Isaiah 41:1
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 in other translations
| BSB | “Be silent before Me, O islands, and let the peoples renew their strength. Let them come forward and testify; let us together draw near for judgment. |
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| WEB | “Keep silent before me, islands, and let the peoples renew their strength. Let them come near, then let them speak. Let’s meet together for judgment. |
| ASV | Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the peoples renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak; let us come near together to judgment. |
| YLT | Keep silent towards Me, O isles, And the peoples pass on to power, They come nigh, then they speak, ‘Together--to judgment we draw near.' |
| DARBY | Keep silence before me, islands; and let the peoples renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us draw near together to judgment. |
| BBE | Come quietly before me, O sea-lands, and let the peoples get together their strength: let them come near; then let them say what they have to say: let us put forward our cause against one another. |
| Webster | Keep silence before me, O isles; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment. |
What does Isaiah 41:1 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Is 41:1-29. Additional Reasons Why the Jews Should Place Confidence in God's Promises of Delivering Them; He Will Raise Up a Prince as Their Deliverer, Whereas the Idols Could Not Deliver the Heathen Nations from That Prince.
1. (Zec 2:13). God is about to argue the case; therefore let the nations listen in reverential silence. Compare Ge 28:16, 17, as to the spirit in which we ought to behave before God. before me--rather (turning), "towards me" [Maurer]. islands--including all regions beyond sea (Jr 25:22), maritime regions, not merely isles in the strict sense. renew ... strength--Let them gather their strength for the argument; let them adduce their strongest arguments (compare Is 1:18; Job 9:32). "Judgment" means here, to decide the point at issue between us.Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Introduction
The prophet, having intimated the deliverance from Babylon, and the still greater redemption couched under it, resumes the subject. He begins with the Divine vocation of Abraham, the root of the Israelitish family, and his successful exploits against the idolaters, Isa 41:1-7. He then recurs to the Babylonish captivity, and encourages the seed of Abraham, the friend of God, not to fear, as all their enemies would be ultimately subdued under them, Isa 41:8-16; and every thing furnished necessary to refresh and comfort them in them passage homewards through the desert, Isa 41:17-20. The prophet then takes occasion to celebrate the prescience of God, from his knowledge of events so very distant as instanced in the prediction concerning the messenger of glad tidings which should be given to Jerusalem to deliver her from all her enemies; and challenges the idols of the heathen to produce the like proof of their pretended divinity, Isa 41:21-27. But they are all vanity, and accursed are they that choose them, Isa 41:28, Isa 41:29. Verse 1 Keep silence before me, O islands "Let the distant nations repair to me with new force of mind" - Εγκαινιζεσθε, Septuagint. For החרישו hacharishu, be silent, they certainly read in their copy החדישו hachadishu, be renewed; which is parallel and synonymous with יחלפו כח yechalephu coach, "recover their strength;" that is, their strength of mind, their powers of reason; that they may overcome those prejudices by which they have been so long held enslaved to idolatry. A MS. has הר har, upon a rasure. The same mistake seems to have been made in this word, Zep 3:17. For יחריש באהבתו yacharish beahabatho, silebit in directions sua, as the Vulgate renders it; which seems not consistent with what immediately follows, exultabit super te in laude; the Septuagint and Syriac read יחדיש באהבתו yachadish beahabatho, "he shall be renewed in his love." אלי elai, to me, is wanting in one of De Rossi's MSS. and in the Syriac.Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 41:1-9
Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain
Isaiah 41:1 in the original Hebrew
Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.
Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for Isaiah 41:1
- Isaiah 1:18
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
- Habakkuk 2:20
But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.
- Zechariah 2:13
Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.
- Psalms 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
- Isaiah 41:6-7
They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage. So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
- Isaiah 11:11
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
- Isaiah 34:1
Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.
- Job 40:7-10
Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him? Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.
- Joel 3:10-11
Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord.
- Job 38:3
Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
- Isaiah 8:9-10
Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.
- Isaiah 49:1
Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
10 about his promises;
21 and about the vanity of idols.
silence.
49:1; Ps 46:10; Hab 2:20; Zec 2:13
let the people.
6,7,21,22; 8:9,10; Job 38:3; 40:7; Joe 3:10,11
let us.
1:18; Job 23:3-7; 31:35,36; 40:8-10; Mic 6:1-3
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- Isaiah 41:1
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 41:2
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 41:1 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | ESCUCHADME, islas, y esfuércense los pueblos; alléguense, y entonces hablen: estemos juntamente á juicio. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Faites silence devant moi, îles; et que les peuples renouvellent leur force! Qu’ils s’approchent;… alors, qu’ils parlent! Approchons ensemble en jugement! |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Wendet euch schweigend zu mir, ihr Inseln; und die Völkerschaften mögen neue Kraft gewinnen; sie mögen herannahen, dann mögen sie reden; laßt uns miteinander vor Gericht treten! |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Taceant ad me insulæ, et gentes mutent fortitudinem: accedant, et tunc loquantur; simul ad judicium propinquemus. |