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 |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 41:23 | Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods. | God challenges idols to predict future. |
| Isa 44:7 | And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. | God alone declares future events from antiquity. |
| Isa 45:21 | ...Who hath declared this from ancient time? hath not I the LORD? | God challenges who has declared the past and future like Him. |
| Isa 48:3,5 | I have declared the former things from the beginning... before it came to pass I shewed it thee. | God's specific claims of foretelling the future. |
| Isa 43:26 | Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified. | Direct parallel inviting a legal defense from His opponents. |
| Jer 10:10-11 | But the LORD is the true God... the gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish... | Contrast between the true God and perishing idols. |
| Ps 115:4-8 | Their idols are silver and gold... they have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not... | Direct critique of the inert nature of idols. |
| Deu 32:39 | See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me. | God's unique singularity as the only God. |
| 1 Ki 18:27-29 | Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud... they cried aloud, and cut themselves, after their manner: but there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. | A practical demonstration of idols' inability to respond. |
| Ps 96:5 | For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. | Emphasizes Creator vs. creation as the distinguishing factor. |
| Rom 1:22-23 | Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image... | New Testament perspective on the folly of idolatry. |
| 1 Cor 8:4-6 | As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. | Affirmation of idols' non-existence in NT. |
| Isa 40:18,25 | To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? ...To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. | Repeated challenge to find an equal to God. |
| Isa 46:9-10 | Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done... | God's specific claim of declaring the future. |
| Dan 4:34-35 | ...His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation... And he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth... | God's absolute sovereignty and reign. |
| Ps 103:19 | The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. | God as the ultimate King and ruler. |
| Act 17:29 | Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. | Rejecting material representations of God in NT. |
| Mal 3:13 | Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? | God challenges human opposition to justify itself. |
| Job 13:3 | Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God. | Job's desire to present his case to God (an inverse). |
| Ps 50:7 | Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God. | God calls His people to a judicial confrontation. |
| Isa 1:18 | Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD... | God inviting reasoned discourse, albeit in a different context. |
Isaiah 41 verses
Isaiah 41 21 Meaning
Isaiah 41:21 is a powerful divine challenge set in a courtroom context, where the Lord invites the pagan gods and their proponents to present their arguments and "strong reasons" in defense of their supposed power and deity. It is a direct polemic from God, addressing those who trust in idols, commanding them to come forward and demonstrate any capacity for action or prediction of the future, thereby contrasting their impotence with the Lord's unique sovereignty, foresight, and absolute control over history. The verse emphasizes that the God of Israel alone possesses the authority and ability to declare future events and execute His will, cementing His unparalleled status as the only true God.
Isaiah 41 21 Context
Isaiah chapter 41 is situated within the "Book of Consolation" (chapters 40-55) of Isaiah, addressed primarily to the people of Israel facing or enduring the Babylonian exile. The overall message is one of comfort, hope, and restoration, founded upon the unique power and faithfulness of Yahweh. The historical context is crucial: the Israelites were captives in Babylon, surrounded by polytheistic cultures that worshipped various national and cosmic deities, often identified with heavenly bodies or idols.
In this chapter, God calls the nations and their gods to a cosmic court, initiating a legal dispute (a rib) to establish His sole claim as the true and sovereign God. He demonstrates His power by announcing future events—specifically the rise of Cyrus, the Persian king, who would enable Israel's return from exile—and fulfilling them (Isa 41:2, 25-27). This ability to foretell and enact future history is presented as the decisive proof of deity. Verse 21 functions as a central challenge within this legal argument, urging the idol-gods to present any evidence of their power or foreknowledge, underscoring their utter inability to respond. It's a profound polemic against the impotence of idolatry, aimed at strengthening the faith of the exiled Israelites by showing the incomparability of their God.
