Isaiah 41:25
New International Version
“I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes— one from the rising sun who calls on my name. He treads on rulers as if they were mortar, as if he were a potter treading the clay.

New Living Translation
“But I have stirred up a leader who will approach from the north. From the east he will call on my name. I will give him victory over kings and princes. He will trample them as a potter treads on clay.

English Standard Version
I stirred up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, and he shall call upon my name; he shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter treads clay.

Berean Standard Bible
I have raised up one from the north, and he has come—one from the east who calls on My name. He will march over rulers as if they were mortar, like a potter who treads the clay.

King James Bible
I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.

New King James Version
“I have raised up one from the north, And he shall come; From the rising of the sun he shall call on My name; And he shall come against princes as though mortar, As the potter treads clay.

New American Standard Bible
“I have put one from the north into motion, and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My name; And he will come upon rulers as upon mortar, As the potter treads on clay.”

NASB 1995
“I have aroused one from the north, and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My name; And he will come upon rulers as upon mortar, Even as the potter treads clay.”

NASB 1977
“I have aroused one from the north, and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My name; And he will come upon rulers as upon mortar, Even as the potter treads clay.”

Legacy Standard Bible
“I have awakened one from the north, and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My name; And he will come upon officials as upon mortar, Even as the potter treads clay.”

Amplified Bible
“I have stirred up and put into action one from the north [the king of Persia, Cyrus the Great], and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My Name [in prayer]. And he will trample on [the Babylonian] officials as on mortar, Even as a potter treads clay.”

Christian Standard Bible
“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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I have raised 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.

American Standard Version
I have raised up one from the north, and he is come; from the rising of the sun one that calleth upon my name: and he shall come upon rulers as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay.

Contemporary English Version
I, the LORD, appointed a ruler in the north; now he comes from the east to honor my name. He tramples kings like mud, as potters trample clay.

English Revised Version
I have raised up one from the north, and he is come; from the rising of the sun one that calleth upon my name: and he shall come upon rulers as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"I have raised up someone from the north, and he has come. He will call on my name from the east. He will attack rulers as if they were mud, as if he were treading on clay like a potter.

Good News Translation
"I have chosen a man who lives in the east; I will bring him to attack from the north. He tramples on rulers as if they were mud, like a potter trampling clay.

International Standard Version
"You are stirring up one from the north, and they are coming from the rising of the sun; and he will be called by his name. Rulers will arrive like mud; just like a potter, he will trample the clay.

Majority Standard Bible
I have raised up one from the north, and he has come—one from the east who calls on My name. He will march over rulers as if they were mortar, like a potter who treads the clay.

NET Bible
I have stirred up one out of the north and he advances, one from the eastern horizon who prays in my name. He steps on rulers as if they were clay, like a potter treading the clay.

New Heart English Bible
"I have raised up one from the north, and he has come; from the rising of the sun, one who calls on my name; and he shall come on rulers as on mortar, and as the potter treads clay.

Webster's Bible Translation
I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay.

World English Bible
“I have raised up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, one who calls on my name, and he shall come on rulers as on mortar, and as the potter treads clay.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
I have stirred up [one] from the north, "" And he comes, "" From the rising of the sun he calls in My Name, "" And he comes in [on] prefects as [on] clay, "" And as a potter treads down mire.

Young's Literal Translation
I have stirred up one from the north, And he cometh, From the rising of the sun he calleth in My name, And he cometh in on prefects as on clay, And as a potter treadeth down mire.

Smith's Literal Translation
I roused up from the north, and he will come: from the rising of the sun he shall call upon my name: and he shall come upon prefects as clay, and as the potter will tread down the mud.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come from the rising of the sun: he shall call upon my name, and he shall make princes to be as dirt, and as the potter treading clay.

Catholic Public Domain Version
I have raised up one from the north, and he will arrive from the rising of the sun. He will call upon my name, and he will reduce magistrates to mud, like a potter working with clay.

New American Bible
I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes; from the east I summon him by name; He shall trample the rulers down like mud, like a potter treading clay.

New Revised Standard Version
I stirred up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun he was summoned by name. He shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter treads clay.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I have stirred up one from the north, and he shall come from the rising of the sun, and shall call on my name; and the princes shall come, and shall be trodden down like mortar, and as the potter treads clay.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
I have roused from the North him who will come from the dawning the sun, and he will cry out in my Name, and the Rulers shall come and they shall be trodden as clay that a potter treads
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
I have roused up one from the north, and he is come, From the rising of the sun one that calleth upon My name; And he shall come upon rulers as upon mortar, And as the potter treadeth clay.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But I have raised up him that comes from the north, and him that comes from the rising of the sun: they shall be called by my name: let the princes come, and as potter's clay, and as a potter treading clay, so shall ye be trodden down.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Meaningless Idols
24Behold, you are nothing and your work is of no value. Anyone who chooses you is detestable. 25I have raised up one from the north, and he has come— one from the east who calls on My name. He will march over rulers as if they were mortar, like a potter who treads the clay. 26Who has declared this from the beginning, so that we may know, and from times past, so that we may say: ‘He was right’? No one announced it, no one foretold it, no one heard your words.…

Cross References
Isaiah 45:1-3
This is what the LORD says to Cyrus His anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him, to disarm kings, to open the doors before him, so that the gates will not be shut: / “I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron. / I will give you the treasures of darkness and the riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by name.

Isaiah 46:11
I summon a bird of prey from the east, a man for My purpose from a far-off land. Truly I have spoken, and truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, and I will surely do it.

Jeremiah 50:41-42
Behold, an army is coming from the north; a great nation and many kings are stirred up from the ends of the earth. / They grasp the bow and spear; they are cruel and merciless. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride upon horses, lined up like men in formation against you, O Daughter of Babylon.

Jeremiah 51:27-28
“Raise a banner in the land! Blow the ram’s horn among the nations! Prepare the nations against her. Summon the kingdoms against her—Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a captain against her; bring up horses like swarming locusts. / Prepare the nations for battle against her—the kings of the Medes, their governors and all their officials, and all the lands they rule.

Habakkuk 1:6
For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans—that ruthless and impetuous nation which marches through the breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own.

Daniel 2:44
In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever.

Daniel 7:13-14
In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. / And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Zechariah 6:8
Then the LORD summoned me and said, “Behold, those going to the land of the north have given rest to My Spirit in the land of the north.”

Zechariah 9:13
For I will bend Judah as My bow and fit it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece. I will make you like the sword of a mighty man.

Malachi 1:11
For My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place, incense and pure offerings will be presented in My name, because My name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD of Hosts.

Matthew 24:27
For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Matthew 28:18
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.

Luke 1:78-79
because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the Dawn will visit us from on high, / to shine on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

John 12:15
“Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion. See, your King is coming, seated on the colt of a donkey.”

Acts 2:33
Exalted, then, to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.


Treasury of Scripture

I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call on my name: and he shall come on princes as on mortar, and as the potter treads clay.

I have.

raised

Isaiah 21:2
A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

Isaiah 44:28
That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

Isaiah 45:1-6,13
Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; …

shall he call

Ezra 1:2,3
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah…

come upon

Isaiah 41:2
Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.

Isaiah 10:6
I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

2 Samuel 22:43
Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad.

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Isaiah 41
1. God expostulates with his people, about his mercies to the church.
10. About his promises
21. And about the vanity of idols.














I have raised up one from the north
This phrase indicates God's sovereign action in raising a leader or deliverer. The Hebrew root for "raised up" is "עוּר" (ur), which means to awaken or stir up. This suggests divine intervention and purpose. Historically, this is often interpreted as a reference to Cyrus the Great, who came from the region of Persia, which is north of Babylon. God's ability to orchestrate history to fulfill His purposes is a central theme here, emphasizing His control over nations and leaders.

and he has come
The phrase "and he has come" signifies the fulfillment of God's plan. The Hebrew verb "בּוֹא" (bo) means to come or enter, indicating the arrival of this leader on the scene of history. This reflects the certainty and inevitability of God's plans coming to fruition. It reassures believers that God's promises are sure and will be accomplished in His timing.

from the rising of the sun
This phrase poetically describes the east, as the sun rises in the east. The Hebrew word "מִזְרָח" (mizrach) is used here, which can mean the place of sunrise or the east. This further supports the identification of Cyrus, as Persia is to the east of Babylon. It also symbolizes enlightenment and new beginnings, suggesting that God's deliverance brings light and hope to His people.

he calls on My name
The phrase "he calls on My name" indicates recognition and acknowledgment of God's authority. The Hebrew word "קָרָא" (qara) means to call or proclaim. This suggests that the leader, though a Gentile, acknowledges the God of Israel. Historically, Cyrus is known for allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, an act that aligns with God's purposes and demonstrates His influence over even non-Israelite rulers.

He will trample rulers as if they were mortar
This vivid imagery of trampling rulers "as if they were mortar" conveys the ease and completeness of the leader's conquests. The Hebrew word "דָּכָא" (daka) means to crush or trample. Mortar, being a soft and malleable substance, symbolizes the fragility and weakness of human power when confronted with God's chosen instrument. This serves as a reminder of the futility of opposing God's will and the ultimate triumph of His plans.

like a potter treading the clay
The comparison to "a potter treading the clay" further emphasizes the theme of sovereignty and control. The potter, a common biblical metaphor for God, shapes and molds the clay according to his will. The Hebrew word "יָצַר" (yatsar) means to form or fashion. This imagery underscores God's creative power and authority over nations and leaders, shaping history to fulfill His divine purposes. It inspires believers to trust in God's perfect plan and His ability to bring about His will, regardless of human opposition.

