Lexical Summary matstsuth: Drought, dryness Original Word: מַצּוּת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance quarrelFrom natsah; a quarrel -- that contended. see HEBREW natsah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom natsah Definition strife, contention NASB Translation quarrel (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מַצּוּת] noun feminine id.; — only suffix אַנְשֵׁי מַצֻּתֶ֑ךָ Isaiah 41:12 i.e. the men who strove with thee ("" אַנְשֵׁי מִלְהַמְתֶּ֑ךָ). Topical Lexicon Overview The term denotes hostility so thoroughly broken that it no longer has tangible presence. The word rises only once in Scripture, but the single occurrence is set within a sweeping promise that the covenant-keeping God will utterly erase the threats arrayed against His people. Biblical Usage Isaiah 41:12 deploys the word to describe former adversaries who have dissolved into non-existence: “You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all” (Berean Standard Bible). The expression intensifies the prophet’s threefold portrait of their fate—“nothing,” “non-existent,” “absolutely nothing”—underscoring total annihilation of resistance to the Lord’s redemptive purpose. Context in Isaiah 41:8-16 1. The promise is addressed to “Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen” (verse 8). In this literary setting the word functions as the prophet’s reassurance that opposition—whether political, military, or spiritual—cannot outlast the sovereign will of Yahweh. Historical Setting Isaiah looks past Judah’s exile to the era of return, when imperial powers such as Babylon and later Persia would dominate the geopolitical landscape. The prophecy anticipates a moment when those powers, once seemingly indomitable, would vanish from the stage of world history. Excavated records confirm that the Neo-Babylonian Empire collapsed suddenly under Cyrus, matching the prophetic vision of enemy forces becoming “as nothing.” Theological Insights • Divine Omnipotence: The word highlights God’s ability not merely to subdue but to erase threats (Psalm 46:9; Zephaniah 3:15). Connections with Other Scriptures Exodus 14:13—“The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.” Psalm 37:10—“In just a little while the wicked will be no more.” Micah 7:10—“My enemy will see, and shame will cover her.” Romans 8:31—“If God is for us, who can be against us?” These passages echo the same assurance: God ultimately eliminates—not merely restrains—the forces arrayed against His people. Practical Ministry Implications 1. Pastoral Encouragement: Believers facing persecution can anchor hope in the certainty that opposition is temporary and already judged in Christ. Christological Fulfillment The cross renders the ultimate hostile power—sin and death—null and void (Colossians 2:14-15; Hebrews 2:14). Just as Israel could search in vain for her oppressors, so the believer stands in Christ to find condemnation gone (Romans 8:1). The lonely appearance of the word in Isaiah therefore resonates across redemptive history, amplifying the gospel proclamation that in Jesus every foe becomes “as nothing at all.” Summary Though used only once, the term encapsulates an enduring biblical truth: God so decisively confronts the enemies of His covenant people that they vanish from the arena, leaving His glory and His redeemed unchallenged. Forms and Transliterations מַצֻּתֶ֑ךָ מצתך maṣ·ṣu·ṯe·ḵā maṣṣuṯeḵā matztzuTechaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 41:12 HEB: תִמְצָאֵ֔ם אַנְשֵׁ֖י מַצֻּתֶ֑ךָ יִהְי֥וּ כְאַ֛יִן NAS: who quarrel with you, but will not find KJV: them, [even] them that contended with thee: they that war INT: find those quarrel will be as nothing 1 Occurrence |
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