Isaiah 41:23

KJV

Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye [are] gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold [it] together.

KJV (with Strong's)

Shew {H5046} the things that are to come {H857} hereafter {H268}, that we may know {H3045} that ye are gods {H430}: yea, do good {H3190}, or do evil {H7489}, that we may be dismayed {H8159}, and behold {H7200} it together {H3162}.

Complete Jewish Bible

state what will happen in the future, so that we can know you are gods. At least, do something, either good or bad - anything, to make us awestruck and fearful!

Berean Standard Bible

Tell us the things that are to come, so that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do something good or evil, that we may look on together in dismay.

American Standard Version

Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Isaiah 41:23 presents a profound challenge from the Lord God to the false gods and their worshippers, set within a divine courtroom drama. It demands that these purported deities demonstrate their authenticity by accurately predicting future events, or by performing any act, whether good or evil, that would prove their power and existence. This verse serves as a stark contrast between the omniscient and sovereign Creator, who alone declares the end from the beginning, and the impotent, lifeless idols, whose inability to respond reveals their utter falsehood and leads to the dismay of their adherents.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within the "Book of Comfort" in Isaiah (chapters 40-55), a section primarily addressed to the exiles in Babylon, offering hope and reassurance of God's faithfulness and power. Specifically, Isaiah 41 initiates a series of "courtroom scenes" where God puts Himself on trial, inviting other nations and their gods to present their case. The preceding verses, [Isaiah 41:21-22](/isaiah/41-21 "Isaiah 41:21-22 - God challenges the idols"), lay the groundwork by challenging the idols to "bring forth your strong reasons" and "shew us what shall happen." Verse 23 intensifies this challenge, focusing on the unique ability to declare the future as the ultimate proof of deity. The subsequent verses continue to highlight God's sole power to raise up deliverers and accomplish His purposes, further diminishing the stature of idols.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The historical backdrop is the Babylonian exile (586-539 BC), a period of immense national trauma and spiritual crisis for Israel. Displaced from their land and temple, surrounded by the polytheistic culture of Babylon, many Israelites were tempted to question Yahweh's power or even to adopt the worship of foreign deities. The Babylonian pantheon, with its elaborate cults and powerful state-sponsored gods like Marduk, presented a formidable challenge to Israel's monotheistic faith. Isaiah's prophecy, delivered before and during the exile, directly confronts this temptation by demonstrating the absolute supremacy of Yahweh over all other gods. The challenge to predict the future was a common method of validating divine power in the ancient Near East, but only the God of Israel could truly meet it.

* **Key Themes:** Isaiah 41:23 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in the book of Isaiah. Foremost is the theme of **Divine Sovereignty and Omniscience**, asserting that only Yahweh possesses true foreknowledge and the power to declare and bring about future events, as seen throughout the prophetic declarations, such as [Isaiah 46:10](/isaiah/46-10 "Isaiah 46:10 - God declares the end from the beginning"). This directly contrasts with the theme of the **Impotence of Idols**, which are repeatedly depicted as deaf, blind, and utterly powerless, unable to speak, act, or predict, as highlighted in passages like [Isaiah 44:9-20](/isaiah/44 "Isaiah 44 - The Folly of Idolatry"). The verse also reinforces the theme of **God's Uniqueness and Incomparability**, demonstrating that there is no god besides Him, a truth emphasized from [Isaiah 40:18](/isaiah/40-18 "Isaiah 40:18 - To whom then will you liken God?") onwards. Finally, it touches upon the **Exposure of Falsehood**, as the failure of the idols to meet God's challenge will lead to the "dismay" of their worshippers, revealing their deception and folly.

### 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." Here, it is a forceful command for the false gods to publicly declare or predict future events, thereby manifesting their supposed power and knowledge. It's a challenge to produce tangible evidence of their divine claims.
* **hereafter (Hebrew, _ʼâchôwr'_):** Derived from a word meaning "the hinder part," this term refers to "the time to come," "afterward," or "the future." It emphasizes the long-term, unfolding events of history, not just immediate occurrences. God's challenge is not for the idols to guess at the present, but to reveal the comprehensive sweep of what is yet to be, demonstrating a knowledge that transcends human foresight.
* **gods (Hebrew, _ʼĕlôhîym'_):** This is the plural form of _ʼĕlôah_, meaning "gods in the ordinary sense." While often used for the supreme God (Yahweh), here it refers to the pagan deities being challenged. The use of the plural underscores the polytheistic context, yet the thrust of the verse is to prove that these "gods" are nothing more than lifeless idols, utterly devoid of the divine attributes they claim.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Shew the things that are to come hereafter":** This is the primary challenge. God demands that the false gods demonstrate their purported divinity by revealing future events. This is a direct test of their omniscience and ability to control or foresee history, a quality that Scripture consistently attributes only to the one true God.
* **"that we may know that ye [are] gods":** The purpose of the challenge is explicit: to provide irrefutable proof of their deity. If they could genuinely predict the future, it would validate their claims to divine power and knowledge. The implied outcome, however, is their failure, which serves to expose their impotence.
* **"yea, do good, or do evil":** This is a sarcastic and contemptuous dare. God challenges the idols to perform *any* act, whether beneficial or harmful. This highlights their utter lack of agency and power. They cannot even perform a simple, observable action, let alone control the vast complexities of the future. This clause emphasizes their non-existence as active entities.
* **"that we may be dismayed, and behold [it] together":** The expected outcome of the idols' inability to respond is the "dismay" or shame of their worshippers. The term "dismayed" (Hebrew, _shâʻâh_) implies bewilderment, astonishment, or even terror at the revelation of their gods' powerlessness. The phrase "behold it together" suggests a collective realization and acknowledgment of the idols' impotence by all who witness their failure.

