When I look, there is no man, even among them there is no counselor who, when I ask of them, can answer a word.
Parallel Translations
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When I look, there is no man, even among them there is no counselor who, when I ask of them, can answer a word.
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For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
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And I look, but there is no man; even among them, but there is no counsellor, that, when I ask of them, can give an answer.
Cross-references (7)
Passages linked to Isaiah 41:28 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Isaiah 63:5 I looked, and there was no one to help; and I wondered that there was no one to uphold. Therefore my own arm brought salvation to me. My own wrath upheld me.
- Isaiah 40:13-14 Who has directed Yahweh’s Spirit, or has taught him as his counselor? Who did he take counsel with, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?
- Isaiah 50:2 Why, when I came, was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it can’t redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea. I make the rivers a wilderness. Their fish stink because there is no water, and die of thirst.
- Isaiah 59:16 He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor. Therefore his own arm brought salvation to him; and his righteousness sustained him.
- Daniel 2:10-11 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, “There is not a man on the earth who can show the king’s matter, because no king, lord, or ruler, has asked such a thing of any magician, or enchanter, or Chaldean. It is a rare thing that the king requires, and there is no other who can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
- Daniel 4:7-8 Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in; and I told the dream before them; but they didn’t make known to me its interpretation. But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. I told the dream before him, saying,
- Daniel 5:8 Then all the king’s wise men came in; but they could not read the writing, and couldn’t make known to the king the interpretation.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (14 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain When I looked whether the idols could do these…
When I looked whether the idols could do these things, I found that they had neither wisdom nor power to do anything: therefore he concludeth that all are wicked, that trust in such vanities.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Isa 41:28 For I beheld, and [there was] no…
Isa 41:28 For I beheld, and [there was] no man; even among them, and [there was] no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
Ver. 28. For I beheld, and there was no man.] None to say anything for these dumb idols, why I should not pass a definitive sentence against them. It is, therefore, this -
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain For I beheld, Heb. And I beheld; I looked…
For I beheld, Heb. And I beheld; I looked about me to see if I could find any man of them that could certainly and of themselves foretell such future events.
No man; not any, to wit, of the idols; for the word man is sometimes used by the Hebrews of brute creatures, and even of lifeless things, as Isa 34:15; 40:26, and elsewhere.
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There was no counsellor; though these idols were oft consulted, and by the help of the devil did sometimes deliver oracles, yet none of them were able to give any solid and certain advice concerning future things.
That, when I asked of them, could answer a word; when I tried their divinity by this character, they had nothing to say for themselves.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain For I beheld, and there was no man,.... Among…
For I beheld, and there was no man,.... Among all the Pagan priests and prophets, that could foretell things to come; or could prove that their idols did or could say anything in favour of them:
even amongst them, and there was no counsellor: none that could be advocates for these idols, and plead their cause; or could give any good advice and counsel to persons that needed it, and who applied to them or their idols for it:
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that, when I asked of them, could answer a word; when asked what they had to say on behalf of their gods they worshipped, were dumb and speechless; moreover, all this may be said of the idols themselves, that there was none among them that could foretell a future event, or give any wholesome counsel to their worshippers, or could say anything in their own defence; and therefore, to close the controversy, the following sentence is pronounced.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain For - I looked to see if I could…
For - I looked to see if I could find any man that could foretel future events. No man - Not any, of the idols; for the word man is sometimes used by the Hebrew of brute creatures, and even of lifeless things. No counsellor - Though these idols were often consulted, yet none of them were able to give any solid and certain advice concerning future things.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 28. Among them - "Among the idols"] For…
Verse 28. Among them - "Among the idols"] For ומאלה umeelleh, I read ומאלים umeellim, with the Septuagint, και απο των ειδωλων, "and from or among the idols." See Ex 15:11; Isa 57:5.
R. D. Kimchi has many good observations on this chapter. Bishop Lowth follows him in applying it to Abraham, and not to Cyrus; the whole being spoken in the past tense, which is not used, or rarely, in such a case for the future. Almost the whole of the rabbins understand it of Abraham. On Kimchi's plan, the following is a paraphrase.
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The righteous man - Abram, from the east - the land of his nativity, called the land of the children of the east, Ge 29:1.
