Discovery BoxIsaiah 41:21-23 
Context41:21 “Present your argument,” says the Lord.
“Produce your evidence,” 1 says Jacob’s king. 2
41:22 “Let them produce evidence! Let them tell us what will happen!
Tell us about your earlier predictive oracles, 3
so we may examine them 4 and see how they were fulfilled. 5
Or decree for us some future events!
41:23 Predict how future events will turn out, 6
so we might know you are gods.
Yes, do something good or bad,
so we might be frightened and in awe. 7
Isaiah 41:26
Context41:26 Who decreed this from the beginning, so we could know?
Who announced it 8 ahead of time, so we could say, ‘He’s correct’?
Indeed, none of them decreed it!
Indeed, none of them announced it!
Indeed, no one heard you say anything!
1 tn Heb “strong [words],” see HALOT 870 s.v. *עֲצֻמוֹת.
2 sn Apparently this challenge is addressed to the pagan idol gods, see vv. 23-24.
3 tn Heb “As for the former things, tell us what they are!”
4 tn Heb “so we might set [them to] our heart.”
5 tn Heb “and might know their outcome.”
6 tn Heb “Declare the coming things, with respect to the end.”
7 tc The translation assumes the Qere (וְנִרְאֶה [vÿnir’eh], from יָרֵא [yare’], “be afraid”).
tn Heb “so we might be frightened and afraid together.” On the meaning of the verb שָׁתָע (shata’), see the note at v. 10.
8 tn The words “who announced it” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The interrogative particle and verb are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
