New American Standard Bible 2020
Isaiah 44:15
15Then it becomes something for a person to burn, so he takes one of them and gets warm; he also makes a fire and bakes bread. He also 1makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image and 2bows down before it.
Isaiah 44:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
- New International Version (NIV)It is used as fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then it shall be for a man to burn, For he will take some of it and warm himself; Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread; Indeed he makes a god and worships it; He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
Context of Isaiah 44:15
13The craftsman of wood extends a measuring line; he outlines it with a marker. He works it with carving knives and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of mankind, so that it may sit in a house. 14He will cut cedars for himself, and he takes a holm-oak or another oak and lets it grow strong for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel tree, and the rain makes it grow. Then it becomes something for a person to burn, so he takes one of them and gets warm; he also makes a fire and bakes bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image and bows down before it. 16Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat, he roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” 17Yet the rest of it he makes into a god, his carved image. He bows down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god.”
Read all of Isaiah 44Isaiah 44:15 word by word
וְהָיָ֤ה לְאָדָם֙ לְבָעֵ֔ר וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֵהֶם֙ וַיָּ֔חָם אַף־יַשִּׂ֖יק וְאָ֣פָה לָ֑חֶם אַף־יִפְעַל־אֵל֙ וַיִּשְׁתָּ֔חוּ עָשָׂ֥הוּ פֶ֖סֶל וַיִּסְגָּד־לָֽמוֹ׃Read the interlinear
- Then it becomesהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- for a personאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- to burnבָּעַרbâ‛ar · to burn: burnH1197
- so he takesלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- one of them and getsחָמַםchâmam · to warmH2552
- he alsoאַף'aph · alsoH637
- makesשָׂלַקnâώaq · to kindleH5400
- and bakesאָפָה'âphâh · to bakeH644
- breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
- makesפָּעַלpâ‛al · to workH6466
- a godאֵל'êl · godH410
- it; he makesעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- it a carvedפֶּ֫סֶלpesel · idolH6459
- bowsסָגַדsâgad · to prostrateH5456
Cross-references for Isaiah 44:15
- Isaiah 44:10Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no benefit?
- Isaiah 45:20“Gather yourselves and come; Come together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge, Who carry around their wooden idol And pray to a god who cannot save.
- Judges 2:19But it came about, when the judge died, that they would turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and bow down to them; they did not abandon their practices or their obstinate ways.
- 2 Chronicles 25:14Now after Amaziah came from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir and set them up as his gods. Then he bowed down before them and burned incense to them.
- Revelation 9:20The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands so as not to worship demons and the idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk;
Commentaries on Isaiah 44:15
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Then shall it be for a man to burn - It will afford materials for a fire. The design of this verse and the following is, to ridicule the idea of a man‘s using parts of the same tree to make a fire to cook his victuals, to warm himself, and to shape a god. Nothing could be more stupid than the conduct here referred to, and yet it is common all over the pagan world. It shows the utter debasement of the race, that they thus of the same tree make a fire, cook…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. 15-17He takes some of it to warm himself … He also fashions it into a god and worships it: This description of making an idol is full of sarcasm and mocks the foolishness of idol worshipers (see also Isaiah 44:19).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. The same tree that furnishes the material for the god is in part used as fuel for a fire to cook his meals and warm himself! thereto--rather, "he falleth down before them," that is, such images [Maurer].Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 44:15
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Isaiah 44:15 Is 44:17 ↩
- 2. Isaiah 44:15 2 Chr 25:14 ↩
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
New American Standard Bible 2020 — © 1960–2020 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Commentaries