Isaiah 41 · Verse 21

Isaiah 41:21

Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
Isaiah 41:21, King James Version

Isaiah 41:21 in other translations

BSB“Present your case,” says the LORD. “Submit your arguments,” says the King of Jacob.
WEBProduce your cause,” says the LORD. “Bring out your strong reasons!” says the King of Jacob.
ASVProduce your cause, saith Jehovah; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
YLTBring near your cause, saith Jehovah, Bring nigh your mighty ones, saith the king of Jacob.
DARBYProduce your cause, saith Jehovah; bring forward your arguments, saith the King of Jacob.
BBEPut forward your cause, says the Lord; let your strong argument come out, says the King of Jacob.
WebsterProduce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.

What does Isaiah 41:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
21. A new challenge to the idolaters (see Is 41:1, 7) to say, can their idols predict future events as Jehovah can (Is 41:22-25, &c.)? your strong reasons--the reasons for idol-worship which you think especially strong.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 Bring forth your strong reasons "Produce these your mighty powers" - "Let your idols come forward which you consider to be so very strong. "Hieron. in loc. I prefer this to all other interpretations of this place; and to Jerome's own translation of it, which he adds immediately after, Afferte, si quid forte habetis. "Bring it forward, if haply ye have any thing." The false gods are called upon to come forth and appear in person; and to give evident demonstration of their foreknowledge and power by foretelling future events, and exerting their power in doing good or evil.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 41:21-29
There needs no more to show the folly of sin, than to bring to notice the reasons given in defence of it. There is nothing in idols worthy of regard. They are less than nothing, and worse than nothing. Let the advocates of other doctrines than that of salvation through Christ, bring their arguments. Can they tell of a cure for human depravity? Jehovah has power which cannot be withstood; this he will make appear. But the certain knowledge of the future must be only with Jehovah, who fulfils his own plans. All prophecies, except those of the Bible, have been uncertain. In the work of redemption the Lord showed himself much more than in the release of the Jews from Babylon. The good tidings the Lord will send in the gospel, is a mystery hid from ages and generations. A Deliverer is raised up for us, of nobler name and greater power than the deliverer of the captive Jews. May we be numbered among his obedient servants and faithful friends.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Isaiah 41:21 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.

קָרְב֥וּka.re.Vubring nearH7126
רִֽיבְכֶ֖םriv.Khemcase yourH7379
יֹאמַ֣רyo.Marhe saysH559
יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068
הַגִּ֙ישׁוּ֙ha.Gi.shubring nearH5066
עֲצֻמ֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔םa.tzu.Mo.tei.Khemarguments yourH6110
יֹאמַ֖רyo.Marhe saysH559
מֶ֥לֶךְMe.lekh[the] king ofH4428
יַעֲקֹֽב\׃ya.'a.KoJacobH3290

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 41:21

  • Job 23:3-4

    Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat! I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

  • Job 38:3

    Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

  • Micah 6:1-2

    Hear ye now what the Lord saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord’s controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Produce. Heb. Cause to come near.
Job 23:3,4; 31:37; 38:3; 40:7-9; Mic 6:1,2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 41:20

    That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

  • Isaiah 41:21

    Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.

  • Isaiah 41:22

    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.

Read all of Isaiah 41

Isaiah 41:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Alegad por vuestra causa, dice Jehová: exhibid vuestros fundamentos, dice el Rey de Jacob.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Produisez votre cause, dit l’ Éternel; apportez ici vos arguments, dit le roi de Jacob.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Bringet eure Rechtssache vor, spricht Jehova; bringet eure Beweisgründe herbei, spricht der König Jakobs.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Prope facite judicium vestrum, dicit Dominus; Afferte, si quid forte habetis, dicit rex Jacob.