Isaiah 44:13-20

13 ¹Another shapes wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with red chalk. He works it with planes and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of ²man, so that it may sit in a ³house.

14 Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow.

15 Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also ⁴makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and ⁵falls down before it.

16 Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, "Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire."

17 But the rest of it he ⁶makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also ⁷prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god."

18 They do not ⁸know, nor do they understand, for He has ⁹smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend.

19 No one recalls * *, nor is there ¹⁰knowledge or understanding to say, "I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an ¹¹abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!"

20 He ¹²feeds on ashes; a ¹³deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say, "¹⁴Is there not a lie in my right hand?"

Isaiah 44:13-20 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 44

In this chapter the Lord comforts his people with the promise of the effusion of his Spirit, and the blessings of his grace upon them; the consequence of which would be fruitfulness in them, and the conversion of others, who should profess themselves the Lord's people, Isa 44:1-5, he proves his deity in opposition to all false gods from his eternity, omniscience, and foretelling future events, Isa 44:6-8, exposes the stupidity of idol makers and the worshippers of them, Isa 44:9-20, makes gracious promises of the remembrance of his people, the remission of their sins, and their redemption by Christ, Isa 44:21-23, of which redemption from Babylon was a type; and of that assurance is given, from the Lord's creating all things by his power; from his frustrating and infatuating diviners and wise men; from his fulfilling his predictions delivered by his prophets; and from his mentioning by name the instrument of their redemption, Cyrus, Isa 44:24-28, which makes way for a particular prophecy concerning him in the next chapter.

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 41:7
• 2. Psalms 115:5-7
• 3. Judges 17:4, 5; Ezekiel 8:10, 11
• 4. Isaiah 44:17
• 5. 2 Chronicles 25:14
• 6. Isaiah 44:15
• 7. 1 Kings 18:26, 28; Isaiah 45:20
• 8. Isaiah 1:3; Jeremiah 10:8, 14
• 9. Psalms 81:12; Isaiah 6:9, 10; Isaiah 29:10
• 10. Isaiah 5:13; Isaiah 44:18, 19; Isaiah 45:20
• 11. Deuteronomy 27:15; 1 Kings 11:5, 7; 2 Kings 23:13, 14
• 12. Psalms 102:9
• 13. Job 15:31; Hosea 4:12; Romans 1:21, 22; 2 Thessalonians 2:11; 2 Timothy 3:13
• 14. Isaiah 57:11; Isaiah 59:3, 4, 13; Romans 1:25

Footnotes

• [a] Or "holm-oak"
• [b] Lit "makes strong"
• [c] Lit "returns to his heart"
• [d] Or "shall I make?"
• [e] Or "shall I fall...?"
• [f] Or "is a companion of ashes"
• [g] Lit "his soul"