Isaiah 41:22

KJV

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.

KJV (with Strong's)

Let them bring them forth {H5066}, and shew {H5046} us what shall happen {H7136}: let them shew {H5046} the former things {H7223}, what they be, that we may consider {H7760}{H3820} them, and know {H3045} the latter end {H319} of them; or declare {H8085} us things for to come {H935}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Bring out those idols! Have them foretell the future for us, tell us about past events, so that we can reflect on them and understand their consequences. Or tell us about events yet to come,

Berean Standard Bible

“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.

American Standard Version

Let them bring forth, and declare unto us what shall happen: declare ye the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or show us things to come.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Isaiah 41:22 presents a profound divine challenge within a cosmic courtroom scene, where the Lord God of Israel confronts the impotence of pagan idols and their false claims of power and knowledge. This verse serves as a direct dare to these deities and their adherents to demonstrate any genuine ability to predict future events or even to accurately explain the ultimate meaning and outcome of past occurrences. It sets the stage for God's subsequent, undeniable demonstration of His unique omniscience and sovereignty over all history, affirming His singular status as the only true God.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within the second major section of the Book of Isaiah (chapters 40-55), often referred to as "The Book of Comfort" or "Deutero-Isaiah." This section primarily addresses the exiled people of Judah, offering words of hope, restoration, and assurance of God's unwavering faithfulness. Chapters 40-48 specifically focus on God's incomparable nature, contrasting His omnipotence and omniscience with the utter futility of idols. The passage immediately preceding [Isaiah 41:22](/isaiah/41-22 "Isaiah 41:22 - God's Challenge to Idols") involves God summoning the nations and their gods to a legal dispute, challenging them to present their case. Verse 22 is the core of this challenge, demanding proof of their divine claims through foreknowledge or retrospective understanding, thereby setting up God's own declarations in subsequent verses as the irrefutable evidence of His sole deity.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The historical backdrop for this prophetic discourse is the Babylonian exile, or the anticipation of it. Israel was surrounded by nations that worshipped numerous gods, often associated with natural phenomena or human endeavors. These cultures frequently consulted oracles, diviners, and astrologers to gain insight into the future or to understand the will of their gods. The practice of idolatry was a constant temptation and a spiritual threat to Israel's monotheistic faith. Isaiah's challenge to "shew the former things" and "declare us things for to come" directly confronts the prevalent pagan practices of divination and the supposed predictive powers of their idols, highlighting their utter inability to genuinely know or control history, unlike the God of Israel.
* **Key Themes:** [Isaiah 41:22](/isaiah/41-22 "Isaiah 41:22 - The Lord's Challenge to Idols") powerfully articulates several foundational themes within Isaiah and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it underscores **Divine Sovereignty and Omniscience**, presenting God as the sole orchestrator and knower of all history, from its inception to its culmination. He alone possesses perfect foreknowledge, a hallmark of true divinity that false gods conspicuously lack. Secondly, the verse exposes the **Futility of Idolatry**, revealing that man-made deities are powerless, incapable of speech, action, or genuine prophecy, thus proving their non-existence as true gods. This theme is extensively developed throughout Isaiah, as seen in the biting satire of idol-makers in [Isaiah 44:9-20](/isaiah/44-9 "Isaiah 44:9-20 - The Folly of Idolatry"). Thirdly, it highlights **God's Unique Predictive Power**, asserting that His ability to declare "things for to come" is the ultimate, undeniable proof of His identity as the one true God. Unlike the empty pronouncements of pagan oracles, God's prophecies are always fulfilled, demonstrating His active control over history, as He declares in [Isaiah 46:10](/isaiah/46-10 "Isaiah 46:10 - God Declares the End from the Beginning"), "declaring the end from the beginning." Finally, by exposing the emptiness of idols, the verse implicitly serves as a **Call to Trust** in God alone, encouraging His people to place their complete reliance on the One who truly holds the future in His hands and whose word is utterly reliable.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **shew (Hebrew, _nâgad'_):** This primitive root means "to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest; figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); specifically, to expose, predict, explain, praise." In Isaiah 41:22, it carries the strong sense of challenging the idols to "declare" or "make known" their supposed knowledge, demanding a public manifestation of their power through revelation. The repeated use emphasizes the direct, confrontational nature of God's challenge.
* **former things (Hebrew, _riʼshôwn'_):** Derived from a root meaning "head" or "beginning," this word signifies "first, in place, time or rank; ancestor, (that were) before(-time), beginning, eldest, first, fore(-father) (-most), former (thing), of old time, past." In this context, "former things" refers to past events or prophecies, particularly those God has already accomplished. The challenge to the idols is not merely to recount history, but to explain their ultimate purpose and outcome, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of God's unfolding plan.
* **things for to come (Hebrew, _bôwʼ'_):** This word, from a primitive root meaning "to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)," refers to "things that are coming" or "future events." It directly contrasts with "former things," demanding predictive prophecy. The challenge is for the idols to declare what *will* happen in the future, a power that only the omniscient God possesses, as He alone can bring events to pass.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Let them bring [them] forth, and shew us what shall happen:":** This opening clause is a direct challenge to the pagan gods and their devotees. "Bring forth" implies presenting evidence or testimony in a legal setting. The demand "shew us what shall happen" directly calls for predictive prophecy, daring the idols to demonstrate their foreknowledge of immediate or near-future events.
* **"let them shew the former things, what they [be], that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them;":** Here, the challenge extends to the past. The idols are commanded not merely to recount historical facts ("what they be"), but to "shew" or explain the ultimate significance, purpose, and "latter end" (outcome or conclusion) of these past events. This requires not just memory, but profound understanding and divine insight into the overarching plan of history, something only God possesses. The phrases "consider them" and "know the latter end of them" underscore the depth of understanding being demanded—a comprehensive grasp of cause, effect, and ultimate divine purpose.
* **"or declare us things for to come.":** This final clause reiterates and broadens the challenge to the future. It demands a clear, authoritative declaration of "things for to come"—distant future events, comprehensive prophecies that only the true God can utter with certainty because He is the one who ordains and brings them to pass. This serves as the ultimate test of divinity.

