Isaiah 44:20

Isaiah 44:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
• New International Version (NIV)Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)He feeds on ashes; A deceived heart has turned him aside; And he cannot deliver his soul, Nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

Context of Isaiah 44:20

18People like that are stupid. They do not understand anything. They cannot see the truth, as if they are blind. Their minds cannot think properly. 19None of them think carefully about what they are doing. They do not say to themselves, ‘I burned half of the wood in the fire. I even baked bread and I cooked meat on it. It gave me food to eat. Then I used the rest of the wood to make a useless idol! I took a piece of wood and I worshipped it! Why did I do that?’ Someone like that is stupid enough to eat ashes. His mind has deceived him. He cannot save himself from his lies. He will not say to himself, ‘This thing that I hold in my right hand is completely false!’ 21The Lord says: ‘Jacob's descendants, remember these things, because you, Israel, are my servant. I created you to be my servant. Israel, I will not forget you. 22I have removed the guilt of your sins, like the wind blows away a cloud. When you turned against me, I have quickly forgiven you. Return to me now, because I have rescued you.’

Isaiah 44:20 word by word

רֹעֶ֣ה אֵ֔פֶר לֵ֥ב הוּתַ֖ל הִטָּ֑הוּ וְלֹֽא־יַצִּ֤יל אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ֙ וְלֹ֣א יֹאמַ֔ר הֲל֥וֹא שֶׁ֖קֶר בִּימִינִֽי׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• He feedethרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
• on ashesאֵ֫פֶר'êpher · ashesH665
• a deceivedתָּלַלhâthal · to deceiveH2048
• heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• hath turned him asideנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
• that he cannot deliverנָצַלnâtsal · to rescueH5337
• his soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
• nor sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• not a lieשֶׁ֫קֶרsheqer · deceptionH8267
• in my right handיָמִיןyâmîyn · rightH3225

Cross-references for Isaiah 44:20

• Job 15:2‘If you were wise, you would not answer us with such silly ideas. The words that come out from inside you are only a hot wind!
• Psalms 102:9Because you are so angry with me, I eat ashes as my food. My tears drop into the water that I drink. It seems that you have picked me up, and then you have thrown me away.
• Proverbs 14:15A silly person will believe anything. But a careful person will think before he does anything.
• Hosea 12:1Ephraim's people chase after useless things all the time. They think that they can catch the wind that comes from the east! But the result is more violence and lies. They make an agreement with Assyria to get their help. They also send their olive oil to Egypt to ask for their help.
• Luke 15:16Nobody gave him anything to eat. He even wanted to eat the food that the pigs were eating. But he had nothing.
• 1 Kings 22:20The Lord asked, “Who will go and deceive King Ahab so that he attacks Ramoth Gilead and he dies there?” Many of the angels suggested different things.
• Job 15:31He may trust in useless things to save him. But he is deceiving himself. Any help that he receives will also be useless.
• Hosea 4:12They ask wooden idols to tell them what to do! A stick tells them what will happen in the future! They have turned away from me and they have lost their way. They have not been faithful to me, their God, as a prostitute is not faithful to her husband.
• Romans 1:20Ever since God made the world, he has been showing people clearly about himself. We cannot see God. But the things that he has made show us clearly what he is like. We can understand his great power that continues for ever. We can know that he is the true God. So there is no reason for anyone to say, ‘We could not know about God.’
• 2 Thessalonians 2:11For this reason, God causes their minds to accept something that is wrong. They believe a false message.
• 2 Timothy 2:13Even if we no longer trust him, he will still be someone that people can trust. He will always remain true to his nature.’
• Revelation 12:9Michael and his angels threw the great dragon out of heaven. The dragon is called the Devil or Satan. He is the snake who has been there since long ago. He tells lies to deceive the whole world. They threw him down to the earth, together with all his angels.
• Revelation 13:14It used the authority of the first wild animal to do many miracles. In that way, it deceived the people who lived on the earth. It told them to make an image of the first wild animal. This was the animal that was still alive after a sword had given it a bad wound.
• Revelation 18:23No light from people's lamps will ever shine in the city again. Nobody will ever hear the happy voices of a man and a woman when they marry. Your traders were the most powerful people on the earth. You used your magic to deceive people from all nations.
• Revelation 20:3Then he threw the dragon into the deep hole. He closed the door to the deep hole, and he locked it with the key. He put a seal on the door. During that time, Satan could no longer deceive the people of all nations. But after the 1,000 years have finished, he must go free for a short time.
• Isaiah 28:15You boast, ‘We have made a covenant with death. Yes, we have made an agreement with Sheol. When trouble comes to our city like a deep flood of water, we will be safe. We trust in our lies to keep us safe.’

Commentaries on Isaiah 44:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20He feedeth on ashes - He feedeth on that which affordeth no nourishment; a proverbial expression for using ineffectual means, and bestowing labor to no purpose. In the same sense Hosea says, "Ephraim feedeth on wind." Hosea 12:1.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20He feedeth on ashes - There have been various interpretations of this. Jerome renders it, A part of it is ashes;‘ the Chaldee, Lo! half of the god is reduced to ashes;‘ the Septuagint, Know thou that their heart is ashes.‘ The word rendered here feedeth‘ (רעה ro‛eh ) means properly “to feed, graze, pasture”; and then, figuratively, to delight, or take pleasure in any person or thing Proverbs 13:20; Proverbs 15:14; Proverbs 28:7; Proverbs 29:3. In Hosea…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. 2020. feedeth on ashes--figuratively, for the idolater delights in what is vain (Pr 15:14; Ho 12:1). "Feedeth on wind." There is an allusion, perhaps, also, to the god being made of a tree, the half of which was reduced to ashes by fire (Is 44:15-17); the idol, it is implied, was no better, and could, and ought, to have been reduced to ashes like the other half. deceived heart--The heart and will first go astray, then the intellect and life (Ro 1:28; Ep…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 44:20

• Blindness
• Idolatry
• Minister, Christian
• Sin

In the dictionaries

• Ashes
• Consider
• Fit
• Idol
• Pleasure
• Surname
• God
• Idolatry
• Isaiah
• Mark, the Gospel According to

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