Discovery BoxIsaiah 41:21-24 
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
41:24 Look, you are nothing, and your accomplishments are nonexistent;
the one who chooses to worship you is disgusting. 8
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 Heb “an object of disgust [is he who] chooses you.”
