complete verse (Isaiah 41:12)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 41:12:

  • Kupsabiny: “You shall look around but you will not see your enemies.
    Those people who fight you shall get lost/perish.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Even if you search and search for your enemies you will not be able to find them.
    Those who wage war against you will also become ineffective and will be destroyed.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Even if you (sing.) look for your (sing.) enemies you (sing.) will- no-longer -find them. They who fight-against you (sing.) will-become worthless.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 41:12

This verse repeats many of the same ideas in the previous one.

You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them: Israel will look for its enemies, but it will not be able to find them because all of them will have been destroyed. New International Version says “Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them,” and Bible en français courant has “You will search in vain for any trace of those who attack you.”

Those who war against you shall be as nothing at all: Those who war against you is literally “the men of your war.” It may be rendered “those who fight against you” or simply “your enemies.” Shall be as nothing repeats part of the previous verse. At all is literally “and as something that has ceased to exist.” It is similar in meaning to shall be as nothing. These synonymous expressions emphasize the complete destruction of Israel’s enemies.

There are two ways to divide the Hebrew structure of this verse. The text can be read literally as “You will seek them and you will not find them—the men of your contention; they will be as nothing and as nonexistence—the men of your war” (so Revised Standard Version), or as “You will seek them and you will not find them; the men of your contention will be as nothing; and as nonexistence the men of your war” (so third example below). The second reading recognizes the chiasmus in the second half of the verse: men of your contention > as nothing > < as nonexistence < men of your war. However, the Hebrew markers used to show how the words are related to each other in Masoretic Text support the first reading, so all the versions consulted follow it. Good News Translation reduces this verse to one line to avoid the repetition. However, repetition is an important part of Hebrew poetry, so translators should retain it if possible. The GNB Study Bible keeps it here in a note, saying “You will look for those who oppose you, but not find them; those who make war against you will be reduced to nothing.” Other translation examples for this verse are:

• If you go looking for those who fight against you,
you will never find them;
those who fight against you
will be reduced to nothing and will vanish.

• You may search for those who oppose you,
but you will not find any of them;
those who fight against you will disappear completely.

• You may look for them,
but you will never find them;
those who oppose you will be as nothing,
as nonexistent those who war against you.

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 .