(25) I have raised up one from the north.--The north points to Media, the east to Persia, both of them under the rule of the great Deliverer.

Shall he call upon my name.--The word admits equally of the idea of "invoking" or "proclaiming." It may almost be said, indeed, that the one implies the other. The words find a fulfilment in the proclamations of Cyrus cited in 2Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:2-4

He shall come upon princes.--The Hebrew noun Sagan is a transitional form of a Persian (Delitzch) or Assyrian (Cheyne) title for a viceroy or satrap.

As the potter treadeth clay.--Commonly the image describes the immediate action of Jehovah. (Jeremiah 18:6; Jeremiah 19:10). Here it is used for the supreme dominance of His instrument. . . .

Verse 25. - It remains for Jehovah to plead his own cause, to vindicate his own Divinity. He adduces, as proof of his power in action, the fact of his raising up Cyrus; as proof of his ability to predict, the fact that he has announced his coming. One from the north... from the rising of the sun. Both as a Persian, and as King of Elam, Cyrus might be considered to come from the east. In fact, however, when he attacked Babylon, he fell upon it mainly from the north. After his conquest of Astyages (Istivegu), he made Ecbatana his capital (Herod., 1:153); and it was from this comparatively northern city that he directed his attack upon Nabonidus. His march lay by way of Arbela ('Transactions of the Society of Bibl. Archaeol.,' vol. 7. p. 159) and Sippara (ibid., p. 165), through the district called Akkad to the Chaldean capital. Herodotus agrees with the monuments in bringing him to Babylon from the north. Shall he call upon my Name; or, shall he. proclaim my Name. (For the actual proclamation of Jehovah's Name by Cyros, see Ezra 1:3; and note especially the phrase, "He [i.e. Jehovah] is the God.") Recent discoveries have raised the suspicion that Cyrus was a eyncretist, who was willing to accept the chief god of any nation as identical with his own Ormuzd. But it is to be borne in 'mind that the document which has produced this impression is one issued by the priestly authorities of Babylon in their own language, and may have been quite unknown to the Persian court. Cyrus may have been a better Zoroastrian than he is represented by the priests of Merodach. The Zoroastrian religion was, as Delitzsch observes, "nearest to the Jewish religion of all the systems of heathenism" (see . Ancient Monarchies,' vol. 3. pp. 93-117; and comp. Pusey, 'Lectures on Daniel,' pp. 530-550). He shall come upon princes as upon mortar; i.e. he shall tread them underfoot, mortar being commonly mixed with the feet, as was also clay for bricks and pottery (Herod., 2:36). The chief" princes" whom Cyrus is known to have conquered were Astyages of Media, Croesus of Lydia, and Nabenidus of Babylon. He was studiously mild in his treatment of royal captives, but naturally deprived them of all power.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“I have raised up
הַעִיר֤וֹתִי (ha·‘î·rō·w·ṯî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5782: To rouse oneself, awake

[one] from the north,
מִצָּפוֹן֙ (miṣ·ṣā·p̄ō·wn)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6828: Hidden, dark, the north as a, quarter

and he has come—
וַיַּ֔את (way·yaṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 857: To arrive

one from the east
מִמִּזְרַח־ (mim·miz·raḥ-)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4217: Place of sunrise, the east

who calls on
יִקְרָ֣א (yiq·rā)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

My name.
בִשְׁמִ֑י (ḇiš·mî)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 8034: A name

He will march over
וְיָבֹ֤א (wə·yā·ḇō)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

rulers
סְגָנִים֙ (sə·ḡā·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5461: A prefect of a, province

as if
כְּמוֹ־ (kə·mōw-)
Preposition
Strong's 3644: Like, as, when

they were mortar,
חֹ֔מֶר (ḥō·mer)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2563: A bubbling up, of water, a wave, of earth, mire, clay, a heap, a chomer, dry measure

like
וּכְמ֥וֹ (ū·ḵə·mōw)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 3644: Like, as, when

a potter
יוֹצֵ֖ר (yō·w·ṣêr)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3335: To mould into a, form, as a, potter, to determine

who treads
יִרְמָס־ (yir·mās-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7429: To tread upon

the clay.
טִֽיט׃ (ṭîṭ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2916: Mud, clay, calamity


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 41:25 I have raised up one (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 41:24
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