Brought him to his feet - Whithersoever his feet went, he preached righteousness and truth; as it is written, "There he proclaimed in the name of JEHOVAH," Ge 21:31. And he called it ויקראהו vaiyikraehu - that is, צרק tsedek, righteousness, to his feet, enabled him to hold it forth wherever he went.
He called the nations - To leave their idols and worship him who made the universe. He taught them the way of righteousness, truth, and faith. Was there ever a prodigy like to this? A man who had been an idolater, rising up against all the nations of the earth, reproving their faith, and not fearing before them nor their kings! Who stirred up his heart to do this? Was it not the Lord?
Gave the nations before him - And made him rule over kings - Chedorlaomer, and the kings which were with him: whom the Lord gave as dust to his sword, and stubble to his bow.
He pursued them - He and his three hundred and eighteen servants.
He passed safely - שלום shalom for בשלום beshalom, in safety; so said, because he lost not one of his men in this expedition. See Kimchi.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Isa 41:28-29. For I beheld — I looked to…
Isa 41:28-29. For I beheld — I looked to see if I could find any of them that could certainly foretel future events; and there was no man — Not any of the idols; for the word man is sometimes used by the Hebrews of brute creatures, and even of lifeless things. There was no counsellor — Though these idols were often consulted, yet none of them were able to give any solid or certain advice concerning future things. Behold, they are all vanity — This is the conclusion of the whole dispute, and the just sentence which God passes upon idols: they are vain things, and falsely called gods. Their molten images are wind — Empty and unsatisfying things, and which, like the wind, do quickly pass away and come to nothing; and confusion — Confused, useless things, like that rude heap in the beginning of God’s creation, of which this word, תהו, is used, Gen 1:2. He mentions molten images particularly, because their materials were most precious, and more cost and art were commonly bestowed upon them than upon others: but under these he comprehends all images whatsoever.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain For I beheld - I looked upon the pagan…
For I beheld - I looked upon the pagan world, among all the pretended prophets, and the priests of pagan idolatry.
And there was no man - No man among them who could predict these future events.
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No counselor - No one qualified to give counsel, or that could anticipate by his sagacity what would take place.
That, when I asked of them - In the manner referred to in this chapter. There is no one of whom it could be inquired what would take place in future times.
Could answer a word - They were unable to discern what would come to pass, or to predict the events which are referred to here.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain I. Isaias, (Menochius) or God, (Haydock) pronounces sentence against…
I. Isaias, (Menochius) or God, (Haydock) pronounces sentence against the speechless idols. (Menochius)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain no counsellor--no one of the idolatrous soothsayers who could…
no counsellor--no one of the idolatrous soothsayers who could inform (Num 24:14) those who consulted them what would take place. Compare "counsel of His messenger" (Isa 44:26).
when I asked--that is, challenged them, in this chapter.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 28, 29. I beheld — All opportunities were given…
28, 29. I beheld — All opportunities were given the prophets of idolatry, pagan priests, soothsayers, necromancers, etc., to furnish the first indication of predictive power; but not one ever appeared.
There was no man — No one among all the pretenders, no idol divinity, could answer a word.
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They are all vanity — Nothingness. Idol and his worshippers are utter nothingness! All among them, when they attempt to speak, are wind and confusion.
The address is thus rounded off in this last return to the idol priests and prophets with whom it first started. The first part, as some divide it, (Isa_41:1-24,) contains the judicial pleadings; the second part, (Isa_41:25-29,) recapitulates the evidence and the verdict.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 28. For I beheld, and there was] Rather as…
28. For I beheld, and there was] Rather as R.V. And when I look, there is. Cf. Isa_50:2 even amongst them] Better: and among these, viz., the idols; the previous clause referring to their worshippers.
no counseller] None who can advise in the present crisis.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (28) For I beheld, and there was no man—i.e.,…
(28) For I beheld, and there was no man—i.e., no one who had foretold the future. Jehovah, speaking through the prophet, looks round in vain for that.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain For I beheld. "Jehovah once more looks round to…
For I beheld. "Jehovah once more looks round to see if any of the idols possess an ability to prophesy, but in vain" (Cheyne). He finds no counsellor, i.e. no prophet, among them. Hence the final "outburst of scorn" in ver. 29, which, however, is directed primarily against the idol-worshippers, and, only through them, against the idols.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.