Isaiah 46:6

6 Which bear together gold from the bag (Ye who take out all the gold from thy bag), and weigh (out) silver with a balance, and hire a goldsmith to make a god, and (then) they (all) fall down, and worship (it);

Isaiah 46:6 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 46:6

They lavish gold out of the bag
As if it was of no value and account; that is, the Heathen idolaters, some of them, who are excessively devoted to idolatry; these, being rich, take out their bags of gold, and give it in a very profuse manner to a workman to make a golden image for them, not caring what it cost them; such an one was that which Nebuchadnezzar made, sixty cubits high, and six broad, ( Daniel 3:1 ) see an instance of profuseness this way in the Israelites themselves, ( Exodus 32:2-4 ) . And weigh silver in the balance;
or "with a reed" F15. Others, though idolaters, yet less devoted to idolatry, and more tenacious of their money, make silver do for a god, and weigh it out to the workman, that it be made of such a weight, and no more, and that they might not be cheated of their silver; or they weighed it to pay the workman for his workmanship. Money formerly was not coined and stamped, so not numbered by pieces, but weighed. And hire a goldsmith, and he maketh it a god;
a "finer" or "founder", with whom they agree for such a sum of money, and he, of the gold or silver that is put into his hands, makes a god: he casts and moulds it into such a form or shape that is agreed upon, and this is called a god; though nothing but a piece of gold or silver fashioned by art and man's device, and the work of his hands: they fall down, yea, they worship;
the god they made; both the artificer, and he that employed him, fall down upon their knees, or their faces, and pay divine worship add adoration to the idol; though the one knew it was made of his own gold or silver, and the other knew it to be the workmanship of his hands. Worshipping is more than falling down, as Ben Melech observes, and therefore it is said, yea, they worship.


FOOTNOTES:

F15 (hnqb) "in calamo", Pagninus, Montanus. The bar of the balance on which they hang the scales with threads, Ben Meleck says is called (hnq) , the "reed". So Vatablus.

Isaiah 46:6 In-Context

4 Till to eld I myself, and till to hoar hairs, I shall bear; I made, and I shall bear, and I shall save. (Until your old age, yea, until your hoar hairs, I myself shall carry you; for I made you, and I shall carry you, and I shall save you.)
5 To whom have ye likened me, and made even (and made me even to), and have comparisoned me, and have made (me) like?
6 Which bear together gold from the bag (Ye who take out all the gold from thy bag), and weigh (out) silver with a balance, and hire a goldsmith to make a god, and (then) they (all) fall down, and worship (it);
7 they bearing bear (him) in shoulders, and setting in his place (they carry him upon their shoulders, and put him in his place); and he shall stand, and shall not be moved from his place; but also when they cry to him, he shall not hear, and he shall not save them from (any trials or) tribulation.
8 Have ye mind of this, and be ye ashamed; ye trespassers, go again to the heart. (Remember this, and be ye ashamed; ye trespassers, bring this again to mind/remember this.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.