EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Isaiah 44:12
12This is how they make their idols: A man who works with iron takes his tool. He makes the metal hot in the fire. Then he uses hammers to hit it with his strong arms. He hits it so that it has the right shape. But then he becomes hungry. He is too weak to work any more. He does not drink any water and so he feels tired.
Isaiah 44:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.
- New International Version (NIV)The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it in the coals; he shapes an idol with hammers, he forges it with the might of his arm. He gets hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The blacksmith with the tongs works one in the coals, Fashions it with hammers, And works it with the strength of his arms. Even so, he is hungry, and his strength fails; He drinks no water and is faint.
Context of Isaiah 44:12
10Only a fool makes an idol and thinks that it is his god. An image cannot help him. 11Those who work with him will all be ashamed. Those workers with special skills are only human. They should come together, and they should stand in front of me. That will make them very frightened. They will realize how foolish they are! This is how they make their idols: A man who works with iron takes his tool. He makes the metal hot in the fire. Then he uses hammers to hit it with his strong arms. He hits it so that it has the right shape. But then he becomes hungry. He is too weak to work any more. He does not drink any water and so he feels tired. 13A carpenter measures a piece of wood. Then he draws a shape for the image. He uses his tools to cut the wood. He carefully makes it have the right shape. He makes the image have the shape of a human. It looks like a beautiful person. Now it is ready to go in its special room. 14He may cut down cedar trees to make something. He may cut down a cypress tree, or an oak tree. He takes these trees from the forest. Or he may plant his own pine tree, so that the rain helps it to grow well.
Read all of Isaiah 44Isaiah 44:12 word by word
חָרַ֤שׁ בַּרְזֶל֙ מַֽעֲצָ֔ד וּפָעַל֙ בַּפֶּחָ֔ם וּבַמַּקָּב֖וֹת יִצְּרֵ֑הוּ וַיִּפְעָלֵ֙הוּ֙ בִּזְר֣וֹעַ כֹּח֔וֹ גַּם־רָעֵב֙ וְאֵ֣ין כֹּ֔חַ לֹא־שָׁ֥תָה מַ֖יִם וַיִּיעָֽף׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The smithחָרָשׁ, חֲרָשִׁיםchârâsh · artificerH2796
- The smithבַּרְזֶלbarzel · ironH1270
- with the tongsמַעֲצָדma‛ătsâd · axeH4621
- both workethפָּעַלpâ‛al · to workH6466
- in the coalsפֶּחָםpechâm · coalH6352
- and fashionethיָצַרyâtsar · to form: formedH3335
- it with hammersמַקָּבָהmaqqâbâh · hammerH4717
- it with the strengthכֹּחַkôach kôach · strengthH3581
- of his armsזְרוֹעַzerôa‛ zerôa‛ zerô‛âh zerô‛âh · armH2220
- yea, he is hungryרָעֵבrâ‛êb · hungryH7457
- failethאַ֫יִן'ayin · nothingH369
- he drinkethשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
- no waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
- and is faintיָעֵףyâ‛aph · to faintH3286
Cross-references for Isaiah 44:12
- Isaiah 40:19A worker may use special skill to make an idol. Another worker may cover it with gold. He may use silver chains to make it beautiful.
- Isaiah 41:6They help each other, and they say to one another, “Be strong!” ’
- Isaiah 46:6Some people make idols for themselves. They pour out gold coins from their purse. They weigh silver on their scales. They pay a worker with special skill to use the silver and the gold to make a god. Then they bend down low in front of it, and they worship it!
- Exodus 32:4Aaron took the gold rings from the people. He melted the gold and he used a tool to make an image of a calf. Then the people said, ‘Look, people of Israel! This is our god who brought us up out of Egypt!’
- Jeremiah 10:3The customs of those people are useless. They cut down a tree in the forest. A worker uses his tools to make it into an idol.
- Habakkuk 2:13Listen! The Lord Almighty has commanded this: All the work that people do to get things for themselves is useless. The things that the nations work so hard to get will become smoke!
Commentaries on Isaiah 44:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12The smith with the tongs, etc. "The smith cutteth off a portion of iron" - מעצד meatstsed, Participium Pihel of עצד atsad, to cut; still used in that sense in the Arabic. See Simonis Lex. Hebrews The Septuagint and Syriac take the word in this form: but they render it sharpeneth the iron. See Castell. Lex. in voce. The sacred writers are generally large and eloquent upon the subject of idolatry; they treat it with great severity, and set forth the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12The smith with the tongs - The prophet proceeds here to show the folly and absurdity of idolatry; and in order to this he goes into an extended statement Isaiah 44:12-19 of the manner in which idols were usually made. Lowth remarks, The sacred writers are generally large and eloquent on the subject of idolatry; they treat it with great severity, and set forth the absurdity of it in the strongest light. But this passage of Isaiah far exceeds anything that…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-20Verses 9-20 Image-making is described, to expose the folly of idolaters. Though a man had used part of a log for fuel, he fell down before an image made of the remainder, praying it to deliver him. Man greatly dishonours God, when he represents him after the image of man. Satan blinds the eyes of unbelievers, causing absurd reasonings in matters of religion. Whether men seek happiness in worldly things, or run into unbelief, superstition, or any false…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6-20This passage uses the form of a trial speech to press God’s argument that disgrace comes to all who trust in idols and false gods.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. tongs--rather, "prepareth (to be supplied) an axe," namely, with which to cut down the tree designed as the material of the idol. The "smith" (Hebrew, "workman in iron") here answers to the "carpenter" (Hebrew, "workman in wood"). "He worketh it (the axe, not the idol, which was wood, not metal) in the coals," &c. The axe was wrought, not cast. The smith makes the axe for the carpenter. hungry ... drinketh no water--so eager is he to expedite his work…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 44:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 44
- 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
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