What Does Isaiah 41:5 Mean in the King James?
The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The farthest edges do not flee what they fear; they tremble, draw near, and come.
THE MEANING
The isles see what is happening and fear; the earth’s farthest edges tremble, draw near, and arrive. Fear and approach occupy the same movement here: the trembling does not disappear before they come.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that fear necessarily means retreat is unsettled: those who tremble also move closer.
THE ROOT
קָרְבוּ
qārəḇû
GROWS FROM
ק־ר־ב
q-r-b
Approach, come near, or bring near.
“drew near” in this verse is qārəḇû. The Hebrew makes nearness an action: the earth’s edges do not merely feel fear; they move toward what they have seen. The same root gives qorbān (קָרְבָּן, qorbān), an offering brought near, joining approach with the act of bringing something close.
ALSO GROWS
qārōḇ: Near; close.
קָרוֹב
The root links the act of drawing near with nearness itself: the distant edges move into closeness.
qorbān: Offering; something brought near.
קָרְבָּן
This branch carries the same motion of bringing close, adding a relational dimension to the earth’s approach.
יֶחֱרָדוּ
yeḥĕrāḏû
GROWS FROM
ח־ר־ד
ḥ-r-d
Tremble, shudder, or quake with alarm.
“were afraid” in this verse is yeḥĕrāḏû. The Hebrew verb gives fear the force of shaking, not just an inner label. That trembling sits directly beside drawing near, so fear and approach are held together in the verse.
ALSO GROWS
ḥārēḏ: Trembling; alarmed.
חָרֵד
It retains the bodily force of the fear expressed by the earth’s edges.
ḥărādāh: Trembling; terror.
חֲרָדָה
This noun shows the same root’s range from a trembling response to the terror itself.
THE PATTERN
When divine presence reaches the margins, even those far away enter into response and seek nearness.
They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:THE THREAD
They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.The Hebrew word behind “uttermost parts” comes from qatsah (קָצָה, qatsah), meaning “edge” or “end,” the same root behind Isaiah’s “ends of the earth.” Psalm names fear at the edges; Isaiah shows those trembling edges drawing near and coming.
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