Isaiah 45:21
in Isaiah 45Speak 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 Me, a righteous God and Savior; there is none but Me.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Declare ye, and bring it forth; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath showed this from ancient time? who hath declared it of old? have not I, Jehovah? and there is no God else besides me, a just God and a Saviour; there is none besides me.
KJV
Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
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This verse in Isaiah 45
Commentary
13 notes on this verse(Vers. 18 seqq.) Because this is what the Lord says, the one who created the heavens, the one who formed the earth and made it, the one who established it; he did not create it in vain, but formed it to be inhabited. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I did not speak in secret, in a dark place on the earth. I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, 'Seek me in vain.' I am the Lord, speaking truth, declaring what is right.
This site's exposition
you fugitives from the nations
on Isaiah 45:20-21
Verse 20 summons “you fugitives from the nations” into the trial. Verse 21 asks the trial’s question, “Who foretold this long ago”, and answers with a title new to the chapter, “a righteous God and Savior”. Justice and salvation stand joined in one claim.
This site's exposition
Who foretold this long ago?
Barnes names what was foretold. It was the rise of Cyrus, the fall of Babylon, announced long before, and the argument of the chapter rests on that fact. Barnes traces the same appeal back to Isaiah 41:22 and 23, where the idols were dared to predict anything at all.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
(Vers. 21) Announce, and come, and counsel together: Who has declared this from the beginning, and from then on predicted it? Is it not I, the Lord? There is no other God besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. LXX: Tell ye, and come, and consult together: who hath declared this from the beginning, who hath foretold this from that time? Have not I the Lord, and there is no God else besides me? A just God and a saviour, there is none besides me.
With these and innumerable other texts of the same kind, in which the Lord our God is proclaimed as merciful and just, is shown how much his mercy must be loved and how much his justice must be feared.… Therefore, if there are those whom …
There is among them no true knowledge of the things to come, but rather they prophesy falsely, and with clownish talk and deception and trickery and nothing else. The God of the universe responds: If they prophesy rightly, they will come close and will know at the same time. For if they are able to prophesy rightly, then they will all be brought together as one. For their oracles came from many places. But some worked others into a frenzy and honored the unclean demons who were speaking falsehood. If they had been able to prophesy rightly, they would all be aware of what is to come and who from the very start made these things to be heard.
The Medieval Church1 voice
He enjoins the declaration of his praise: tell, in which he enjoins the office, consult together, how you ought to convert others: declare his glory among the Gentiles (Ps 96:3); who has declared, in which he teaches them the proof of his divinity for converting …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And here, as in many other parts of this prophecy, there is much of Christ and of gospel grace. Prophecies Concerning Cyrus. 1 Thus saith the L ORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:39w-of-66
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Tell ye, and bring them near, and let them take counsel together,....
As he is a just God, so he is the Saviour, who can save without the assistance of any, but without whom none can save. Those therefore have no sense of truth and falsehood, good and evil, no, nor of their own interest, that set up any in competition with him. For the comfort and encouragement of all God's faithful worshippers, whoever they are,
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Tell ye, and bring them near - That is, announce, and bring forward your strongest arguments (see the notes at Isa 41:1). Who hath declared this from ancient time? - Who has clearly announced the events respecting Cyrus, and the conquest of Babylon, and the deliverance from the captivity? The argument is an appeal to the fact that God had clearly foretold these events long before, and that therefore he was the true God. To this argument he often appeals in proof that he alone is God (see the note at Isa 41:22-23).
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Saviour--righteous in keeping His promises, and therefore a Saviour to His people. Not only is it not inconsistent with, but it is the result of, His righteousness, or justice, that He should save His redeemed (Isa 42:6, 21;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together - For יועצו yoatsu or yivvaatsu, let them consult, the Septuagint read ידעו yedau, let them know. but an ancient MS. has יועדו yoedu, let them come together by appointment; which may probably be the true reading.
