates in the supreme dominion of Christ.