The Meaning of Isaiah 41:22 Explained

Isaiah 41:22

KJV: Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.

YLT: They bring nigh, and declare to us that which doth happen, The first things -- what they are declare ye, And we set our heart, and know their latter end, Or the coming things cause us to hear.

Darby: Let them bring them forward, and declare to us what shall happen: shew the former things, what they are, that we may give attention to them, and know the end of them; or let us hear things to come:

ASV: Let them bring forth, and declare unto us what shall happen: declare ye the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or show us things to come.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Let them bring [them] forth,  and shew  us what shall happen:  let them shew  the former things,  what they [be], that we may consider  them, and know  the latter end  of them; or declare  us things for to come. 

What does Isaiah 41:22 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 41:17-29 - What The Lord's Hand Does For The Needy
Life is not easy for any of us, if we regard external conditions only; but directly we learn the divine secret, rivers flow from bare heights, fountains arise in sterile valleys, and the desert blooms like the forest-glade. To the ordinary eye there might appear no outward change in the forbidding circumstance; but faith's eye always beholds a very paradise of beauty where other eyes see only straitened circumstances and a trying lot.
Once again our minds are brought back to the great convocation announced in the opening verses of the chapter. The idols are asked to say or do something to prove that they are divine. See Isaiah 41:21-23. There is no response; with the result that a crushing verdict is passed on them as recorded in Isaiah 41:24. On the other hand, the prophet of the Lord is prepared with His predictions of Cyrus "the one from the East," (see Isaiah 41:2 and Isaiah 44:28) which would be fulfilled before that generation had passed away. Let us give heed to the sure word of prophecy, "as unto a light that shineth in a dark place," 2 Peter 1:19. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 41

1  God expostulates with his people, about his mercies to the church
10  About his promises
21  And about the vanity of idols

What do the individual words in Isaiah 41:22 mean?

Let them bring forth and show us - what will happen the former things what they [were] let them show that we may consider them that we may consider them and know the latter end of them Or things to come declare to us
יַגִּ֙ישׁוּ֙ וְיַגִּ֣ידוּ לָ֔נוּ אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּקְרֶ֑ינָה הָרִאשֹׁנ֣וֹת ׀ מָ֣ה הֵ֗נָּה הַגִּ֜ידוּ וְנָשִׂ֤ימָה לִבֵּ֙נוּ֙ וְנֵדְעָ֣ה אַחֲרִיתָ֔ן א֥וֹ הַבָּא֖וֹת הַשְׁמִיעֻֽנוּ

יַגִּ֙ישׁוּ֙  Let  them  bring  forth 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָגַשׁ  
Sense: to draw near, approach.
וְיַגִּ֣ידוּ  and  show 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
לָ֔נוּ  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
אֵ֖ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
תִּקְרֶ֑ינָה  will  happen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: קָרָה 
Sense: to encounter, meet, befall, happen, come to meet.
הָרִאשֹׁנ֣וֹת ׀  the  former  things 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine plural
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.
הֵ֗נָּה  they  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person feminine plural
Root: הֵנָּה  
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
הַגִּ֜ידוּ  let  them  show 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
וְנָשִׂ֤ימָה  that  we  may  consider  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
לִבֵּ֙נוּ֙  that  we  may  consider  them 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
וְנֵדְעָ֣ה  and  know 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
אַחֲרִיתָ֔ן  the  latter  end  of  them 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine plural
Root: אַחֲרִית  
Sense: after part, end.
הַבָּא֖וֹת  things  to  come 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הַשְׁמִיעֻֽנוּ  declare  to  us 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural, first person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.