Isaiah 41 22

Isaiah 41:22 kjv

Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.

Isaiah 41:22 nkjv

"Let them bring forth and show us what will happen; Let them show the former things, what they were, That we may consider them, And know the latter end of them; Or declare to us things to come.

Isaiah 41:22 niv

"Tell us, you idols, what is going to happen. Tell us what the former things were, so that we may consider them and know their final outcome. Or declare to us the things to come,

Isaiah 41:22 esv

Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come.

Isaiah 41:22 nlt

"Let them try to tell us what happened long ago
so that we may consider the evidence.
Or let them tell us what the future holds,
so we can know what's going to happen.

Isaiah 41 verses

Isaiah 41 22 Meaning

This verse is a direct challenge from God to the idols worshipped by surrounding nations. God asks them to produce evidence of their predictive power by revealing future events or demonstrating past works. This highlights the absolute uniqueness and sovereignty of God as the Creator and Sustainer of all things, unlike the lifeless, powerless idols. It emphasizes that true revelation and power reside only with Yahweh.

Isaiah 41 22 Context

This verse is part of Isaiah chapters 40-48, which form a section often referred to as the "Book of Comfort" or "Deutero-Isaiah." It directly follows a powerful oracle where God, speaking through Isaiah, challenges the gods of the surrounding nations. Israel had recently experienced or was facing the Babylonian exile, a time when they might have questioned God’s power and faithfulness, potentially looking to Babylonian deities. Isaiah presents God as the sovereign Lord over all creation, the one who truly speaks and acts in history. The immediate context emphasizes God's unmatched power in creation and redemption, setting the stage for His intervention to bring Israel back from exile. This verse, in particular, is a direct confrontation, demanding proof from the false gods.

Isaiah 41 22 Word Analysis

• "Bring your case near":
  • Hebrew: (Bo'u hachi·vu - בֹּ֣אוּ הַגִּישׁ֔וּ) - Literally "Come, bring near."
  • Significance: This is an invitation to a legal proceeding, a courtroom summons. God invites the idols and their worshippers to present their evidence, almost as a legal challenger. It implies a confidence that no real defense or predictive ability can be presented by them.
• "You witnesses":
  • Hebrew: (ed·dheh - עֵ֚דֶּ֣יהָ) - Means "witnesses" or "witness."
  • Significance: God refers to the nations themselves (and by extension, their gods) as "witnesses." This is ironic, as He intends for them to witness His power and then serve as unwilling witnesses against their own gods by their inability to perform. Israel is also called to be His witnesses throughout Isaiah.
• "Argue your case":
  • Hebrew: (yi·ts·rû - יִצָּ֑רוּ) - Derived from a root meaning "to form," "to frame," or "to make sharp." In this context, it means "present your arguments," "make your defense," or "formulate your claims."
  • Significance: Similar to the "case" summons, this reiterates the demand for evidence and rational argument, which the idols cannot provide.
• "Show what will happen":
  • Hebrew: (hu·û me·îr-shew qê-reth ha-zeh ha·wa·leh·tô yee-hû) - This phrase, "Tell us what is to come," combines "tell" or "show" (hu·û) with "future" or "what is to come" (me·îr-shew) and "happen" (ha-wa·leh·tô).
  • Significance: This is the core of the challenge: proof of predictive prophecy. False gods claim to know the future. God demands they demonstrate this ability to prove their divinity.
• "Declare the former things, that we may consider, and we may know their end; or declare to us future things.":
  • Hebrew: (wa-t’ed·de·nû hu·û thə’û·lu•n•ô wa-te·ye·dû ah·reh·shen-qen yî·de•n•u qû•rə-ta yî•n•â.) - This clause is rich. "Declare the former things" (wa-t’ed·de·nû hu·û) means "make known the past events." "that we may consider" (thə’û·lu•n•ô) implies "reflect upon" or "understand." "and we may know their end" (wa-te·ye·dû ah·reh·shen-qen) means "comprehend their outcome." The parallel challenge is "or declare to us future things" (yî·de•n•u qû•rə-ta yî•n•â).
  • Significance: God asks for two types of evidence: (1) the ability to recall and interpret past events accurately, proving knowledge of history and its underlying causes, and (2) the ability to predict future events. The ultimate aim is to know the result or outcome (end) of these past or future declarations, which would prove divine insight.

Isaiah 41 22 Bonus Section

The concept of divine sovereignty over history and predictive knowledge is central to Isaiah. The call for the nations to "bring their case near" and "show what will happen" echoes earlier passages in Isaiah where God reveals Himself as the "first and the last" (Isaiah 44:6, 48:12) and the one who "declares the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 46:10). The inability of idols to do this serves as a profound indictment of paganism. This prophetic challenge sets the stage for the unfolding salvation history that God alone initiates and brings to completion, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is described as the one who "knows all things" and on whom "all the promises of God are yes and amen" (John 16:30, 2 Cor 1:20).

Isaiah 41 22 Commentary

This verse presents a theological courtroom drama. God challenges the impotent deities of the pagan world to come forth and present their "case." They are invited to demonstrate their divinity through two means: foretelling the future or explaining the past and its ultimate trajectory. The underlying message is that the idols' silence and inability to offer such proofs condemn them. They have no history of prophetic utterance and no future revelation to offer. This contrasts starkly with Yahweh, who has revealed His plans throughout history, from creation to redemption, and continuously declares what is to come through His prophets. The focus is on absolute verification through foreknowledge and control of events, a domain exclusive to the one true God. It is a call to discernment, urging people to distinguish between the living God who orchestrates all, and the dead, mute images that represent nothing.