#### Literary Devices
Isaiah 41:22 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its powerful theological message. The entire passage (Isaiah 40-48) is framed as a **Divine Lawsuit** or **Courtroom Scene**, with God as the plaintiff, judge, and ultimately, the vindicated party, while the idols and their worshippers are the defendants. Within this framework, verse 22 uses **Apostrophe**, a figure of speech where the speaker directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or thing—in this case, the silent, impotent idols. The repeated imperatives ("Let them bring... shew... declare") function as a **Rhetorical Challenge**, a question posed for effect rather than for an actual answer, as the expected outcome is the idols' failure. This failure then highlights the profound **Contrast** between the emptiness and powerlessness of man-made gods and the omnipotent, omniscient nature of the Lord God of Israel. The structure of the challenge, moving from "what shall happen" (immediate future) to "former things" (past) and then to "things for to come" (distant future), demonstrates a comprehensive test of divine knowledge across all of time.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 41:22 stands as a cornerstone declaration of God's unique sovereignty over time and history, a theological truth that reverberates throughout Scripture. It asserts that true divinity is intrinsically linked to perfect foreknowledge and the power to bring about what has been declared. This challenges any alternative source of truth or power, whether ancient idols or modern ideologies, by setting an impossible standard for anything less than the Creator. The verse underscores that God's prophecies are not mere predictions but divine decrees that reveal His active governance of the universe, providing a firm foundation for faith in His promises and His ultimate plan for humanity. It teaches us that to truly "know" God is to recognize His unparalleled ability to declare and accomplish what is to come, and to understand the "latter end" of all things.

* [Deuteronomy 18:21-22](/deuteronomy/18-21 "Deuteronomy 18:21-22 - The Test of a Prophet")
* [Jeremiah 10:1-16](/jeremiah/10-1 "Jeremiah 10:1-16 - The Folly of Idols vs. The True God")
* [2 Peter 1:19-21](/2_peter/1-19 "2 Peter 1:19-21 - The Reliability of Prophecy")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
In a world saturated with information, predictions, and competing narratives, Isaiah 41:22 serves as a timeless anchor, reminding us where true authority and knowledge reside. We are constantly bombarded by voices claiming to know the future—from economic forecasts to political pundits, from self-help gurus to spiritual charlatans. This verse calls us to a profound discernment, urging us to question the source and substance of such claims. It challenges us to recognize that only the God who declares the end from the beginning, and who has faithfully brought "former things" to their intended "latter end," is worthy of our ultimate trust and allegiance. Finding peace in His sovereignty means releasing our anxieties about the unknown and resting in the assurance that His plans for us are for welfare, not for evil, to give us a future and a hope, as promised in [Jeremiah 29:11](/jeremiah/29-11 "Jeremiah 29:11 - God's Plans for Hope and a Future"). This divine foreknowledge invites us not to passive resignation, but to active, confident obedience, knowing that our lives are held in the hands of the One who holds all of history.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "former things" in your life or in history do you struggle to understand the "latter end" of, and how does God's omniscience provide comfort?**
* **In what areas of your life are you tempted to seek knowledge or security from sources other than God? How does this verse challenge those inclinations?**
* **How does God's unique ability to declare "things for to come" strengthen your faith in His promises for your future and for the world?**

