Isaiah 41:28

Christian Standard Bible ®

When I look, there is no one;there is no counselor among them;when I ask them, they have nothing to say.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
When I look, there is no man: even among them there is no counselor who, when I ask of them, can answer a word.

King James Version
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.

English Standard Version
But when I look, there is no one; among these there is no counselor who, when I ask, gives an answer.

New American Standard Bible
"But when I look, there is no one, And there is no counselor among them Who, if I ask, can give an answer.

New Century Version
I look at the idols, but there is not one that can answer. None of them can give advice; none of them can answer my questions.

Amplified Bible
"But when I look [on the pagan prophets and priests], there is no one [who could predict these events], And there is no counselor among them, Who, if I ask, can give an answer.

World English Bible
When I look, there is no man: even among them there is no counselor who, when I ask of them, can answer a word.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But when I behelde, there was none, and when I inquired of them, there was no counsellor, and when I demaunded of them, they answered not a woorde.

Legacy Standard Bible
But I look, and there is no one,And there is no counselor among themWho, if I ask, can respond with a word.

Berean Standard Bible
When I look, there is no one; there is no counselor among them; when I ask them, they have nothing to say.

Contemporary English Version
None of these idols are able to give advice or answer questions.

Complete Jewish Bible
But when I look around, there is no one — not a single one can give counsel, who, when I ask, can give an answer.

Darby Translation
And 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.

Easy-to-Read Version
I looked at those false gods. Not one of them said anything. They had no advice to offer. I asked them questions, but they didn't say a word.

George Lamsa Translation
For I beheld, and there was no man who could meditate about these things, that I might ask him, and that he might give me an answer.

Good News Translation
When I looked among the gods, none of them had a thing to say; not one could answer the questions I asked.

Lexham English Bible
But I look and there is no man, and I look among these and there is no counselor, that I might ask them and they might answer a word.

Literal Translation
But I saw, and there was not a man; and of these, there was not a counselor, that I may ask them, and they could return a word.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But when I cosidre: there is not one amonge the yt prophecieth, nether (when I axe him) yt answereth one worde.

American Standard Version
And when I look, there is no man: even among them there is no counsellor, that, when I ask of them, can answer a word.

Bible in Basic English
And I saw that there was no man, even no wise man among them, who might give an answer to my questions.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.

King James Version (1611)
For I behelde, and there was no man, euen amongst them, and there was no counseller, that when I asked of them, could answere a word.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But when I consider, there is not a man among them, nor any that can geue counsayle, nor that when I examine them that can aunswere one worde.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For from among the nations, behold, there was no one; and of their idols there was none to declare anything: and if I should ask them, Whence are ye? they could not answer me.

English Revised Version
And when I look, there is no man; even among them there is no counsellor, that, when I ask of them, can answer a word.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y siy, and noon was of these, that token councel, and he that was axid, answeride a word.

Update Bible Version
And when I look, there is no man: even among them there is no counselor, that, when I ask of them, can answer a word.

Webster's Bible Translation
For I beheld, and [there was] no man; even among them, and [there was] no counselor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.

New English Translation
I look, but there is no one, among them there is no one who serves as an adviser, that I might ask questions and receive answers.

New King James Version
For I looked, and there was no man; I looked among them, but there was no counselor, Who, when I asked of them, could answer a word.

New Living Translation
Not one of your idols told you this. Not one gave any answer when I asked.

New Life Bible
But I see that there is no one, even no wise man among them, who can answer My questions.

New Revised Standard
But when I look there is no one; among these there is no counselor who, when I ask, gives an answer.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So I look, And there is not, a Man! Even among these And there is none to advise, - That, when I ask them, can answer a word.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And I saw, and there was no one even among them to consult, or who, when I asked, could answer a word.

Revised Standard Version
But when I look there is no one; among these there is no counselor who, when I ask, gives an answer.

Young's Literal Translation
And I see that there is no man, Yea, of these that there is no counsellor, And I ask them, and they return word:

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But when I look, there is no one, And there is no counselor among them Who, if I ask, can give an answer.

Contextual Overview

²¹“Submit your case,” says the Lord.“Present your arguments,” says Jacob’s King. ²²“Let them come and tell uswhat will happen.Tell us the past events,so that we may reflect on themand know the outcome,or tell us the future. ²³Tell us the coming events,then we will know that you are gods.Indeed, do something good or bad,then we will be in awe when we see it. ²⁴Look, you are nothingand your work is worthless.Anyone who chooses you is detestable. ²⁵“I have stirred up one from the north, and he has come,one from the east who invokes my name.He will march over rulers as if they were mud,like a potter who treads the clay. ²⁶Who told about this from the beginning,so that we might know,and from times past,so that we might say, ‘He is right’?No one announced it,no one told it,no one heard your words. ²⁷I was the first to say to Zion,‘Look! Here they are!’And I gave Jerusalem a herald with good news. ²⁸When I look, there is no one;there is no counselor among them;when I ask them, they have nothing to say.²⁹Look, all of them are a delusion;their works are nonexistent;their images are wind and emptiness.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I beheld: Isaiah 63:5, Daniel 2:10, Daniel 2:11, Daniel 4:7, Daniel 4:8, Daniel 5:8

answer: Heb. return

Reciprocal: Luke 20:7 - that Revelation 5:3 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 41:16
“I am not able to,” Joseph answered Pharaoh. “It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

Genesis 41:25
Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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:

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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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.

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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 41:28. 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 Exodus 15:11; Isaiah 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.

The righteous man - Abram, from the east - the land of his nativity, called the land of the children of the east, Genesis 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," Genesis 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.