Isaiah 44:19

19 No one stops to think. No one has enough knowledge or understanding to say, "I burned half of the wood in the fire. I also baked bread over its coals. I roasted meat and ate it. Now I am making the rest of the wood into a disgusting thing and bowing 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.

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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 But the rest of the wood they make into gods, carved statues. They bow to them and worship them. They pray to them, saying, "Rescue us, because you are our gods."

18 They don't know or understand anything. Their eyes are plastered shut, so they can't see. And their minds are closed, so they can't understand.

19 No one stops to think. No one has enough knowledge or understanding to say, "I burned half of the wood in the fire. I also baked bread over its coals. I roasted meat and ate it. Now I am making the rest of the wood into a disgusting thing and bowing to a block of wood."

20 They eat ashes because they are deceived. Their own misguided minds lead them astray. They can't rescue themselves or ask themselves, "Isn't what I hold in my right hand a false god?"

21 Remember these things, Jacob: You are my servant, Israel. I formed you; you are my servant. Israel, I will not forget you.