Isaiah 41 21 Word analysis
- Produce (קרבו - qarevu): This is a plural imperative verb, meaning "come near," "draw near," "present yourselves." It suggests a summons, an authoritative call for adversaries to step forward and enter a judicial hearing. In the context, it emphasizes the confrontational, legal setting where God demands His challengers appear.
- your cause (ריבכם - rivchem): This noun means "strife," "controversy," "dispute," or "legal case." It further clarifies the forensic setting, indicating that God is calling for an actual legal argument or a point of contention to be put forward. It's an invitation to debate in the divine court.
- saith the Lord (יאמר יהוה - yōʾmer YHWH): This declaration marks the speaker as Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. It emphasizes divine authority and reliability, rooting the challenge in the supreme, sovereign entity, YHWH—the immutable, self-existent God whose word is absolute truth and power.
- bring forth (הגישו - haggīšū): Another plural imperative, meaning "bring near," "present," "offer." It reinforces the first command, acting as a direct synonym to "produce." The repetition intensifies the demand for their best evidence.
- your strong reasons (עצמותיכם - ʿaṣmôtêchem): This phrase uses a plural noun derived from ʿeṣem (bone/substance), often signifying "strength" or "might." Here it refers to "your strong arguments," "your mighty proofs," "your most compelling evidence," or "your weighty contentions." God demands their most robust and unassailable evidence to support their claim to deity or power.
- saith the King of Jacob (יאמר מלך יעקב - yōʾmer Melek Yaʿaqov): This divine title reinforces God's sovereignty but also His specific relationship and commitment to Israel ("Jacob"). As "King," He holds ultimate authority and exercises judgment over His people and the nations. This title assures the exiles of their God's active, reigning presence and concern for them, contrasting it with the absent or impotent "gods" of other nations.
Word Group Analysis:
- "Produce your cause... bring forth your strong reasons": This dual imperative structure highlights the serious, formal, and insistent nature of God's challenge. It's a legal double-demand, not a casual invitation. God is not simply asking for an explanation; He is commanding His opponents to marshal their most convincing arguments and present them in a definitive trial, emphasizing the high stakes and the rigorous standard of proof required.
Isaiah 41 21 Bonus section
The repeated imperative, first "Produce" then "bring forth," functions as an emphatic double command, stripping the adversaries of any excuse for inaction. It demonstrates that the silence of idols is not due to oversight or a lack of opportunity, but fundamental incapacity. This challenge is unique because God is not merely declaring His superiority but inviting the 'other side' to articulate their own case, knowing they cannot. The phrase "strong reasons" (עצמותיכם) suggests an expectation of substantive, convincing proof, directly targeting any intellectual or theological justification for idolatry prevalent in the ancient Near East, such as those related to omens or astrology, which were primitive attempts at forecasting. However, such 'reasons' utterly fail in comparison to God's precise and pre-announced control of history. The verse sets the stage for the rest of the chapter, where the silence of the idols (v. 24) starkly contrasts with God's clear declaration of the future (vv. 25-27).
Isaiah 41 21 Commentary
Isaiah 41:21 is the climax of God's opening challenge to the idolatrous nations, serving as a pivotal point in the divine lawsuit. It's a bold and ironic dare. God, in His ultimate sovereignty, initiates a courtroom scenario, demanding that the false gods and their adherents present any "cause" or "strong reasons" that validate their existence, power, or claims. This challenge inherently assumes their incapacity; the very act of summoning them to produce evidence highlights their impotence and silence, especially regarding the declaration of future events. Unlike human courts where a plea of "no evidence" or "no case" might result in a dismissal, here the absence of a response confirms their non-existence or absolute lack of divine attribute. The dual titles, "the Lord" (Yahweh) and "the King of Jacob," underscore His universal, personal, and covenantal authority, assuring His people that their God is actively in charge, powerfully present, and intimately involved in their history, unlike the speechless, immobile idols. Practically, it encourages believers to ground their faith in the demonstrable truth of God's foreknowledge and sovereign acts in history, rather than fleeting earthly powers or ideologies.