The Meaning of Isaiah 43:9 Explained

Isaiah 43:9

KJV: Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.

YLT: All the nations have been gathered together, And the peoples are assembled, Who among them declareth this, And former things causeth us to hear? They give their witnesses, And they are declared righteous, And they hear and say, 'Truth.'

Darby: Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled: who among them declareth this, or causeth us to hear former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear, and say, It is truth.

ASV: Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled: who among them can declare this, and show us former things? let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear, and say, It is truth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Let all the nations  be gathered  together,  and let the people  be assembled:  who among them can declare  this, and shew  us former things?  let them bring forth  their witnesses,  that they may be justified:  or let them hear,  and say,  [It is] truth. 

What does Isaiah 43:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Isaiah pictured all the nations in this courtroom. Some had already assembled, and others were on their way. Who among them, the prophet asked, could proclaim former things? These "former things" probably refer to things predicted in the past that had since come to pass. [1] No one among the nations, none of their gods, could predict the future and then bring it into existence. Only Yahweh could do this. Furthermore, no one could serve as a witness that the idols could do this or confirm the testimony of someone else that they could.
Undoubtedly some pagan prognosticators claimed to be able to foretell the future and that their predictions had come to pass, just as today some psychics make such claims. However, none of them could predict with the specificity and accuracy that Yahweh did through His prophets. The biblical prophecies that had already been fulfilled were in an entirely different class than the predictions that marked the nations. If this were not the case, Isaiah would not have dared to claim what he did here.

Context Summary

Isaiah 43:1-13 - Jehovah's Witnesses
The magnificent conception of Isaiah 43:1-28 underlies this. We have still the convocation of mankind, summoned to decide whether Jehovah or some idol god shall be recognized as the supreme deity. In the arena are rows of helpless images rich in paint and tinsel, but mute and helpless, Isaiah 43:8-9. Jehovah, to vindicate His claims, calls into the witness box His Chosen People, that they may tell what they have known, tasted, and handled, of the Word of life, Isaiah 43:10.
This special function is not confined to the Hebrew race. By the express words of our Lord it is shared by the Church. See Acts 1:8. As our Lord bore witness to truth, His subjects are summoned to do the same. See 1 Timothy 6:13-14; Revelation 1:5.
Let us witness to the love that never tires. "Fear not, thou art mine." Let us witness to a purpose that never falters, Isaiah 43:1 and Isaiah 43:7. Let us witness to a deliverance that never disappoints. We are not saved from fire and water, but are delivered in the midst of them by the never-failing presence of our King. Let us ask for the Spirit of Truth to witness with us, Acts 5:31-32. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 43

1  The Lord comforts the church with his promises
8  He appeals to the people for witness of his omnipotence
14  He foretells them the destruction of Babylon
18  And his wonderful deliverance of his people
22  He reproves the people as inexcusable

What do the individual words in Isaiah 43:9 mean?

All the nations let be gathered together and let be assembled The people who among them can declare this and former things show us let them bring out their witnesses that they may be justified Or let them hear and say [it is] truth
כָּֽל־ הַגּוֹיִ֞ם נִקְבְּצ֣וּ יַחְדָּ֗ו וְיֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ לְאֻמִּ֔ים מִ֤י בָהֶם֙ יַגִּ֣יד זֹ֔את ؟ וְרִֽאשֹׁנ֖וֹת יַשְׁמִיעֻ֑נוּ יִתְּנ֤וּ עֵֽדֵיהֶם֙ וְיִצְדָּ֔קוּ וְיִשְׁמְע֖וּ וְיֹאמְר֥וּ אֱמֶֽת

הַגּוֹיִ֞ם  the  nations 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
נִקְבְּצ֣וּ  let  be  gathered 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: קָבַץ  
Sense: to gather, assemble.
יַחְדָּ֗ו  together 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַחַד 
Sense: union, unitedness adv.
וְיֵאָֽסְפוּ֙  and  let  be  assembled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָסַף 
Sense: to gather, receive, remove, gather in.
לְאֻמִּ֔ים  The  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: לְאֹם  
Sense: a people, nation.
בָהֶם֙  among  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
יַגִּ֣יד  can  declare 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
זֹ֔את  this 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
؟ וְרִֽאשֹׁנ֖וֹת  and  former  things 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, feminine plural
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.
יַשְׁמִיעֻ֑נוּ  show  us 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, first person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
יִתְּנ֤וּ  let  them  bring  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
עֵֽדֵיהֶם֙  their  witnesses 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עֵד  
Sense: witness.
וְיִצְדָּ֔קוּ  that  they  may  be  justified 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: צָדַק  
Sense: to be just, be righteous.
וְיִשְׁמְע֖וּ  Or  let  them  hear 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
וְיֹאמְר֥וּ  and  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֱמֶֽת  [it  is]  truth 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֱמֶת  
Sense: firmness, faithfulness, truth.