In this verse God concludes by telling his people that he has accurately predicted past events and he will now predict new events (compare 41.21-29; 48.3-8). The word Behold calls the servant’s attention to this conclusion.

The former things have come to pass: The meaning here is not just that past events have happened, but that they have happened as God had predicted. One of these events is the Babylonian Exile. For the former things, see the comments on 41.22. In Hebrew the word rendered the former things occurs first in the clause to emphasize it. Good News Translation provides a helpful model for this whole clause, saying “The things I predicted have now come true.” Revised English Bible is similar with “The earlier prophecies have come to pass.” Another possible model is “What I said was going to happen has in fact happened.”

And new things I now declare: Now God announces future events accurately. One of these events is the return of the Israelites from exile. God will use his agent, Cyrus the Persian emperor, to make this happen. In Hebrew the word rendered new things occurs first in the clause to emphasize it in contrast to the former things. I now declare translates a Hebrew participle, so it refers to a present action. Declare may be rendered “announce” or “tell about.”

Before they spring forth I tell you of them is parallel and synonymous with the previous line. Before they spring forth is a figurative way of saying “before something will happen.” Good News Translation has “even before they begin to happen.” I tell you of them may be rendered “I am letting you hear/know about them.” The pronoun you is plural in Hebrew, referring to God’s people. Earlier in this subsection God addressed his servant since the pronoun “you” in verse 6 is singular, but here he speaks to his people. For this whole line Revised English Bible has “before they unfold, I announce them to you.”

Translation examples for this verse are:

• Look, past events that I predicted have happened;
now I am announcing new things,
before they take place I am letting you know about them.”

• See, what I said would happen in the past has come true;
I am about to declare to you some new events,
I am telling you about them before they take place.”

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .