Isaiah 41:1
in Isaiah 41“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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
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.
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.
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This verse in Isaiah 41
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The design of this chapter is the same as that of the preceding, and it is to be regarded as the continuation of the argument commenced there. Its object is to lead those who were addressed, to put confidence in God. In the introduction to Isa. 40 it was remarked, that this is to be considered as addressed to the exile Jews in Babylon, near the close of their captivity. Their country, city, and temple had been laid waste.
This site's exposition
Be silent before Me, O islands
on Isaiah 41:1-2
The trial of the gods opens with a summons, Be silent before Me, O islands. The first exhibit is a question, Who has aroused one from the east? The man has been identified as Abraham, who defeated the kings of Genesis 14, and as Cyrus, named at 44:28.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
A commentator
Ambrose of MilanThe Interrogation of Job and David, Book 2, Chapter 9 · Written before 397.
proposed
Scripture correctly says: Be renewed, O islands. For we are surrounded by the waves of sin, like islands in the sea of this world. Therefore, these islands were renewed by the coming of the Lord through the forgiveness of sins, that is, men were immersed in the water as if placed in the midst of the sea like islands, they were struck by the waves like islands, resounding with the waves of sins as if they were islands, in which, before, there were frequent shipwrecks for the simple reason that there was deceit in their hearts and flattery on their lips.
He calls the churches "islands," because they receive the assault of the waves of persecutors and because they are founded on the rock. He gives the title of "princes" to the heralds of truth, who have become changed from their [previous state] after their call: …
(Chapter 41, verses 1 and following.) Let the islands be silent before me, and let the nations change their strength: let them come near, and then let them speak: let us come together to judgment. Who raised up the Just One from the East, and called him to follow him? He will give nations before him, and he will rule over kings: he will make them like the dust with his sword, and like stubble driven by the wind to his bow. He will pursue them, and he will pass in peace, a path will not appear under his feet.
The Medieval Church1 voice
804. Let the islands keep silence before me. Here he begins to strengthen them toward firm expectation from the love of God who promises. And this is divided into three parts: in the first, he shows divine love from the benefits which he gave to …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Keep silence - Attend diligently to my plea. Islands - By islands he means countries remote from Judea, inhabited by the idolatrous Gentiles. Renew - Strengthen themselves to maintain their cause against me; let them unite all their strength together.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Keep silence before me, O islands,....
He encourages his faithful ones to trust in him, with an assurance that he would take their part against their enemies, make them victorious over them, and bring about a happy change of their affairs,
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
THE text is a challenge to the heathen to enter into a debate with the living God. The Lord bids them argue at their best and let the controversy be calmly carried out to its issues, so as to be decided once and for all. He bids them be quiet, reflect and consider, in order that with renewed strength they may come into the discussion and defend their gods if they can. He urges them not to bring flippant arguments, but such as have cost them thought and have weight in them, if such arguments can be.
THE text is a challenge to the heathen to enter into a debate with the living God. The Lord bids them argue at their best and let the controversy be calmly carried out to its issues, so as to be decided once and for all. He bids them be quiet, reflect and consider, in order that with renewed strength they may come into the discussion and defend their gods if they can. He urges them not to bring flippant arguments, but such as have cost them thought and have weight in them, if such arguments can be. He bids them be quiet till they are prepared to speak and then, when they can produce their strong reasons and set their cause in the best possible light, He challenges them to enter the lists and see if they can maintain, for a moment, that their gods are gods, or anything better than deceit and falsehood. I am not about to speak of that controversy at this time, but to use the text with quite another view. We, also, who worship the Lord God Most High have a controversy with Him. We have not seen His Church and His cause prospering in the world for many a day as we would desire. As yet heathenism is not put to the rout by Christianity, neither does the Truth of God everywhere trample down error. Nations are not born in a day, nor have the kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. We desire to reason with God about this and, He, Himself, instructs us how to prepare for this sacred debate. He bids us be silent. He bids us consider and then draw near to Him with holy boldness and plead with Him. He bids us produce our cause and bring forth our strong reasons. It seems to me that at the beginning of the year I cannot suggest to Christian people a more urgent topic than this, that we should plead with God that He would display among us greater works of Grace than as yet our eyes have seen. We have read of wonderful revivals.
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.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַחֲרִ֤ישׁוּ | hacharishu | be silent | H2790 → | 74 times |
| אֵלַי֙ | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אִיִּ֔ים | ʾiyim | O islands | H339 → | 36 times |
| וּלְאֻמִּ֖ים | uleumim | and peoples | H3816 → | 31 times |
| יַחֲלִ֣יפוּ | yachalifu | let them renew | H2498 → | 28 times |
| כֹ֑חַ | khoach | strength | H3581 → | 126 times |
| יִגְּשׁוּ֙ | yigeshu | let them approach | H5066 → | 125 times |
| אָ֣ז | ʾaz | then | H227 → | 141 times |
| יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ | yedaberu | let them speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| יַחְדָּ֖ו | yachdav | together | H3162 → | 141 times |
| לַמִּשְׁפָּ֥ט | lamishpat | for <the> judgment | H4941 → | 422 times |
| נִקְרָֽבָה׃ | nikravah | let us draw near | H7126 → | 280 times |
הַחֲרִ֤ישׁוּbe silent
hacharishuH2790 →74 times
אֵלַי֙to me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
אִיִּ֔יםO islands
ʾiyimH339 →36 times
וּלְאֻמִּ֖יםand peoples
uleumimH3816 →31 times
יַחֲלִ֣יפוּlet them renew
yachalifuH2498 →28 times
כֹ֑חַstrength
khoachH3581 →126 times
יִגְּשׁוּ֙let them approach
yigeshuH5066 →125 times
אָ֣זthen
ʾazH227 →141 times
יְדַבֵּ֔רוּlet them speak
yedaberuH1696 →1141 times
יַחְדָּ֖וtogether
yachdavH3162 →141 times
לַמִּשְׁפָּ֥טfor <the> judgment
lamishpatH4941 →422 times
נִקְרָֽבָה׃let us draw near
nikravahH7126 →280 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 46:10“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.”
it leads to
- Habakkuk 2:20
But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Zechariah 2:13
Be silent before the LORD, all people, for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 100:3
Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
- Ezekiel 38:23
I will magnify and sanctify Myself, and will reveal Myself in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
- Psalms 83:18
May they know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, are Most High over all the earth.
- Habakkuk 2:20
Through
Isaiah 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.
it leads to
- Isaiah 44:22
I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.
- Revelation 7:14
“Sir,” I answered, “you know.” So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the…
- Isaiah 44:22
Through
Habakkuk 2:20But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.
it leads to
- Zephaniah 1:7
Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD, for the Day of the LORD is near. Indeed, the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated His guests.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Zephaniah 1:7
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Ambrose of Milan, The Interrogation of Job and David, Book 2, Chapter 9; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1215: “Solemn Pleadings for Revival” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 12:41.1 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.