Isaiah 41:5

“The isles saw it, and feared, &c.] Not the victory which Abraham got over the kings; nor Cyrus’s expedition against Babylon, and other nations, and his deliverance of the Jews; but the progress of the Gospel, through the ministry of the Apostle Paul: the idolatrous inhabitants of the Gentile nations saw great multitudes embracing and professing the Gospel; they saw their idols neglected, and their temples abandoned; they feared what would be the consequence of all this, that their old religion their fathers retained, and they were brought up in, would be abolished; and especially a panic seized the priests on this account, whose livelihood depended upon it: the ends of the earth were afraid;…”

“feared--that they would be subdued. drew near, and came--together, for mutual defense.”

“The isles saw it - The distant nations (see the note at Isaiah 41:1). They saw what was done in the conquests of the man whom God in this remarkable manner had raised up; and they had had demonstration, therefore, of the mighty power of Yahweh above the power of idols. And feared - Were alarmed, and trembled. All were apprehensive that they would be subdued, and driven away as with the tempest. The ends of the earth - Distant nations occupying the extremities of the globe (see the note at Isaiah 40:28). Drew near, and came - Came together for the purpose of mutual alliance, and self-defense. The prophet evidently refers to what he says in the following verses, that they formed treaties;…”

“The isles - Even remote countries. Saw - Discerned the mighty work of God in delivering his people, and overthrowing their enemies. Feared - Lest they should be involved in the same calamity. Came - They gathered themselves together. Isaiah 41:7”

“41:5-7 This taunt against idolatry was a response to God’s raising up of Cyrus; the nations hope to find protection in their idols.”

“isles: Gen 10:5; Eze 26:15, Eze 26:16 the ends: Exo 15:14; Jos 2:10, Jos 5:1; Psa 65:8, Psa 66:3, Psa 67:7 Isaiah 41:6”

“In the following v. we have not a description of the impression made upon the heathen by the argument of Jehovah, but the argument itself is continued. Isa 41:5 "Islands have seen it, and shuddered; the ends of the earth trembled; they have approached, and drawn near." We have here a description of the effects which the victorious course of Cyrus had begun to produce in the heathen world. The perfects denote the past, and the futures a simultaneous past; so that we have not to compare Isa 41:5 with Hab 3:10 so much as with Psa 77:17. The play upon the words וייראּוּ ... ראּוּ pairs together both seeing and fearing. The Cumaeans, when consulting the oracle, commenced thus: ἡμεῖς δὲ…”