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.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God addresses the gathered nations and peoples, issuing a challenge to respond to His prior declarations of history and redemption.

The words — The text employs נִקְבְּצ֣וּ (nikbeṣû), meaning “they have assembled,” to describe the nations gathering, and יַגִּ֣יד (yaggîd), meaning “will he declare,” to question their capacity to recount past events.

The thread — This challenge to declare past events or present a case before God recurs in Isaiah 41:21 and Isaiah 44:7, while Isaiah 46:10 parallels the theme by emphasizing God’s unilateral declaration of His purposes from beginning to end.

Why it lands — The passage demands a concrete assessment of truth by contrasting human inability to predict or vindicate with God’s established record, requiring the reader to acknowledge His exclusive authority over history.

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

כָּֽל־kal-all הַגּוֹיִ֞םha./go.Yimthe/ nations נִקְבְּצ֣וּnik.be.Tzuthey have assembled יַחְדָּ֗וyach.Davtogether וְיֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ve./ye.'a.se.Fuso/ they may gather לְאֻמִּ֔יםle.'u.Mimpeoples מִ֤יmiwho?בָהֶם֙va./Hemamong/ themיַגִּ֣ידya.Gidwill he declare זֹ֔אתZotthis וְרִֽאשֹׁנ֖וֹתve./ri.sho.Notand/ former [things]יַשְׁמִיעֻ֑נוּyash.mi.'U./nuwill they proclaim to?/ us יִתְּנ֤וּyi.te.Nulet them appoint עֵֽדֵיהֶם֙'e.dei./Hemwitnesses/ their וְיִצְדָּ֔קוּve./yitz.Da.kuso/ they may be justified וְיִשְׁמְע֖וּve./yish.me.'Uand/ they may hear וְיֹאמְר֥וּve./yo.me.Ruand/ they may say אֱמֶֽת׃'e.Mettruth

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

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 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 41:21 “Present your case,” says the LORD. “Submit your arguments,” says the King of Jacob.
Psalms 50:1 A Psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from where the sun rises to where it sets.
Isaiah 41:1 “Be silent before Me, O islands, and let the peoples renew their strength. Let them come forward and testify; let us together draw near for judgment.
Isaiah 43:26 Remind Me, let us argue the matter together. State your case, so that you may be vindicated.
Joel 3:11 Come quickly, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves. Bring down Your mighty ones, O LORD.
Joshua 24:15 But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”
1 Kings 18:21 Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word.
1 Kings 18:36 At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command.