Isaiah 41:5
in Isaiah 41The islands see and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They approach and come forward.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The isles have seen, and fear; the ends of the earth tremble; they draw near, and come.
KJV
The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.
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This verse in Isaiah 41
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThird, he sets out the response as though from the gentiles, in which they believed that they were defended by idols; and first, he touches on their stupor at wonders recounted or seen: the islands saw it: the waters saw you, O God, the waters …
This site's exposition
The islands see and fear
on Isaiah 41:5-7
The islands see and fear, and the ends of the earth tremble. Their answer is to strengthen their idols, as each one says to his brother, Be strong. The work ends when the smith nails it down, a god fastened in place, set against the LORD, who needs no support.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(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 Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The isles saw it, and feared,....
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 Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The isles saw it - The distant nations (see the note at Isa 41:1). They saw what was done in the conquests of the man whom God in this remarkable manner had raised up; and they had had demonstration, therefore, of the mighty power of Yahweh above the power of idols. And feared - Were alarmed, and trembled. All were apprehensive that they would be subdued, and driven away as with the tempest. The ends of the earth - Distant nations occupying the extremities of the globe (see the note at Isa 40:28).
Were afraid “And they were terrified” - Three MSS. have ויחרדו vaiyecheridu, adding the conjunction ו vau, which restores the second member of the sentence to its true poetical form.
The words behind it
8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| רָא֤וּ | rau | they have seen | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אִיִּים֙ | ʾiyim | islands | H339 → | 36 times |
| וְיִירָ֔אוּ | veyirau | so they may be afraid | H3372 → | 315 times |
| קְצ֥וֹת | ketzot | [the] ends of | H7098 → | 35 times |
| הָאָ֖רֶץ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| יֶחֱרָ֑דוּ | yecheradu | they tremble | H2729 → | 39 times |
| קָרְב֖וּ | karevu | they have drawn near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| וַיֶּאֱתָיֽוּן׃ | vaiyeetayun | and they have come ! | H857 → | 21 times |
רָא֤וּthey have seen
rauH7200 →1300 times
אִיִּים֙islands
ʾiyimH339 →36 times
וְיִירָ֔אוּso they may be afraid
veyirauH3372 →315 times
קְצ֥וֹת[the] ends of
ketzotH7098 →35 times
הָאָ֖רֶץthe earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
יֶחֱרָ֑דוּthey tremble
yecheraduH2729 →39 times
קָרְב֖וּthey have drawn near
karevuH7126 →280 times
וַיֶּאֱתָיֽוּן׃and they have come !
vaiyeetayunH857 →21 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 66:3Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds! So great is Your power that Your enemies cower before You.
it leads to
- Psalms 65:5
With awesome deeds of righteousness You answer us, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 18:44
When they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cower before me.
- Psalms 81:15
Those who hate the LORD would feign obedience, and their doom would last forever.
- Psalms 65:5
Through
Psalms 65:8Those who live far away fear Your wonders; You make the dawn and sunset shout for joy.
it leads to
- Psalms 148:3
Praise Him, O sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars.
- Psalms 104:20–23
You bring darkness, and it becomes night, when all the beasts of the forest prowl.
- Psalms 136:8
the sun to rule the day, His loving devotion endures forever.
- Psalms 74:16
The day is Yours, and also the night; You established the moon and the sun.
- Psalms 148:3
Through
Psalms 67:7God blesses us, that all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.
it leads to
- Psalms 22:27
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him.
- Psalms 22:27
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.