Isaiah 41:29 (DBY)

Passage

Behold, they are all vanity, their works are nought, their molten images are wind and emptiness.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 41:27 The first, [I said] to Zion, Behold, behold them! and to Jerusalem, I will give one that bringeth glad tidings.

Isaiah 41:28 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.

Isaiah 41:29 Behold, they are all vanity, their works are nought, their molten images are wind and emptiness.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "behold", "vanity", "works", "nought", "molten", "images", "wind", and "emptiness". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "behold" and "vanity", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "And I beheld and there was no...", giving immediate footing for "behold" and "vanity". 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 "behold" and "vanity" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.