### FAQ
**Why does God challenge idols in this way, demanding they "shew" past and future events?**

Answer: God challenges idols in this specific manner to expose their utter impotence and non-existence as true deities, thereby validating His own unique claim as the one true God. In ancient cultures, the ability to predict the future or to reveal hidden knowledge was a hallmark of divine power. By demanding that idols perform these feats, God highlights their inability to do so, proving that they are merely human constructs, "the work of men's hands" ([Psalm 115:4](/psalm/115-4 "Psalm 115:4 - Idols are Man-Made")). This challenge is part of a larger divine lawsuit where God presents His case against idolatry, demonstrating that only He can declare the end from the beginning and bring His purposes to pass ([Isaiah 46:10](/isaiah/46-10 "Isaiah 46:10 - God Declares the End from the Beginning")). It serves to comfort His people, assuring them that their God is in control of history, unlike the false gods of their oppressors.

**What is the significance of "former things" and "things for to come" in this verse?**

Answer: "Former things" (Hebrew: *riʼshôwn*) refers to past events or prophecies that God has already fulfilled, such as the deliverance from Egypt or earlier prophetic declarations. The challenge to the idols is not merely to recount these historical facts, but to explain their ultimate meaning and "latter end" (their purpose and outcome within God's grand plan). "Things for to come" (Hebrew: *bôwʼ*) refers to future events, specifically the predictive prophecies that only God can make with certainty because He is the one who orchestrates and brings them to pass. This dual challenge covers all of time—past, present, and future—and serves as the ultimate test of divinity. Only the God of Israel can demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and control over both what has been and what will be, proving His absolute sovereignty.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 41:22, with its profound challenge to declare past and future, finds its ultimate and most glorious fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the very embodiment of God's perfect knowledge and sovereign control over history. As the [eternal Word of God](/john/1-1 "John 1:1 - The Word Was God"), existing before all things and through whom all things were made, Jesus inherently knows "the former things" in their deepest meaning and "latter end." He did not merely recount history but revealed its divine purpose and trajectory, explaining how [all of Scripture pointed to Him](/luke/24-44 "Luke 24:44 - Jesus Fulfills Prophecy"), from Moses and the Prophets to the Psalms. Furthermore, Jesus Himself declared "things for to come" with absolute authority, speaking of His own death and resurrection ([Matthew 16:21](/matthew/16-21 "Matthew 16:21 - Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection")), the destruction of the Temple ([Matthew 24:2](/matthew/24-2 "Matthew 24:2 - Jesus Predicts the Temple's Destruction")), and His glorious [second coming](/matthew/24 "Matthew 24 - Prophecy of the End Times"). His life, death, and resurrection are the ultimate "latter end" of God's redemptive plan, perfectly foretold and perfectly executed. In Christ, we see God's prophetic word made flesh, demonstrating that the One who challenges the idols is indeed the One who holds all time and eternity in His hands, making Him the [wisdom and power of God](/1_corinthians/1-24 "1 Corinthians 1:24 - Christ, the Power and Wisdom of God") for all who believe.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Isaiah 45:21

Tell ye, and bring [them] near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? [who] hath told it from that time? [have] not I the LORD? and [there is] no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; [there is] none beside me.

Isaiah 46:10

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times [the things] that are not [yet] done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

Isaiah 44:7

And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.

Isaiah 48:14

All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these [things]? The LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm [shall be on] the Chaldeans.

John 16:14

He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you.

Isaiah 42:9

Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

Isaiah 43:9

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.