Yesaya 41:1-2

The Lord Challenges the Nations

41:1 “Listen to me in silence, you coastlands! ¹ 

Let the nations find renewed strength!

Let them approach and then speak;

let us come together for debate! ² 

41:2 Who stirs up this one from the east? ³ 

Who ⁴  officially commissions him for service? ⁵ 

He hands nations over to him, ⁶ 

and enables him to subdue ⁷  kings.

He makes them like dust with his sword,

like windblown straw with his bow. ⁸ 

[41:1]  ¹ tn Or “islands” (KJV, NIV, CEV); TEV “distant lands”; NLT “lands beyond the sea.”

[41:1]  ² tn The Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) could be translated “judgment,” but here it seems to refer to the dispute or debate between the Lord and the nations.

[41:2]  ³ sn The expression this one from the east refers to the Persian conqueror Cyrus, as later texts indicate (see 44:28-45:6; 46:11; 48:14-16).

[41:2]  ⁴ tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis.

[41:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “[in] righteousness called him to his foot.”

[41:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “he [the Lord] places before him [Cyrus] nations.”

[41:2]  ⁷ tn The verb יַרְדְּ (yardÿ) is an otherwise unattested Hiphil form from רָדָה (radah, “rule”). But the Hiphil makes no sense with “kings” as object; one must understand an ellipsis and supply “him” (Cyrus) as the object. The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has יוֹרִד (yorid), which appears to be a Hiphil form from יָרַד (yarad, “go down”). Others suggest reading יָרֹד (yarod), a Qal form from רָדַד (radad, “beat down”).

[41:2]  ⁸ sn The point is that they are powerless before Cyrus’ military power and scatter before him.