Isaiah 41:28
New International Version
I look but there is no one— no one among the gods to give counsel, no one to give answer when I ask them.

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

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

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.

King James Bible
For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counseller, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.

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 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.

NASB 1995
“But when I look, there is no one, And there is no counselor among them Who, if I ask, can give an answer.

NASB 1977
“But when I look, there is no one, And there is no counselor among them Who, if I ask, can give an answer.

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

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.

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.

Holman 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.

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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
I looked and there was no man who thought upon these things, that I would ask them and they would give me an answer

Brenton Septuagint Translation
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.

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

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.

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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When I look, there is no one. There is no one to advise them. When I ask them a question, will they give 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.

International Standard Version
But when I look, there is no one— among them there's no one to give counsel, no one to give an answer when I ask them.

JPS Tanakh 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.

Literal Standard Version
And I see that there is no man, | Indeed, of these that there is no counselor, | And I ask them, and they return word:

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

New American Bible
When I look, there is not one, not one of them to give counsel, to make an answer when I question them.

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

New Heart 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.

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.

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

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:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Meaningless Idols
27I was the first to tell Zion: ‘Look, here they are!’ And I gave to Jerusalem a herald of good news. 28When I look, there is no one; there is no counselor among them; when I ask them, they have nothing to say. 29See, they are all a delusion; their works amount to nothing; their images are as empty as the wind.…

Cross References
Isaiah 40:13
Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or informed Him as His counselor?

Isaiah 40:14
Whom did He consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the paths of justice? Who imparted knowledge to Him and showed Him the way of understanding?

Isaiah 46:7
They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles.

Isaiah 50:2
Why was no one there when I arrived? Why did no one answer when I called? Is My hand too short to redeem you? Or do I lack the strength to deliver you? Behold, My rebuke dries up the sea; I turn the rivers into a desert; the fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst.

Isaiah 59:16
He saw that there was no man; He was amazed that there was no one to intercede. So His own arm brought salvation, and His own righteousness sustained Him.

Isaiah 63:5
I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled that no one assisted. So My arm brought Me salvation, and My own wrath upheld Me.

Isaiah 65:12
I will destine you for the sword, and you will all kneel down to be slaughtered, because I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen; you did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight."


Treasury of Scripture

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.

I beheld

Isaiah 63:5
And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.

Daniel 2:10,11
The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean…

Daniel 4:7,8
Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof…

answer.

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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.














(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.

Verse 28. - 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.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When I look,
וְאֵ֙רֶא֙ (wə·’ê·re)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - first person common singular
Strong's 7200: To see

there is no
וְאֵ֣ין (wə·’ên)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

one;
אִ֔ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

there is no
וְאֵ֣ין (wə·’ên)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

counselor
יוֹעֵ֑ץ (yō·w·‘êṣ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3289: To advise, to deliberate, resolve

among them;
וּמֵאֵ֖לֶּה (ū·mê·’êl·leh)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

when I ask them,
וְאֶשְׁאָלֵ֖ם (wə·’eš·’ā·lêm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7592: To inquire, to request, to demand

they have nothing to say.
וְיָשִׁ֥יבוּ (wə·yā·šî·ḇū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 41:28 When I look there is no man (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 41:27
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