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

18They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. 19No one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!” He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?” 21“Remember these things, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant, O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me. 22I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud And your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

Isaiah 44:20 word by word

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

• feedsרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
• on ashesאֵ֫פֶר'êpher · ashesH665
• deceivedתָּלוּלtâlal · be eminentH8524
• heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• has turnedנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
• And he cannotלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• deliverנָצַלnâtsal · to rescueH5337
• himselfנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
• sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Is there not a lieשֶׁ֫קֶרsheqer · deceptionH8267
• in my rightיָמִיןyâmîyn · rightH3225
• handיָמִיןyâmîyn · rightH3225

Cross-references for Isaiah 44:20

• Job 15:2“Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge And fill himself with the east wind?
• Psalms 102:9For I have eaten ashes like bread And mingled my drink with weeping
• Proverbs 14:15The naive believes everything, But the sensible man considers his steps.
• Hosea 12:1Ephraim feeds on wind, And pursues the east wind continually; He multiplies lies and violence. Moreover, he makes a covenant with Assyria, And oil is carried to Egypt.
• Luke 15:16And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.
• 1 Kings 22:20The Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that.
• Job 15:31Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; For emptiness will be his reward.
• Hosea 4:12My people consult their wooden idol, and their diviner’s wand informs them; For a spirit of harlotry has led them astray, And they have played the harlot, departing from their God.
• Romans 1:20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:11For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,
• 2 Timothy 2:13If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
• Revelation 12:9And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
• Revelation 13:14And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.
• Revelation 18:23and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.
• Revelation 20:3and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
• Isaiah 28:15Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we have made a pact. The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by, For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception.”

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