Isaiah 44:19

19 The maker of idols hasn't the wit or the sense to say, "Some of the wood I burned up. I baked some bread on the coals, and I roasted meat and ate it. And the rest of the wood I made into an idol. Here I am bowing down to a block of wood!"

Isaiah 44:19 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 44:19

And none considereth in his heart
Or, "and he does not return it to his heart" F11; he does not come to himself again, or return to his right mind, but lives and dies under the infatuation; never once revolving it in his mind, pondering within himself what he has done, or is doing, whether right or wrong: neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say;
within himself, and reason the matter in his own mind, and thus express himself: I have burnt part of it in the fire;
to warm myself with: yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof;
both heated the oven, and baked bread with it; and also upon the live coals have laid kneaded dough, and baked a cake on them: and I have roasted flesh, and eaten it;
made a fire with another part of it, and roasted meat at it, and ate it with great pleasure and satisfaction: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination?
an idol, which is an abominable thing to God, and to all men of sense and goodness: shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
or "the bud of a tree?" F12 or that which is made out of a tree of my own planting, cutting down, and hewing, part of which has been used to the above purposes; and the remaining lifeless log, shall I worship it as a god? and yet, though such reasoning might be justly expected from a man that is a reasonable creature, sottish are idolaters, that they seem to be quite deprived of their rational powers, or at least these are disused by them.


FOOTNOTES:

F11 (wbl la byvy alw) "et non reducet ad cor suum", Pagninus, Montanus; "reducit", Piscator.
F12 (Ue lwbl) "ante id quod provenit ex abore", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "germen ligni", Forerius.

Isaiah 44:19 In-Context

17 The rest of the wood he makes into an idol, and then he bows down and worships it. He prays to it and says, "You are my god - save me!"
18 Such people are too stupid to know what they are doing. They close their eyes and their minds to the truth.
19 The maker of idols hasn't the wit or the sense to say, "Some of the wood I burned up. I baked some bread on the coals, and I roasted meat and ate it. And the rest of the wood I made into an idol. Here I am bowing down to a block of wood!"
20 It makes as much sense as eating ashes. His foolish ideas have so misled him that he is beyond help. He won't admit to himself that the idol he holds in his hand is not a god at all.
21 The Lord says, "Israel, remember this; remember that you are my servant. I created you to be my servant, and I will never forget you.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.