New English Translation
Isaiah 41:25
25I have stirred up one out of the north and he advances, one from the eastern horizon who prays in my name. He steps on rulers as if they were clay, like a potter treading the clay.
Isaiah 41:25 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.
- New International Version (NIV)“I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes— one from the rising sun who calls on my name. He treads on rulers as if they were mortar, as if he were a potter treading the clay.
- English Standard Version (ESV)I stirred up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, and he shall call upon my name; he shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter treads clay.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“I have raised up one from the north, And he shall come; From the rising of the sun he shall call on My name; And he shall come against princes as though mortar, As the potter treads clay.
Context of Isaiah 41:25
23Predict how future events will turn out, so we might know you are gods. Yes, do something good or bad, so we might be frightened and in awe. 24Look, you are nothing, and your accomplishments are nonexistent; the one who chooses to worship you is disgusting. I have stirred up one out of the north and he advances, one from the eastern horizon who prays in my name. He steps on rulers as if they were clay, like a potter treading the clay. 26Who decreed this from the beginning, so we could know? Who announced it ahead of time, so we could say, ‘He’s correct’? Indeed, none of them decreed it! Indeed, none of them announced it! Indeed, no one heard you say anything! 27I first decreed to Zion, ‘Look, here’s what will happen!’ I sent a herald to Jerusalem.
Read all of Isaiah 41Isaiah 41:25 word by word
הַעִיר֤וֹתִי מִצָּפוֹן֙ וַיַּ֔את מִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁ֖מֶשׁ יִקְרָ֣א בִשְׁמִ֑י וְיָבֹ֤א סְגָנִים֙ כְּמוֹ־חֹ֔מֶר וּכְמ֥וֹ יוֹצֵ֖ר יִרְמָס־טִֽיט׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- I have raised upעוּר‛ûr · to rouseH5782
- from the northצָפוֹןtsâphôn tsâphôn · northH6828
- and he shall comeאָתָה'âthâh 'âthâ' · to comeH857
- from the risingמִזְרָחmizrâch · eastH4217
- of the sunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁshemesh · sunH8121
- shall he callקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- upon my nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- and he shall comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- upon princesסָגָןsâgân · rulerH5461
- morterחֹ֫מֶרchômer · homerH2563
- and as the potterיָצַרyâtsar · to form: potterH3335
- treadethרָמַסrâmas · to trampleH7429
- clayטִיטţîyţ · mudH2916
Cross-references for Isaiah 41:25
- Isaiah 21:2I have received a distressing message: “The deceiver deceives, the destroyer destroys. Attack, you Elamites! Lay siege, you Medes! I will put an end to all the groaning!”
- Isaiah 44:28who commissions Cyrus, the one I appointed as shepherd to carry out all my wishes and to decree concerning Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’ and concerning the temple, ‘It will be reconstructed.’”
- Isaiah 45:1This is what the Lord says to his chosen one, to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold in order to subdue nations before him, and disarm kings, to open doors before him, so gates remain unclosed:
- Isaiah 46:10who announces the end from the beginning and reveals beforehand what has not yet occurred, who says, ‘My plan will be realized, I will accomplish what I desire,’
- Jeremiah 51:27“Raise up battle flags throughout the lands. Sound the trumpets calling the nations to do battle. Prepare the nations to do battle against Babylonia. Call for these kingdoms to attack her: Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a commander to lead the attack. Send horses against her like a swarm of locusts.
- Ezra 1:2“Thus says King Cyrus of Persia: “‘The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has instructed me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
- Isaiah 41:2Who stirs up this one from the east? Who officially commissions him for service? He hands nations over to him, and enables him to subdue kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, like windblown straw with his bow.
- Isaiah 10:6I sent him against a godless nation, I ordered him to attack the people with whom I was angry, to take plunder and to carry away loot, to trample them down like dirt in the streets.
- 2 Samuel 22:43I grind them as fine as the dust of the ground; I crush them and stomp on them like clay in the streets.
- Micah 7:10When my enemies see this, they will be covered with shame. They say to me, “Where is the Lord your God?” I will gloat over them. Then they will be trampled down like mud in the streets.
- Zechariah 10:5And they will be like warriors trampling the mud of the streets in battle. They will fight, for the Lord will be with them, and will defeat the enemy cavalry.
Commentaries on Isaiah 41:25
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 25I have raised up one from the north - "That is, "says Kimchi, "the Messiah. The king of Assyria placed the ten tribes in Chalach and Chabar by the river Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 2 Kings 17:6, which lands lie northerly and easterly." He shall come upon princes "He shall trample on princes" - For יבא yabo, Le Clerc reads יבס yebes, from the Chaldee, who seems to read both words. "Forte legend. ויבס vaiyebes vel וירמס vaiyirmos : sequitur ס ."…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 25I have raised up one - In the previous verses God had shown that the idols had no power of predicting future events. He stakes, so to speak, the question of his divinity on that point, and the whole controversy between him and them is to be decided by the inquiry whether they had the power of foretelling what would come to pass. He here urges his claims to divinity on this ground, that he had power to foretell future events. In illustration of this, he…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-29Verses 21-29 There needs no more to show the folly of sin, than to bring to notice the reasons given in defence of it. There is nothing in idols worthy of regard. They are less than nothing, and worse than nothing. Let the advocates of other doctrines than that of salvation through Christ, bring their arguments. Can they tell of a cure for human depravity? Jehovah has power which cannot be withstood; this he will make appear. But the certain knowledge of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 25I have raised up on: The God who planned the exile through Babylon also planned Israel’s return from exile through Cyrus (see Isaiah 41:2; see also 13:17). Although Persia is to the east, travelers to Israel and Judah had to enter from the north due to rough terrain. He will march over rulers … treads the clay: Just as Babylon trampled Assyria, Persia would trample Babylon.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2525. raised up--in purpose: not fulfilled till a hundred fifty years afterwards. north--In Is 41:2, "from the East"; both are true: see the note there. call ... my name--acknowledge Me as God, and attribute his success to Me; this he did in the proclamation (Ezr 1:2). This does not necessarily imply that Cyrus renounced idolatry, but hearing of Isaiah's prophecy given a hundred fifty years before, so fully realized in his own acts, he recognized God as the…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 41:25
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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