“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.
Parallel translations
- 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.
- KJV 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.
- NKJV “Keep silence before Me, O coastlands, And let the people renew their strength! Let them come near, then let them speak; Let us come near together for judgment.
- NASB “Listen to Me in silence, you coastlands, And let the peoples gain new strength; Let them come forward, then let them speak; Let’s come together for judgment.
- NLT “Listen in silence before me, you lands beyond the sea. Bring your strongest arguments. Come now and speak. The court is ready for your case.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God summons the nations to a courtroom to silently hear His case and meet Him for judgment.
Overview
Chapter 41 opens a legal disputation in which God challenges the nations and their idols. They are called to be silent, gather, and present their case before the Judge of all the earth. The scene displays God's sovereignty over history and prepares for His proof that He alone declares and accomplishes events.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- Isa 1:18“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.
- Hab 2:20But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.
- Zech 2:13Be silent before the LORD, all people, for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling.”
- Ps 46:10“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.”
- Isa 41:6–7Each one helps the other and says to his brother, “Be strong!”
- Isa 11:11On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
- Job 38:3Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me.
- Joel 3:10–11Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, ‘I am strong!’
- Isa 34:1Come near, O nations, to listen; pay attention, O peoples. Let the earth hear, and all that fills it, the world and all that springs from it.
- Job 40:7–10“Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me.
- Isa 8:9–10Huddle together, O peoples, and be shattered; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for battle, and be shattered; prepare for battle, and be shattered!
- Isa 41:21–22“Present your case,” says the LORD. “Submit your arguments,” says the King of Jacob.
- Isa 48:16Come near to Me and listen to this: From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time it happened, I was there.” And now the Lord GOD has sent me, accompanied by His Spirit.
- Isa 49:1Listen to Me, O islands; pay attention, O distant peoples: The LORD called Me from the womb; from the body of My mother He named Me.
- Job 31:35–36(Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment.
- Isa 50:8The One who vindicates Me is near. Who will dare to contend with Me? Let us confront each other! Who has a case against Me? Let him approach Me!
- Job 23:3–7If only I knew where to find Him, so that I could go to His seat.
- Mic 6:1–3Hear now what the LORD says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 41:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.