God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 46:1
1The god Bel bows down; the god Nebo stoops low. Their statues are seated on animals and cattle. The gods that you carry are burdens, a load for weary people.
Isaiah 46:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.
- New International Version (NIV)Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low; their idols are borne by beasts of burden. The images that are carried about are burdensome, a burden for the weary.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Bel bows down; Nebo stoops; their idols are on beasts and livestock; these things you carry are borne as burdens on weary beasts.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Bel bows down, Nebo stoops; Their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle. Your carriages were heavily loaded, A burden to the weary beast.
Context of Isaiah 46:1
The god Bel bows down; the god Nebo stoops low. Their statues are seated on animals and cattle. The gods that you carry are burdens, a load for weary people. 2These gods stoop low and bow down together. They aren’t able to escape with heavy loads. They go away into captivity. 3Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, the few people left of the nation of Israel. I’ve carried you since your birth. I’ve taken care of you from the time you were born.
Read all of Isaiah 46Isaiah 46:1 word by word
כָּרַ֥ע בֵּל֙ קֹרֵ֣ס נְב֔וֹ הָיוּ֙ עֲצַבֵּיהֶ֔ם לַחַיָּ֖ה וְלַבְּהֵמָ֑ה נְשֻׂאֹתֵיכֶ֣ם עֲמוּס֔וֹת מַשָּׂ֖א לַעֲיֵפָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Belבֵּלbêl · BelH1078
- boweth downכָּרַעkâra‛ · to bowH3766
- Neboנְבוֹnebô · NeboH5015
- stoopethקָרַסqâras · to stoopH7164
- their idolsעָצָב‛âtsâb · idolH6091
- were upon the beastsחַיָּהchay · living thingH2416
- and upon the cattleבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
- your carriagesנְשׂוּאָהneώû'âh neώû'âh · burdenH5385
- heavy loadenעָמַס‛âmas ‛âmaώ · loadH6006
- a burdenמַשָּׂאmaώώâ' · burdenH4853
- to the wearyעָיֵף‛âyêph · faintH5889
Cross-references for Isaiah 46:1
- Isaiah 21:9Look! Here come chariots and horsemen in pairs.” Then he said, “Babylon has fallen! It has fallen! All the idols they worship lie shattered on the ground.”
- Isaiah 41:6People help their neighbors and say to their relatives, “Be brave!”
- Exodus 12:12“On that same night I will go throughout Egypt and kill every firstborn male, both human and animal. I will severely punish all the gods of Egypt, ⌞because⌟ I am the Lord.
- 1 Samuel 5:3Early the next day the people of Ashdod saw that Dagon had fallen forward on the ground in front of the Lord’s ark. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place.
- Jeremiah 48:1This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says about Moab: How horrible it will be for Nebo; it will be destroyed. Kiriathaim will be put to shame; it will be captured. Its stronghold will be put to shame and torn down.
- Jeremiah 50:2“Announce this among the nations, and spread the news. Raise a flag, and announce it. Don’t hide anything. Say, ‘Babylon will be captured. Bel will be put to shame. Marduk will be filled with terror. Babylon’s statues will be put to shame. Its idols will be filled with terror.’
- Jeremiah 51:44I will punish Bel in Babylon. I will make Bel spit out everything that it has swallowed. Nations will no longer stream to Babylon, and its walls will fall.
- Isaiah 2:20On that day people will throw to the moles and the bats the silver and gold idols that they made for themselves to worship.
- Jeremiah 10:5These trees are like scarecrows in cucumber gardens. They aren’t able to speak. They have to be carried, because they can’t walk. Don’t be afraid of them. They can’t harm you. They can’t do you any good either.
Commentaries on Isaiah 46:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Their carriages were heavy loaden "Their burdens are heavy" - For נשאתיכם nesuotheychem, your burdens, the Septuagint had in their copy נשאתיהם nesuotheyhem, their burdens.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Bel boweth down - Bel or Belus (בל bēl from בעל be‛ēl the same as בעל ba‛al was the chief domestic god of the Babylonians, and was worshipped in the celebrated tower of Babylon (compare Jeremiah 50:2; Jeremiah 51:44). It was usual to compound names of the titles of the divinities that were worshipped, and hence, we often meet with this name, as in Bel-shazzar, Bel-teshazzar, Baal-Peor, Baal-zebub, Baal-Gad, Baal-Berith. The Greek and Roman writers…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The idols could not save themselves, but God saves his people. (Is. 46:1-4) The folly of worshipping idols. (Is. 46:5-13) Verses 1-4 The heathen insulted the Jews, as if their idols Bel and Nebo were too hard for Jehovah. But their worshippers cannot help them; both the idols and the idolaters are gone into captivity. Let not God's people be afraid of either. Those things from which ungodly men expect safety and happiness, will be found unable to save…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Marduk-bel was the most important god in the Babylonian group of gods. Bel, similar to Baal, meant lordship. Nebo (Nabu, Nebu), the patron god of Babylonian scribes, was believed to be the son of Marduk-bel. Instead of being celebrated at a Babylonian festival, people would transport these gods on ox carts and discard them, as the Babylonian people rejected them.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-131. Bel--the same as the Phoenician Baal, that is, lord, the chief god of Babylon; to it was dedicated the celebrated tower of Babylon, in the center of one of the two parts into which the city was divided, the palace being in the center of the other. Identical with the sun, worshipped on turrets, housetops, and other high places, so as to be nearer the heavenly hosts (Saba) (Jr 19:13; 32:29; Zep 1:5). Gesenius identifies Bel with the planet Jupiter…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 46:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 46
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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