Isaiah 41:26
in Isaiah 41Who has declared this from the beginning, so that we may know, and from times past, so that we may say: ‘He was right’? No one announced it, no one foretold it, no one heard your words.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Who hath declared it from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is right? yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that showeth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.
KJV
Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.
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This verse in Isaiah 41
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Who--of the idolatrous soothsayers? When this prophecy shall be fulfilled, all shall see that God foretold as to Cyrus, which none of the soothsayers have. beforetime--before the event occurred. He is righteous--rather, "It is true"; it was a true prophecy, as the event shows.
This site's exposition
Who has declared this from the beginning
on Isaiah 41:26-27
The case closes with a string of denials, No one announced it, no one heard your words. Against that silence the LORD answers His own challenge, I gave to Jerusalem a herald of good news. Henry sets this herald beside the herald of good news at 40:9.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
And what has been accomplished confirms the text: the oracles spread through all parts of the earth and of the sea have ceased to speak, and those who used to attend to them openmouthed have now turned away from them to learn the truth.
(Verse 26) Who announced it from the beginning, so that we may say: You are just. There is neither announcer, nor predictor, nor listener to your words. LXX: For who can declare to you the things that are from the beginning, that we may know them that shall be in the future? And we shall say that they are true: there is none that announces, nor that hears your words.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Second, from this, he sets out an argument under the form of a question: that he who can foretell this is justly called God; and he who cannot, is not: who has declared, below: assemble yourselves together, all you, and hear (Isa 48:14). Third, he …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
None of all the gods of the nations have shown their worshippers the way of salvation, which God will show by the Messiah. The good tidings which the Lord will send in the gospel is a mystery hidden from ages and generations, Rom. xvi.
): " Who has declared from the beginning any thing of this kind, or has told it before-time? Tell us if there be any that you know of, for we know not any; if there be any, we will say, He is righteous, he is true, his cause is just, his claims are proved, and he is in the right in demanding to be worshipped." This agrees with
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
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. 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.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
Who - Which of your idols could foretel such things as these from the beginning of the world unto this day? Before-time - Before the things come to pass. Righteous - His cause is good: he is a God indeed.
Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know?....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Your word - אמרתיכם imrntheychem; but, instead of this, one of my most ancient MSS. has דבריכם dibreychem. The meaning is nearly the same: but in this reading this His. is singular.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Who hath declared from the beginning - The meaning of this passage is, ‘there is no one among the soothsayers, and the worshippers of idols, who has predicted the birth, the character, and the conquests of Cyrus. There is among the pagan no recorded prediction on the subject, as there is among the Jews, that when he shall have come, it may be said that a prediction is accomplished.’ And before-time - Formerly; before the event occurred. That we may say - That it may be said; that there may be evidence, or reason for the affirmation. He is righteous - The words ‘he is’ are not in the Hebrew ·The original is simply ‘righteous’ (צדיק tsaddı̂yq), just, that is, it is just, or true; the prediction is fulfilled. It does not refer to the character of God, but to the certainty of the fulfillment of the prediction. There is none that showeth - There is no one among the worshippers of false gods, the soothsayers and necromancers, that has predicted these events. None that heareth your words - There is no one that has heard such a prediction among you.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מִֽי־ | mi- | who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| הִגִּ֤יד | higid | did he tell [it] | H5046 → | 370 times |
| מֵרֹאשׁ֙ | merosh | from [the] beginning | H7218 → | 599 times |
| וְנֵדָ֔עָה | venedaah | so we may know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| וּמִלְּפָנִ֖ים | umilefanim | and from <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וְנֹאמַ֣ר | venomar | so we may say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| צַדִּ֑יק | tzadik | correct | H6662 → | 206 times |
| אַ֣ף | ʾaf | also | H637 → | 134 times |
| אֵין־ | ʾein- | there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| מַגִּ֗יד | magid | [was one who] told | H5046 → | 370 times |
| אַ֚ף | ʾaf | also | H637 → | 134 times |
| אֵ֣ין | ʾein | there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| מַשְׁמִ֔יעַ | mashmia' | [was one who] proclaimed | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אַ֥ף | ʾaf | also | H637 → | 134 times |
| אֵין־ | ʾein- | there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| שֹׁמֵ֖עַ | shomea' | [was one who] heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אִמְרֵיכֶֽם׃ | ʾimreikhem | words your | H561 → |
מִֽי־who?
mi-H4310 →423 times
הִגִּ֤ידdid he tell [it]
higidH5046 →370 times
מֵרֹאשׁ֙from [the] beginning
meroshH7218 →599 times
וְנֵדָ֔עָהso we may know
venedaahH3045 →945 times
וּמִלְּפָנִ֖יםand from <to> before
umilefanimH6440 →2123 times
וְנֹאמַ֣רso we may say
venomarH559 →5305 times
צַדִּ֑יקcorrect
tzadikH6662 →206 times
אַ֣ףalso
ʾafH637 →134 times
אֵין־there not
ʾein-H369 →789 times
מַגִּ֗יד[was one who] told
magidH5046 →370 times
אַ֚ףalso
ʾafH637 →134 times
אֵ֣יןthere not
ʾeinH369 →789 times
מַשְׁמִ֔יעַ[was one who] proclaimed
mashmia'H8085 →1159 times
אַ֥ףalso
ʾafH637 →134 times
אֵין־there not
ʾein-H369 →789 times
שֹׁמֵ֖עַ[was one who] heard
shomea'H8085 →1159 times
אִמְרֵיכֶֽם׃words your
ʾimreikhemH561 →
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
Isaiah 41:22“Let them come and tell us what will happen. Tell the former things, so that we may reflect on them and know the outcome. Or announce to us what is coming.
it leads to
- Isaiah 45:21
Speak up and present your case—yes, let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago? Who announced it from ancient times? Was it not I, the LORD? There is no other God but…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 45:21
Through
Isaiah 43:9All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Who among them can declare this, and proclaim to us the former things? Let them present their witnesses to vindicate them, so that others may…
it leads to
- Isaiah 46:10
I declare the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 46:10
Through
Isaiah 45:21Speak up and present your case—yes, let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago? Who announced it from ancient times? Was it not I, the LORD? There is no other God but…
it leads to
- Isaiah 45:5
I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God but Me. I will equip you for battle, though you have not known Me,
- Isaiah 43:11
I, yes I, am the LORD, and there is no Savior but Me.
- Isaiah 44:7–8
Who then is like Me? Let him say so! Let him declare his case before Me, since I established an ancient people. Let him foretell the things to come, and what is to take…
- Isaiah 43:9
All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Who among them can declare this, and proclaim to us the former things? Let them present their witnesses to vindicate them, so that others may…
- Titus 2:13–14
as we await the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
- Isaiah 45:5
Through
Isaiah 44:7Who then is like Me? Let him say so! Let him declare his case before Me, since I established an ancient people. Let him foretell the things to come, and what is to take…
it leads to
- Isaiah 41:22
“Let them come and tell us what will happen. Tell the former things, so that we may reflect on them and know the outcome. Or announce to us what is coming.
- Isaiah 41:22
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; 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 12:41.26 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.