#### Literary Devices
Isaiah 41:23 employs several potent literary devices. **Irony** is prominent, as God challenges the false gods to perform actions that are inherently beyond their capacity, thereby highlighting their impotence. The command to "do good, or do evil" is a masterful use of **sarcasm**, mocking the idols' inability to exert any influence whatsoever. The entire passage functions as a **divine courtroom drama**, with God as the prosecutor and judge, and the idols as the defendants, called to present their case. This creates a highly dramatic and confrontational tone. The **rhetorical question** implied throughout this challenge ("Can they do this? Of course not!") serves to underscore the unique power and sovereignty of Yahweh by contrast. Finally, the use of **contrast** between the living, active God and the lifeless, passive idols is central to the verse's theological message.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 41:23 is a foundational text for understanding the uniqueness of God in His foreknowledge and sovereign control over history. Unlike the gods of the nations, who are mere fabrications of human hands, the Lord God is the living, active, and all-knowing deity who declares the end from the beginning and brings His purposes to pass. This divine attribute of omniscience, particularly regarding future events, is presented as the ultimate proof of His singular deity and distinguishes Him absolutely from all false gods. The challenge to "do good, or do evil" underscores the idols' utter lack of power and agency, serving as a powerful polemic against idolatry and a call for Israel to trust solely in their covenant-keeping God.

* [Isaiah 46:9-10](/isaiah/46-9 "Isaiah 46:9-10 - God declares the end from the beginning") - "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 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."
* [Psalm 115:3-7](/psalm/115-3 "Psalm 115:3-7 - The impotence of idols contrasted with God's sovereignty") - "But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat."
* [Deuteronomy 18:21-22](/deuteronomy/18-21 "Deuteronomy 18:21-22 - The test of a true prophet") - "And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him."

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
In a world saturated with competing ideologies, self-help gurus, and various forms of modern "idolatry"—whether the pursuit of wealth, status, technological advancement, or even human wisdom—Isaiah 41:23 remains profoundly relevant. It calls us to discern what truly holds power and authority in our lives. Just as ancient idols were exposed as powerless, so too will all human constructs and false promises ultimately fail to deliver on their grand claims. This verse challenges us to examine where our ultimate trust and hope lie. Do we seek guidance and security from fleeting trends, human predictions, or material possessions, or do we anchor our souls in the unchanging, all-knowing God who alone holds the future in His hands? Recognizing God's unique ability to declare and control the future offers immense peace and stability amidst life's uncertainties. It invites us to relinquish anxiety about the unknown and instead rest in the sovereign plan of the One who is never surprised and whose purposes will always prevail.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "things that are to come hereafter" cause me the most anxiety or concern in my life today?**
* **In what ways might I be tempted to place my trust in "gods" (e.g., career, finances, relationships, personal abilities) that ultimately have no power to "do good, or do evil" in the ultimate sense?**
* **How does God's unique ability to declare the future impact my daily prayer life and my trust in His promises?**
* **What practical steps can I take to consciously shift my reliance from human wisdom or worldly securities to the sovereign God revealed in Isaiah 41:23?**

### FAQ
**What is the primary purpose of God's challenge to the false gods in Isaiah 41:23?**

Answer: The primary purpose is to expose the utter impotence and non-existence of false gods and, by contrast, to affirm the unique omnipotence and omniscience of the Lord God. By challenging them to predict the future or to perform any action, whether good or evil, God demonstrates that only He possesses true divine power and knowledge. This serves to reassure His people, Israel, that their God is the only true and living God, worthy of their trust, especially during a time of exile and temptation to idolatry. The challenge highlights that the ability to declare and bring about future events is the exclusive prerogative of the one true Creator, as articulated in [Isaiah 46:9-10](/isaiah/46-9 "Isaiah 46:9-10 - God's unique foreknowledge").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 41:23, with its emphasis on God's unique ability to declare and control the future, finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. He is the very embodiment of God's foreknowledge and sovereign power, the one through whom all of God's purposes, declared "hereafter," are brought to pass. The Old Testament prophecies, which the false gods could never utter or fulfill, find their precise and glorious culmination in Christ's birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Jesus Himself demonstrated divine foreknowledge by predicting His own suffering 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 the coming of the Holy Spirit ([John 14:26](/john/14-26 "John 14:26 - The Promise of the Holy Spirit")). Unlike the impotent idols challenged in Isaiah, Christ not only declared the future but actively shaped it, performing mighty works of "good" (healing, teaching, redeeming) and ultimately conquering "evil" (sin and death) through His sacrifice on the cross. He is the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" ([Revelation 13:8](/revelation/13-8 "Revelation 13:8 - The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world")), demonstrating that God's plan was laid out and declared from eternity past. Thus, in Christ, we see the perfect realization of the sovereign God who "shews the things that are to come hereafter," proving Himself to be the one true God, worthy of all worship and trust, for "in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" ([Colossians 2:9](/colossians/2-9 "Colossians 2:9 - The fullness of God in Christ")).

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

John 13:19

Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am [he].

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.

Jeremiah 10:5

They [are] upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also [is it] in them to do good.

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 44:8

Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared [it]? ye [are] even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, [there is] no God; I know not [any].

Isaiah 45:7

I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these [things].

Isaiah 45:8

Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.