Bible Strands
Isaiah 41:22
“Let them come and tell us what will happen. Tell the former things, so that we may reflect on them and know the outcome. Or announce to us what is coming.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The LORD speaks through the prophet to rival claimants of divinity, demanding they prove their status by predicting future events. This challenge occurs during a divine confrontation where God calls His opponents to submit arguments.
The words — יַגִּ֙ישׁוּ֙ (ya.Gi.shu) translates to "let them bring near," and וְ/יַגִּ֣ידוּ (ve./ya.Gi.du) means "and they may tell." These verbs command the declaration of past or future occurrences for evaluation.
The thread — This demand for predictive verification appears in Isaiah 44:7, Isaiah 45:21, and Isaiah 46:10, where God asserts His sole authority to declare events from ancient times.
Why it lands — The passage requires readers to test any claim of divine authority against the measurable standard of accurate prophecy. It forces an immediate evaluation of truth claims rather than passive acceptance.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Isaiah 45:21 Speak up and present your case—yes, let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago? Who announced it from ancient times? Was it not I, the LORD? There is no other God but Me, a righteous God and Savior; there is none but Me.
- Isaiah 46:10 I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’
- Isaiah 44:7 Who then is like Me? Let him say so! Let him declare his case before Me, since I established an ancient people. Let him foretell the things to come, and what is to take place.
- Isaiah 48:14 Come together, all of you, and listen: Which of the idols has foretold these things? The LORD’s chosen ally will carry out His desire against Babylon, and His arm will be against the Chaldeans.
- Isaiah 42:9 Behold, the former things have happened, and now I declare new things. Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”
- Isaiah 43:9 All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Who among them can declare this, and proclaim to us the former things? Let them present their witnesses to vindicate them, so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
- John 13:19 I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it comes to pass, you will believe that I am He.
- John 16:14 He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.