Isaiah 41:4 (DRB)

Passage

Who hath wrought and done these things, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, I am the first and the last.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 41:2 Who hath raised up the just one from the east, hath called him to follow him? he shall give the nations in his sight, and he shall rule over kings: he shall give them as the dust to his sword, as stubble driven by the wind, to his bow.

Isaiah 41:3 He shall pursue them, he shall pass in peace, no path shall appear after his feet.

Isaiah 41:4 Who hath wrought and done these things, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, I am the first and the last.

Isaiah 41:5 The islands saw it, and feared, the ends of the earth were astonished, they drew near, and came.

Isaiah 41:6 Every one shall help his neighbour, and shall say to his brother: Be of good courage.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hath", "wrought", "done", "things", "calling", "generations", "beginning", and "lord". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hath" and "wrought", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "He shall pursue them he shall pass..." into verse 5's "The islands saw it and feared the...", so "hath" and "wrought" 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 "hath" and "wrought" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.