Isaiah 41:14 (YLT)

Passage

Fear not, O worm Jacob, ye men of Israel, I helped thee, an affirmation of Jehovah, Even thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 41:12 Thou seekest them, and findest them not, The men who debate with thee, They are as nothing, yea, as nothing, The men who war with thee.

Isaiah 41:13 For I, Jehovah thy God, Am strengthening thy right hand, He who is saying to thee, `Fear not, I have helped thee.'

Isaiah 41:14 Fear not, O worm Jacob, ye men of Israel, I helped thee, an affirmation of Jehovah, Even thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 41:15 Lo, I have set thee for a new sharp threshing instrument, Possessing teeth, thou threshest mountains, And beatest small, and hills as chaff thou makest.

Isaiah 41:16 Thou winnowest them, and a wind lifteth them up, And a whirlwind scattereth them, And thou--thou rejoicest in Jehovah, In the Holy One of Israel dost boast thyself.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fear", "worm", "jacob", "israel", "helped", "thee", "affirmation", and "jehovah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fear" and "worm", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "For I Jehovah thy God Am strengthening..." into verse 15's "Lo I have set thee for a...", so "fear" and "worm" 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 "fear" and "worm" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.