The Meaning of Isaiah 41:26 Explained

Isaiah 41:26

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.

YLT: Who hath declared from the first, and we know? And beforetime, and we say, 'Righteous?' yea, there is none declaring, Yea, there is none proclaiming, Yea, there is none hearing your sayings.

Darby: Who hath declared it from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, It is right? Indeed, there is none that declareth; no, none that sheweth; no, none that heareth your words.

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 Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Isaiah 41:26 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Yahweh is the only predictor of Cyrus, and His prediction proves Him unique among the "gods." In Isaiah"s day the pagans claimed that their gods sent them messages, but these messages were vague and not specific. The fulfillment of this prediction would prove that Yahweh was the true God. Many scholars believe that the writer of this part of Isaiah , if not the whole book, lived after Cyrus began his conquests about545 B.C. If that were Song of Solomon , the whole point of this passage loses its force.

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 41:26 mean?

Who has declared from the beginning that we may know and former times that we may say [He is] righteous surely [there is] no one who shows [there is] no one who declares who hears your words
מִֽי־ הִגִּ֤יד מֵרֹאשׁ֙ ؟ וְנֵדָ֔עָה וּמִלְּפָנִ֖ים וְנֹאמַ֣ר ؟ צַדִּ֑יק אַ֣ף אֵין־ מַגִּ֗יד אֵ֣ין מַשְׁמִ֔יעַ שֹׁמֵ֖עַ אִמְרֵיכֶֽם

הִגִּ֤יד  has  declared 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
מֵרֹאשׁ֙  from  the  beginning 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
؟ וְנֵדָ֔עָה  that  we  may  know 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
וּמִלְּפָנִ֖ים  and  former  times 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וְנֹאמַ֣ר  that  we  may  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
؟ צַדִּ֑יק  [He  is]  righteous 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
אַ֣ף  surely 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אַף  
Sense: also, yea, though, so much the more adv.
אֵין־  [there  is]  no  one 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
מַגִּ֗יד  who  shows 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
אֵ֣ין  [there  is]  no  one 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
מַשְׁמִ֔יעַ  who  declares 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
שֹׁמֵ֖עַ  who  hears 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אִמְרֵיכֶֽם  your  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֵמֶר 
Sense: utterance, speech, word, saying, promise, command.

What are the major concepts related to Isaiah 41:26?

Loading Information...