John Gill Commentary Isaiah 41:12

"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." — Isaiah 41:12 (ASV)

Ver. 12 You shall seek them, and shall not find them They not existing, or being fled into holes and corners, to rocks and mountains, to hide themselves from the wrath of the Lamb, (Revelation 6:15–17).

even them that contended with you; or, "the men of your contention" {p}; who contended with them, not by words and arguments, but by severe persecutions, striving thereby to hinder the progress of the Gospel, and to root Christianity out of the world:

they that war against you shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought: or, "the men of your war" ^F17; that proclaimed and carried on war against the Christians, in order to destroy them utterly; yet they, and all their efforts, came to nothing, the Gospel prevailed, and Paganism was utterly abolished; which came to pass in Constantine's time, at the opening of the sixth seal, (Revelation 6:12–14) which is a proper comment on this text.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F17: (Ktmxlm yvna) "viri belli tui", Vatablus; "pugnae tuae", Montanus.