Isaiah 41:12

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

You will search for your enemies, but you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing, as non-existent.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

תְּבַקְשֵׁם֙ וְלֹ֣א תִמְצָאֵ֔ם אַנְשֵׁ֖י מַצֻּתֶ֑ךָ יִהְי֥וּ כְאַ֛יִן וּכְאֶ֖פֶס אַנְשֵׁ֥י מִלְחַמְתֶּֽךָ׃

Transliteration

təḇaqšēm wəlōʾ timṣāʾēm ʾanšê maṣṣuteḵā yihyû ḵəʾayin ûḵəʾepes ʾanšê milḥamteḵā

Grammar Details

• *təḇaqšēm*: verb, piel imperfect 2nd person masculine singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix - you will seek them
• *wəlōʾ*: conjunction + negative particle - and not
• *timṣāʾēm*: verb, qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix - you will find them
• *ʾanšê*: noun, masculine plural construct - men of
• *maṣṣuteḵā*: noun, feminine singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix - your strife/contention
• *yihyû*: verb, qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural - they will be
• *ḵəʾayin*: preposition + noun - as nothing
• *ûḵəʾepes*: conjunction + preposition + noun - and as non-entity
• *milḥamteḵā*: noun, feminine singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix - your war/battle

Word Meanings

• *təḇaqšēm*: you will seek them/search for them/look for them
• *timṣāʾēm*: you will find them/locate them/discover them
• *ʾanšê maṣṣuteḵā*: men of your strife/your opponents/those who quarrel with you
• *ḵəʾayin*: as nothing/like nothing/as nonexistence
• *ûḵəʾepes*: and as non-entity/as zero/as emptiness
• *ʾanšê milḥamteḵā*: men of your war/those who war against you/your combatants

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  You shall seek them, and shall not find them, even those who contended with you: those who war against you shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Thou shalt seek{H1245} them, and shalt not find{H4672} them, even them{H582} that contend{H4695} with thee: they that war{H4421} against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.{H657}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Thou shalt seek{H1245}{(H8762)} them, and shalt not find{H4672}{(H8799)} them, even them{H582} that contended{H4695} with thee: they that war{H4421} against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought{H657}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  So that who so seketh after them, shal not fynde them. Thy destroyers shal perish, & so shall they that vndertake to make batell agaynst the.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Thou shalt seeke them and shalt not finde them: to wit, the men of thy strife, for they shall be as nothing, and the men that warre against thee, as a thing of nought.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  So that who so seeketh after them, shall not finde them, thy destroyers shall perishe: and so shall they that vndertake to make battayle against thee be as that is not, & as a thing of naught.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, [even] them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  You shall seek them, and shall not find them, even those who contend with you: those who war against you shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nothing.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  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.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contend with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contend with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  You will make search for your haters but they will not be there; those who make war against you will be as nothing and will come to destruction.

• World English Bible (2000)

  You will seek them, and won't find them, even those who contend with you. Those who war against you will be as nothing, as a non-existent thing.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  When you will look for your opponents, you will not find them; your enemies will be reduced to absolutely nothing.

Referenced Verses

• Ps 37:35-36 : 35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree. 36 Yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched for him, he could not be found.
• Job 20:7-9 : 7 he will perish forever like his own waste; those who have seen him will say, 'Where is he?' 8 Like a dream he flies away and is no more; he is chased away like a vision of the night. 9 The eye that saw him will see him no longer, and his place will behold him no more.
• Isa 17:14 : 14 In the evening, sudden terror! Before morning, they are no more. This is the fate of those who plunder us and the lot of those who pillage us.