Isaiah 41:21 kjv
Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
Isaiah 41:21 nkjv
"Present your case," says the LORD. "Bring forth your strong reasons," says the King of Jacob.
Isaiah 41:21 niv
"Present your case," says the LORD. "Set forth your arguments," says Jacob's King.
Isaiah 41:21 esv
Set forth your case, says the LORD; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.
Isaiah 41:21 nlt
"Present the case for your idols,"
says the LORD.
"Let them show what they can do,"
says the King of Israel.
Isaiah 41 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 40:14 | Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD? Or what instructs Him? | Contrasts God's sovereignty |
| Isaiah 41:2, 4 | Who raised up righteousness from the east? Who called it to come to Him? | God's sovereign action in history |
| Isaiah 41:22 | Let them bring them forth and show us what will happen; what were the former things? | Challenge to idols to predict future |
| Isaiah 41:23 | Indeed, you are of no account, and your work is nothing. | Declaration of idols' worthlessness |
| Isaiah 43:9 | Let all the nations gather together, and let the peoples assemble. | God summons nations to witness |
| Isaiah 43:10 | "You are My witnesses," says the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen... | Israel's role as witnesses |
| Isaiah 44:7 | And who is like Me? Let him proclaim it and declare it. | God's unparalleled nature |
| Isaiah 44:8 | ... Is there any god besides Me? Or is there any other rock? There is no other rock. | Monotheistic declaration |
| Isaiah 45:20-21 | Gather yourselves and come; Draw near, you escaped of the nations! | God's invitation to examine His truth |
| Jeremiah 10:11 | Thus you shall say to them: "The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth... | Contempt for idols of nations |
| John 10:30 | "I and My Father are one." | Jesus' divine unity with the Father |
| Acts 4:24 | ... "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and all that is in them." | Apostles' affirmation of God's power |
| Romans 3:4 | Indeed, let God be true, but every man a liar. | God's faithfulness versus human lies |
| Romans 11:33-34 | Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable... | God's wisdom beyond human grasp |
| 1 Corinthians 1:20 | Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? | Futility of human wisdom alone |
| 1 Corinthians 8:4 | ... there is no other God but one. | Affirmation of monotheism |
| Revelation 19:16 | Now on His head are many crowns, and He has inscribed on His robe and on His thigh: | Christ's ultimate authority |
| Revelation 21:6 | ... "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End." | God's eternal sovereignty |
| 1 Peter 1:18-19 | ... with precious blood, of a lamb without blemish and without spot, the blood of Christ. | Redemption through Christ |
| Hebrews 1:3 | ... upholds all things by the word of His power. | Christ's sustaining power |
| Matthew 6:9 | "Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name." | Invoking God's hallowed name |
| Psalm 119:130 | The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. | Divine revelation's illuminating power |
| Job 12:9-10 | Who among all these does not know That the hand of the LORD has done this...? | All creation testifies to God's power |
| Revelation 1:8 | "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord... | God's absolute beginning and end |
Isaiah 41 verses
Isaiah 41 21 Meaning
"Produce your cause," says Yahweh. "Bring your proofs of the things you have done," says Jacob's God. This verse is a challenge issued by God to the nations and their idols, daring them to present any evidence of their divine power or prophetic foresight to prove their claims of divinity or to contradict God's chosen people and His promises.
Isaiah 41 21 Context
This verse appears in Isaiah chapter 41, which is a powerful discourse where God challenges the pagan nations and their idols. The broader context is God demonstrating His unique power and sovereignty. He is asserting His authority as the one true God against the gods of the surrounding nations. These nations, and particularly their gods, had boasted of their power and control over events. God calls them to produce their "cause," their arguments or legal cases, and to bring forth their "proofs" or "evidences" of their alleged divinity and predictive abilities. This challenge is set against the backdrop of Israel's impending deliverance and the return from Babylonian exile, illustrating that only Yahweh, not the idols of Babylon, orchestrated these events. It's a cosmic courtroom drama where God presents irrefutable evidence of His superiority.
Isaiah 41 21 Word Analysis
- "Produce": Hebrew: haviʼu (הָבִיאֻ). This is a plural imperative verb from baʼ (בֹּא) meaning "to bring" or "to come." In this context, it's a strong command, an exhortation to present. It signifies bringing something forth, to show, to exhibit.
- "your cause": Hebrew: riyb (רִיב). This noun refers to a dispute, a quarrel, a lawsuit, or an accusation. God is inviting them to bring their case, their legal argument. It implies they should lay out their reasons and claims.
- "says Yahweh": Hebrew: ʼemaryah Yahweh (אָמַר יַהְוֶה). A straightforward declaration of attribution, emphasizing that the challenge originates from the personal covenantal name of God, the God of Israel.
- "Produce": Hebrew: haviʼu (הָבִיאֻ). Repeated imperative, reinforcing the demand.
- "your proofs": Hebrew: ʼedoth (עֵדוֹת). This is the plural of ʽeduth (עֵדוּת), meaning testimony, witness, evidence, or proof. It refers to tangible evidence or witnesses that would support their claims. This could include prophetic declarations that came true, or displays of divine power.
- "of the things you have done": Hebrew: ʼeth-ma-ʽasya (אֶת־מַעֲשָׂי). Literally "the things of your doing" or "your works." This refers to their actions, their purported deeds of creation, providence, or prophecy that would demonstrate their divine nature.
- "says Jacob's God": Hebrew: ʼemaryah ʼElohey Yaʻaqob (אָמַר אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב). Again, a statement of attribution, using the familial and patriarchal designation of God, referring to the God who has a special relationship with Jacob (and by extension, Israel).
Word Group Analysis
The repeated imperative "Produce" combined with "your cause" and "your proofs" creates a formal, legalistic tone. It's God invoking a juridical setting to adjudicate the claims of idols. The juxtaposition of "Yahweh" and "Jacob's God" highlights God's specific relationship with His people while simultaneously asserting His universal authority. The demand for "proofs of things done" challenges the idols' past actions and prophetic accuracy, areas where they would be found wanting.
Isaiah 41 21 Bonus Section
The structure of this verse is deliberately forensic. It's as if God is opening a court case. The "cause" could also be understood as the "charge" against God or the reasons why people might worship other gods. The "proofs" are expected to be demonstrations of power or foresight, akin to legal evidence. The repeated emphasis on God's name (Yahweh) and His relational title ("Jacob's God") underlines both His supreme authority and His intimate covenant with Israel, positioning Israel as the prime witness in this divine demonstration. This verse finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ, who perfectly represented God's actions and word, and whose resurrection is the ultimate proof of His divine identity and power over death and sin. The prophetic challenge to the idols is met by the salvific work of Jesus.
Isaiah 41 21 Commentary
This verse is a pivotal declaration in Isaiah, a direct challenge to the perceived power and efficacy of pagan deities. God, identifying Himself by His name Yahweh and His relational title "Jacob's God," issues a summons. He demands that the gods of the nations, and by extension the nations themselves, bring forward their arguments and their verifiable evidence. What have these gods actually accomplished that demonstrates their divinity or their power to predict the future? This is an invitation to a cosmic debate, a legal confrontation where God is the prosecuting attorney and the judge. He expects their "proofs" to be conclusive actions or accurate prophecies that substantiate their claims to godhood. The context suggests that their claims will be found entirely baseless, their boasts empty, and their idols utterly powerless to offer any such irrefutable evidence. This serves to highlight Yahweh's singular status as the true Creator and Sovereign Lord, the only one capable of genuinely predicting and enacting future events, and thus the only one worthy of worship.