Isaiah 41:16

Joy Israel and the nations

¹⁴ Do not fear, O worm of Jacob, O few men of Israel. I will help you,” declares the LORD. “Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁵ Behold, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.

You will winnow them, and a wind will carry them away; a gale will scatter them. But you will rejoice in the LORD; you will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁷ The poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

¹⁸ I will open rivers on the barren heights, and fountains in the middle of the valleys. I will turn the desert into a pool of water, and the dry land into flowing springs.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: You will winnow them, and a wind will carry them away; a gale will scatter them. But you will rejoice in the LORD; you will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
KJV: Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
WEB: You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, and the whirlwind will scatter them. You will rejoice in the LORD. You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
ASV: Thou shalt winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them; and thou shalt rejoice in Jehovah, thou shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
DARBY: thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them; and thou shalt rejoice in Jehovah, thou shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
BLB: You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, and the tempest will scatter them; and you will rejoice in YHWH; you will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

ÅB: Du skal kaste dem med skovl, og vind skal føre dem bort, og storm skal sprede dem; men du skal fryde deg i Herren, rose deg av Israels Hellige.
OTB: Du skal kaste dem, og vinden skal bære dem bort, og en storm skal spre dem. Men du skal glede deg i Herren og rose deg i Israels Hellige.
B1930: Du skal kaste dem med skovl, og vind skal føre dem bort, og storm skal sprede dem; men du skal fryde dig i Herren, rose dig av Israels Hellige.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Jeremiah 51:2
I will send strangers to Babylon to winnow her and empty her land; for they will come against her from every side in her day of disaster.
Read in context
Isaiah 61:10–11
I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom wears a priestly headdress, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Read in context
Isaiah 45:24–25
Surely they will say of Me, ‘In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.’” All who rage against Him will come to Him and be put to shame.
Read in context
Habakkuk 3:18
yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!
Read in context
Jeremiah 9:23–24
This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches.
Read in context
Jeremiah 15:7
I will scatter them with a winnowing fork at the gates of the land. I will bereave and destroy My people who have not turned from their ways.
Read in context
Matthew 3:12
His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Read in context
Isaiah 12:6
Cry out and sing, O citizen of Zion, for great among you is the Holy One of Israel.”
Read in context