Isaiah 41:3 (ASV)

Passage

He pursueth them, and passeth on safely, even by a way that he had not gone with his feet.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 41:1 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the peoples renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak; let us come near together to judgment.

Isaiah 41:2 Who hath raised up one from the east, whom he calleth in righteousness to his foot? he giveth nations before him, and maketh him rule over kings; he giveth them as the dust to his sword, as the driven stubble to his bow.

Isaiah 41:3 He pursueth them, and passeth on safely, even by a way that he had not gone with his feet.

Isaiah 41:4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last, I am he.

Isaiah 41:5 The isles have seen, and fear; the ends of the earth tremble; they draw near, and come.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "pursueth", "passeth", "safely", "even", "gone", and "feet". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "pursueth" and "passeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "Who hath raised up one from the..." into verse 4's "Who hath wrought and done it calling...", so "pursueth" and "passeth" belong inside that flow. In Isaiah context, the local focus is the Holy One of Israel, judgment and restoration, the servant of the LORD, and Zion's hope.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "pursueth" and "passeth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.