American Standard Version
Isaiah 40:19
19The image, a workman hath cast it, and the goldsmith overlayeth it with gold, and casteth for it silver chains.
Isaiah 40:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.
- New International Version (NIV)As for an idol, a metalworker casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it.
- English Standard Version (ESV)An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The workman molds an image, The goldsmith overspreads it with gold, And the silversmith casts silver chains.
Context of Isaiah 40:19
17All the nations are as nothing before him; they are accounted by him as less than nothing, and vanity. 18To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? The image, a workman hath cast it, and the goldsmith overlayeth it with gold, and casteth for it silver chains. 20He that is too impoverished for such an oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a skilful workman to set up a graven image, that shall not be moved. 21Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
Read all of Isaiah 40Isaiah 40:19 word by word
הַפֶּ֙סֶל֙ נָסַ֣ךְ חָרָ֔שׁ וְצֹרֵ֖ף בַּזָּהָ֣ב יְרַקְּעֶ֑נּוּ וּרְתֻק֥וֹת כֶּ֖סֶף צוֹרֵֽף׃Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Isaiah 40:19
- Isaiah 37:18Of a truth, Jehovah, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the countries, and their land,
- Isaiah 41:6They help every one his neighbor; and every one saith to his brother, Be of good courage.
- Isaiah 44:10Who hath fashioned a god, or molten an image that is profitable for nothing?
- Isaiah 46:6Such as lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, they hire a goldsmith, and he maketh it a god; they fall down, yea, they worship.
- Exodus 32:2And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
- Judges 17:4And when he restored the money unto his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and it was in the house of Micah.
- Psalms 115:4Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands.
- Psalms 135:15The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands.
- Jeremiah 10:3For the customs of the peoples are vanity; for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe.
- Hosea 8:6For from Israel is even this; the workman made it, and it is no God; yea, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.
- Habakkuk 2:18What profiteth the graven image, that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he that fashioneth its form trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?
Commentaries on Isaiah 40:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19And casteth silver chains "And forgeth for it chains of silver" - For צורף tsoreph, the participle, twenty-seven MSS., five ancient, and three editions, read צרף tsaraph, pret. third person.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19The workman - The Hebrew word denotes an artificer of any kind, and is applied to one who engraved on wood or stone Exodus 28:2; to a workman in iron, brass, stone, wood Exodus 35:35; Deuteronomy 27:15; or an artisan, or artificer in general. It here refers manifestly to a man who worked in the metals of which idols were commonly made. Those idols were sometimes made of wood, sometimes of clay, but more frequently, as they are at present in India, of…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-26Verses 18-26 Whatever we esteem or love, fear or hope in, more than God, that creature we make equal with God, though we do not make images or worship them. He that is so poor, that he has scarcely a sacrifice to offer, yet will not be without a god of his own. They spared no cost upon their idols; we grudge what is spent in the service of our God. To prove the greatness of God, the prophet appeals to all ages and nations. Those who are ignorant of this…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-31This chapter introduces chapters 40–66. In this section, comfort means the result of God's merciful actions toward people in the future. It includes encouragement, strength, and acceptance. God wants to rescue his people (Isaiah 40:1–11) and is fully capable of doing so (40:12–26). The exiles needed to trust God's promises and wait for their rescue (Isaiah 40:27–31; see also 30:15–18).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. graven--rather, an image in general; for it is incongruous to say "melteth" (that is, casts out of metal) a graven image (that is, one of carved wood); so Jr 10:14, "molten image." spreadeth it over--(See on Is 30:22). chains--an ornament lavishly worn by rich Orientals (Is 3:18, 19), and so transferred to their idols. Egyptian relics show that idols were suspended in houses by chains.Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 40:19
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 40
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries