Isaiah 41:3

Isa 41:3 He pursued them, [and] passed safely; [even] by the way [that] he had not gone with his feet.

Ver. 3. He pursued them, and passed in safety.] He got an unbloody victory over the four kings, not losing a man of all those unexpert soldiers. This was a great mercy, if not a miracle. War is usually utrique triste; no matter who wins a sorrow, victory is oft like a golden fishhook, which, lost or broken, cannot be paid for with that it taketh.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Cyrus had not visited the regions of the Euphrates and westward until he visited them for conquest. So the gospel conquests penetrated regions where the name of God was unknown before.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 3. And passed safely - "He passeth in safety"] The preposition seems to have been omitted in the text by mistake; the Septuagint and Vulgate seem to have had it in their copies; εν ειρηνη, to pace, בשלום beshalom, "prosperously." It is so in one of De Rossi's MSS.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(3) He pursued . . .—Tenses in the present, as before.

By the way that he had not gone—i.e., by a new untrodden path. So Tiglath-Pileser and other Assyrian kings continually boast that they had led their armies by paths that none had traversed before them. (Records of the Past, i. 15, v. 16.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. by the way … feet] The easiest and most acceptable rendering is: the path with his feet he does not tread,—a picture of the celerity of his movements. Other interpretations, such as: “by a path which he had not gone (before) with his feet,” or, “disdaining made roads,” or “not returning on his tracks,” are forced, if not impossible.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He pursued them, and passed safely..... Went on in his work, pursued his great design in subduing the souls of men, and bringing them to the obedience of Christ; and though he had so many enemies, he "passed on safely"; God did not suffer them to set upon him, to do him any harm, even though he was exposed to perils by sea and land, by thieves and robbers, by his own countrymen and Heathens, in city and country, and even by false brethren; see Act 18:10, it is in the future tense, "he shall pursue them, he shall pass safely" (i); or in peace:

even by the way that he had not gone with his feet; travelling in foreign parts, in distant countries, in tracks of land unknown unto him; where he had never been before, even from Jerusalem round about to Illyricum, fully preaching the Gospel of Christ, Rom 15:19.

(i) "persequetur", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus; "transibit", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

He pursued them - When they were driven away. He followed on, and devoted them to discomfiture and ruin.

And passed safely - Margin, as Hebrew, ‘In peace.’ That is, he followed them uninjured; they had no power to rally, he was not led into ambush, and he was safe as far as he chose to pursue them.

Even by the way that he had not gone with his feet - By a way that he had not been accustomed to march; in an unusual journey; in a land of strangers. Cyrus had passed his early years on the east of the Euphrates. In his conquests he crossed that river, and extended his march beyond even the river Halys to the western extremity of Asia, and even to Egypt and the Red Sea. The idea here is, that he had not traveled in these regions until he did it for purposes of conquest - an idea which is strictly in accordance with the truth of history.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Feet. His march and victories shall be so rapid, like those of Alexander the Great, Daniel viii. 5.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

He pursued them, and passed safely; went on in the pursuit with great ease, and safety, and success.

Even by the way that he had not gone with his feet; which is added as further evidence of God’s wonderful providence, in encouraging and enabling him to march by unknown paths; which hath oft proved dangerous and destructive to great armies. This also was verified both in Abraham and in Cyrus, as is well known.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

He pursued them, and passed safely; rather, he shall pursue them, and shall pass on in safety. Even by the way that he had not gone with his feet; rather, a path with his feet he shall not tread. , The meaning seems to be that he will dispense with customary paths, making his advance everywhere over all obstacles, by untrodden ways. Compare the frequent boasts of the Assyrian kings: "To the recesses of the deep forests and the peaks of the difficult mountains, which had never been trodden by the foot of man, I ascended" ("Records of the Past," vol. 5. p. 13). "Difficult mountain chains, and inaccessible hills, which none of our kings had ever previously reached tedious paths and unopened roads I traversed" (ibid., p. 16). "The lands of Sihak, of Arda, of Ulayan, of Alluria, inaccessible mountains, impossible for the horses, and inaccessible for myself, I went through" (ibid., vol. 7. p. 36).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Pursued - Went on in the pursuit with ease and safety. Even - Through unknown paths.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

The conqueror is now still further described in futures, which might be defined by העיר, and so express a simultaneous past (synchronistic imperfects), but which it is safer to take as standing traits in the picture drawn of the conqueror referred to. "He pursueth them and marcheth in peace by a course which he never trod with his feet." He marches victoriously further and further, shâlōm," i.e., "in safety" (or, as an adjective, safely; Job 21:9), without any one being able to do him harm, by a course (accus. Ges. 138, 1) which he has not been accustomed to tread with his feet (ingredi).

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

“He shall pursue them; he shall pass (in) peace (or safety); a path with his feet he shall not go. The last clause describes the swiftness of his motions, as flying rather than walking on foot. This, which would be natural and striking, even in itself considered; is confirmed by the analogy of Dan 8:5, where we read that an he-goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Prophecies of Isaiah (1846–1847; New York: Scribner, 1870–1878) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Yahweh continues speaking to the coastlands and the nations.

He pursues them and passes by safely

"The ruler from the east pursues the nations"

by a swift path that his feet scarcely touch

Possible meanings are 1) this is a metaphor in which he and his army moving very quickly is spoken of as if his feet barely touch the ground. AT: "by a path on which he moves with great speed" or 2) "feet" represents the whole person and the phrase indicates that this is a path that they have not traveled before. AT: "by a path that he has never traveled before" (See: Metaphor and Synecdoche)

Who has performed and accomplished these deeds?

Yahweh uses this question to emphasize that he is the one who has done these things. AT: "I have performed and accomplished these deeds." (See: Rhetorical Question)

Who has summoned the generations from the beginning?

Here the word "generations" represents all of human history, which Yahweh created and directed throughout history. The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, Yahweh. AT: "I have summoned the generations of humanity from the beginning." (See: Rhetorical Question)

performed and accomplished

These two words mean basically the same thing and emphasize that Yahweh is the one who has done these things. (See: Doublet)

the first, and with the last ones

Possible meanings are 1) that Yahweh existed before creation and will exist at the end of creation or 2) that Yahweh was before the first generation of humanity and will be at the last generation of humanity.

translationWords

works

generation

Yahweh

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

He pursued them and passed on safely He traversed all his fords safely; he did not stumble when he pursued them.

a path upon which he had not come with his feet A road upon which he had not come previously with his feet. [The future tense of] יָבוֹא means that he was not accustomed to come.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

ירדפם He will pursue them, the kings. And pass in peace, that is, without weariness. ארח ברגליו לא יבוא As if he had not at all gone that path with his feet.

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.