God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 41:4
4Who has accomplished this? Who has determined the course of history from the beginning? I, the Lord, was there first, and I will be there to the end. I am the one!”
Isaiah 41:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.
- New International Version (NIV)Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord—with the first of them and with the last—I am he.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Who has performed and done it, Calling the generations from the beginning? ‘I, the Lord, am the first; And with the last I am He.’ ”
Context of Isaiah 41:4
2“Who has raised up from the east someone to whom the Lord gives victory with every step he takes? Nations are handed over to him. He defeats kings. With his sword he turns them into dust. With his bow he turns them into straw blown by the wind. 3He chases them, marching by safely on a path his feet have never traveled before. Who has accomplished this? Who has determined the course of history from the beginning? I, the Lord, was there first, and I will be there to the end. I am the one!” 5The coastlands have seen him and are afraid. The ends of the earth tremble. They have come near and gathered together. 6People help their neighbors and say to their relatives, “Be brave!”
Read all of Isaiah 41Isaiah 41:4 word by word
מִֽי־פָעַ֣ל וְעָשָׂ֔ה קֹרֵ֥א הַדֹּר֖וֹת מֵרֹ֑אשׁ אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ רִאשׁ֔וֹן וְאֶת־אַחֲרֹנִ֖ים אֲנִי־הֽוּא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Who hath wroughtפָּעַלpâ‛al · to workH6466
- and doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- callingקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- the generationsדּוֹרdôr dôr · generationH1755
- from the beginningרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: firstH7218
- I the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- the firstרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · firstH7223
- and with the lastאַחֲרוֹן'achăryôn 'achărôn · lastH314
Cross-references for Isaiah 41:4
- Isaiah 41:26Who revealed this from the beginning so that we could know it? Who revealed this from the past so that we could say that he was right? No one revealed it. No one announced it. No one heard your words.
- Isaiah 40:12Who has measured the water of the sea with the palm of his hand or measured the sky with the length of his hand? Who has held the dust of the earth in a bushel basket or weighed the mountains on a scale and the hills on a balance?
- Isaiah 42:24Who gave Jacob away as loot and handed Israel over to robbers? Wasn’t it the Lord, against whom we have sinned? They didn’t want to live his way. They didn’t obey his teachings.
- Isaiah 44:7If there is anyone like me, let him say so. Let him tell me what happened when I established my people long ago. Then let him predict what will happen to them.
- Isaiah 46:10From the beginning I revealed the end. From long ago I told you things that had not yet happened, saying, “My plan will stand, and I’ll do everything I intended to do.”
- Isaiah 48:3From the beginning I revealed to you what would happen. These words came out of my mouth, and I made them known. Suddenly, I acted, and they happened.
- Deuteronomy 32:7Remember a time long ago. Think about all the past generations. Ask your fathers to remind you, and your leaders to tell you.
- Acts 15:18He is the one who will do these things that have always been known!’
- Acts 17:26From one man he has made every nation of humanity to live all over the earth. He has given them the seasons of the year and the boundaries within which to live.
- Isaiah 43:10“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord. “I have chosen you as my servant so that you can know and believe in me and understand that I am the one ⌞who did this⌟. No god was formed before me, and there will be none after me.
- Isaiah 44:6The Lord is Israel’s king and defender. He is the Lord of Armies. This is what the Lord says: I am the first and the last, and there is no God except me.
- Isaiah 48:12Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called. I am the one. I am the first and the last.
- Revelation 1:11saying, “Write on a scroll what you see, and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
- Revelation 2:8“To the messenger of the church in Smyrna, write: The first and the last, who was dead and became alive, says:
- Revelation 22:13I am the A and the Z, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
- Isaiah 46:3Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, the few people left of the nation of Israel. I’ve carried you since your birth. I’ve taken care of you from the time you were born.
Commentaries on Isaiah 41:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Who hath wrought and done it "Who hath performed and made these things" - A word is here lost out of the text. It is sups plied by an ancient MS., אלה elleh, "these things; "and by the Septuagint, ; and by the Vulgate, haec; and by the Chaldee, אלן elin ; all of the same meaning.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Who hath wrought and done it? - By whom has all this been accomplished? Has it been by the arm of Cyrus? Has it been by human skill and powers. The design of this question is obvious. It is to direct attention to the fact that all this had been done by God, and that he who had raised up such a man, and had accomplished all this by means of him, had power to deliver his people. Calling the generations from the beginning - The idea here seems to be, that…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4the generations from the beginning?: God rules over everything. From the very beginning, he has guided each stage of history according to his plan. In the book of Revelation, Jesus calls himself the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 1:8, 17; 2:8; 21:6; 22:13). I am He: The Lord alone is God (see also Isaiah 43:10, 13; 46:4; 48:12; Deuteronomy 32:39). Jesus used similar expressions for himself (see John…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Who--else but God? calling ... generations from ... beginning--The origin and position of all nations are from God (De 32:8; Ac 17:26); what is true of Cyrus and his conquests is true of all the movements of history from the first; all are from God. with the last--that is, the last (Is 44:6; 48:12).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 41:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 41
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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