God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 45:9
9How horrible it will be for the one who quarrels with his maker. He is pottery among other earthenware pots. Does the clay ask the one who shapes it, “What are you making?” Does your work say to you, “There are no handles”?
Isaiah 45:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
- New International Version (NIV)“Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘The potter has no hands’?
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, 'What are you making?' or 'Your work has no handles'?
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’?
Context of Isaiah 45:9
7I make light and create darkness. I make blessings and create disasters. I, the Lord, do all these things. 8Rain down from above, you heavens, and pour down righteousness, you skies. Let the earth open. Let salvation and righteousness sprout. Let them spring up. I, the Lord, have created them. How horrible it will be for the one who quarrels with his maker. He is pottery among other earthenware pots. Does the clay ask the one who shapes it, “What are you making?” Does your work say to you, “There are no handles”? 10How horrible it will be for the one who says to his father, “Why did you conceive me?” or to his mother, “Why did you go through labor pains for me?” 11The Lord is the Holy One and the maker of Israel. This is what the Lord says: Ask me about what is going to happen to my children! Are you going to give me orders concerning my handiwork?
Read all of Isaiah 45Isaiah 45:9 word by word
ה֗וֹי רָ֚ב אֶת־יֹ֣צְר֔וֹ חֶ֖רֶשׂ אֶת־חַרְשֵׂ֣י אֲדָמָ֑ה הֲיֹאמַ֨ר חֹ֤מֶר לְיֹֽצְרוֹ֙ מַֽה־תַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה וּפָעָלְךָ֖ אֵין־יָדַ֥יִם לֽוֹ׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Woeהוֹיhôy · woe!H1945
- unto him that strivethרִיבrîyb rûb · to contendH7378
- with his Makerיָצַרyâtsar · to form: formedH3335
- the potsherdחֶ֫רֶשׂchereώ · earthenwareH2789
- of the earthאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
- Shall the clayחֹ֫מֶרchômer · clayH2563
- sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- it, What makestעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- thou? or thy workפֹּ֫עַלpô‛al · workH6467
- He hath no handsיָדyâd · handH3027
Cross-references for Isaiah 45:9
- Isaiah 64:8But now, Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are our potter. We are the work of your hands.
- Exodus 9:16But I have spared you for this reason. I want to show you my power and make my name famous throughout the earth.
- Job 15:24“The day of darkness troubles him. Distress and anguish terrify him like a king ready for battle.
- Job 40:8“Would you undo my justice? Would you condemn me so that you can be righteous?
- Psalms 2:2Kings take their stands. Rulers make plans together against the Lord and against his Messiah by saying,
- Proverbs 21:30No wisdom, no understanding, and no advice ⌞can stand up⌟ against the Lord.
- Jeremiah 50:24I will set traps for you, Babylon. You will be caught, but you won’t know it. You will be found and captured because you have opposed the Lord.
- 1 Corinthians 10:22Are we trying to make the Lord jealous? Are we stronger than he is?
- Isaiah 10:15Can an ax attack the person who cuts with it? Can a saw make itself greater than the person who saws with it? A rod cannot move the person who lifts it. A wooden stick cannot pick up a person.
- Isaiah 29:16You turn things upside down! Is the potter no better than his clay? Can something that has been made say about its maker, “He didn’t make me”? Can a piece of pottery say about the potter, “He doesn’t understand”?
- Jeremiah 18:6“Nation of Israel, can’t I do with you as this potter does with clay? Nation of Israel, you are like the clay in the potter’s hands.
- Romans 9:20Who do you think you are to talk back to God like that? Can an object that was made say to its maker, “Why did you make me like this?”
Commentaries on Isaiah 45:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Wo unto him that striveth with his Maker "To unto him that contendeth with the power that formed him" - The prophet answers or prevents the objections and cavils of the unbelieving Jews, disposed to murmur against God, and to arraign the wisdom and justice of his dispensations in regard to them; in permitting them to be oppressed by their enemies, and in promising them deliverance instead of preventing their captivity. St. Paul has borrowed the image, and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Wo unto him that striveth with his Maker! - This verse commences a new subject. Its connection with the preceeding is not very obvious. It may be designed to prevent the objections and cavils of the unbelieving Jews who were disposed to complain against God, and to arraign the wisdom of his dispensations in regard to them, in permitting them to be oppressed by their enemies, and in promising them deliver ance instead of preventing their captivity. So…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-10Verses 5-10 There is no God beside Jehovah. There is nothing done without him. He makes peace, put here for all good; and creates evil, not the evil of sin, but the evil of punishment. He is the Author of all that is true, holy, good, or happy; and evil, error, and misery, came into the world by his permission, through the wilful apostacy of his creatures, but are restrained and overruled to his righteous purpose. This doctrine is applied, for the comfort…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-11pot … the potter … him … his father: It is foolish for a creature to question the wisdom of its creator.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Anticipating the objections which the Jews might raise as to why God permitted their captivity, and when He did restore them, why He did so by a foreign prince, Cyrus, not a Jew (Is 40:27, &c.), but mainly and ultimately, the objections about to be raised by the Jews against God's sovereign act in adopting the whole Gentile world as His spiritual Israel (Is 45:8, referring to this catholic diffusion of the Gospel), as if it were an infringement of…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 45:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 45
- 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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