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַגִּ֣ידוּ | hagidu | declare | H5046 → | 370 times |
| וְהַגִּ֔ישׁוּ | vehagishu | and bring near | H5066 → | 125 times |
| אַ֥ף | ʾaf | also | H637 → | 134 times |
| יִֽוָּעֲצ֖וּ | yivaatzu | let them take counsel | H3289 → | 79 times |
| יַחְדָּ֑ו | yachdav | together | H3162 → | 141 times |
| מִ֣י | mi | who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| הִשְׁמִיעַ֩ | hishmia' | did he proclaim | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| זֹ֨את | zot | this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| מִקֶּ֜דֶם | mikedem | from antiquity | H6924 → | 87 times |
| מֵאָ֣ז | meaz | from then | H227 → | 141 times |
| הִגִּידָ֗הּ | higidah | did he declare? it | H5046 → | 370 times |
| הֲל֨וֹא | halo' | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אֲנִ֤י | ʾani | [was it] I | H589 → | 874 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְאֵֽין־ | veein- | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| ע֤וֹד | od | again | H5750 → | 490 times |
| אֱלֹהִים֙ | ʾelohim | [is] a god | H430 → | 2601 times |
| מִבַּלְעָדַ֔י | mibaladai | <from> except me | H1107 → | 17 times |
| אֵֽל־ | ʾel- | [is] a God | H410 → | 241 times |
| צַדִּ֣יק | tzadik | righteous | H6662 → | 206 times |
| וּמוֹשִׁ֔יעַ | umoshia' | and a deliverer | H3467 → | 206 times |
| אַ֖יִן | ʾayin | there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| זוּלָתִֽי׃ | zulati | besides me | H2108 → | 16 times |
הַגִּ֣ידוּdeclare
hagiduH5046 →370 times
וְהַגִּ֔ישׁוּand bring near
vehagishuH5066 →125 times
אַ֥ףalso
ʾafH637 →134 times
יִֽוָּעֲצ֖וּlet them take counsel
yivaatzuH3289 →79 times
יַחְדָּ֑וtogether
yachdavH3162 →141 times
מִ֣יwho?
miH4310 →423 times
הִשְׁמִיעַ֩did he proclaim
hishmia'H8085 →1159 times
זֹ֨אתthis
zotH2063 →603 times
מִקֶּ֜דֶםfrom antiquity
mikedemH6924 →87 times
מֵאָ֣זfrom then
meazH227 →141 times
הִגִּידָ֗הּdid he declare? it
higidahH5046 →370 times
הֲל֨וֹא¿ not
halo'H3808 →5168 times
אֲנִ֤י[was it] I
ʾaniH589 →874 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְאֵֽין־and there not
veein-H369 →789 times
ע֤וֹדagain
odH5750 →490 times
אֱלֹהִים֙[is] a god
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
מִבַּלְעָדַ֔י<from> except me
mibaladaiH1107 →17 times
אֵֽל־[is] a God
ʾel-H410 →241 times
צַדִּ֣יקrighteous
tzadikH6662 →206 times
וּמוֹשִׁ֔יעַand a deliverer
umoshia'H3467 →206 times
אַ֖יִןthere not
ʾayinH369 →789 times
זוּלָתִֽי׃besides me
zulatiH2108 →16 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
Isaiah 43:11I, yes I, am the LORD, and there is no Savior but Me.
it leads to
- Isaiah 44:6
Thus says the LORD, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the LORD of Hosts: “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hosea 13:4
Yet I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt; you know no God but Me, for there is no Savior besides Me.
- Isaiah 43:3
For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place.
- Isaiah 45:21–22
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…
- Isaiah 44:6
Through
Isaiah 45:5I 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,
it leads to
- Isaiah 44:8
Do not tremble or fear. Have I not told you and declared it long ago? You are My witnesses! Is there any God but Me? There is no other Rock; I know not one.”
- Isaiah 46:9
Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.
- Joel 2:27
Then you will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.
- 1 Kings 8:60
so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God. There is no other!
- Isaiah 44:8
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on 11 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); Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 4:3.45:21-22; Fulgentius of Ruspe, ON THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS 1:8.1-9:1; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Calvin, Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.