Isaiah 41:5 (DRB)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

Isaiah 41:7 The coppersmith striking with the hammer encouraged him that forged at that time, saying: It is ready for soldering: and he strengthened it with nails, that it should not be moved.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "islands", "feared", "ends", "earth", "astonished", "drew", "near", and "came". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "islands" and "feared", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "Who hath wrought and done these things..." into verse 6's "Every one shall help his neighbour and...", so "islands" and "feared" 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 "islands" and "feared" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.