Isaiah 44:12

Isaiah 44:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.
• New International Version (NIV)The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it in the coals; he shapes an idol with hammers, he forges it with the might of his arm. He gets hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The blacksmith with the tongs works one in the coals, Fashions it with hammers, And works it with the strength of his arms. Even so, he is hungry, and his strength fails; He drinks no water and is faint.

Context of Isaiah 44:12

10Who forms a god and casts an idol that will prove worthless? 11Look, all his associates will be put to shame; the craftsmen are mere humans. Let them all assemble and take their stand! They will panic and be put to shame. A blacksmith works with his tool and forges metal over the coals. He forms it with hammers; he makes it with his strong arm. He gets hungry and loses his energy; he drinks no water and gets tired. 13A carpenter takes measurements; he marks out an outline of its form; he scrapes it with chisels, and marks it with a compass. He patterns it after the human form, like a well-built human being, and puts it in a shrine. 14He cuts down cedars and acquires a cypress or an oak. He gets trees from the forest; he plants a cedar and the rain makes it grow.

Isaiah 44:12 word by word

חָרַ֤שׁ בַּרְזֶל֙ מַֽעֲצָ֔ד וּפָעַל֙ בַּפֶּחָ֔ם וּבַמַּקָּב֖וֹת יִצְּרֵ֑הוּ וַיִּפְעָלֵ֙הוּ֙ בִּזְר֣וֹעַ כֹּח֔וֹ גַּם־רָעֵב֙ וְאֵ֣ין כֹּ֔חַ לֹא־שָׁ֥תָה מַ֖יִם וַיִּיעָֽף׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The smithחָרָשׁ, חֲרָשִׁיםchârâsh · artificerH2796
• The smithבַּרְזֶלbarzel · ironH1270
• with the tongsמַעֲצָדma‛ătsâd · axeH4621
• both workethפָּעַלpâ‛al · to workH6466
• in the coalsפֶּחָםpechâm · coalH6352
• and fashionethיָצַרyâtsar · to form: formedH3335
• it with hammersמַקָּבָהmaqqâbâh · hammerH4717
• it with the strengthכֹּחַkôach kôach · strengthH3581
• of his armsזְרוֹעַzerôa‛ zerôa‛ zerô‛âh zerô‛âh · armH2220
• yea, he is hungryרָעֵבrâ‛êb · hungryH7457
• failethאַ֫יִן'ayin · nothingH369
• he drinkethשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
• no waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• and is faintיָעֵףyâ‛aph · to faintH3286

Cross-references for Isaiah 44:12

• Isaiah 40:19A craftsman casts an idol; a metalsmith overlays it with gold and forges silver chains for it.
• Isaiah 41:6They help one another; one says to the other, ‘Be strong!’
• Isaiah 46:6Those who empty out gold from a purse and weigh out silver on the scale hire a metalsmith, who makes it into a god. They then bow down and worship it.
• Exodus 32:4He accepted the gold from them, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molten calf. Then they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”
• Jeremiah 10:3For the religion of these people is worthless. They cut down a tree in the forest, and a craftsman makes it into an idol with his tools.
• Habakkuk 2:13Be sure of this! The Lord who commands armies has decreed: The nations’ efforts will go up in smoke; their exhausting work will be for nothing.

Commentaries on Isaiah 44:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12The smith with the tongs, etc. "The smith cutteth off a portion of iron" - מעצד meatstsed, Participium Pihel of עצד atsad, to cut; still used in that sense in the Arabic. See Simonis Lex. Hebrews The Septuagint and Syriac take the word in this form: but they render it sharpeneth the iron. See Castell. Lex. in voce. The sacred writers are generally large and eloquent upon the subject of idolatry; they treat it with great severity, and set forth the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12The smith with the tongs - The prophet proceeds here to show the folly and absurdity of idolatry; and in order to this he goes into an extended statement Isaiah 44:12-19 of the manner in which idols were usually made. Lowth remarks, The sacred writers are generally large and eloquent on the subject of idolatry; they treat it with great severity, and set forth the absurdity of it in the strongest light. But this passage of Isaiah far exceeds anything that…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. 1212. tongs--rather, "prepareth (to be supplied) an axe," namely, with which to cut down the tree designed as the material of the idol. The "smith" (Hebrew, "workman in iron") here answers to the "carpenter" (Hebrew, "workman in wood"). "He worketh it (the axe, not the idol, which was wood, not metal) in the coals," &c. The axe was wrought, not cast. The smith makes the axe for the carpenter. hungry ... drinketh no water--so eager is he to expedite his work…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 44:12

• Carving
• Idol
• Idolatry
• Smith

In the dictionaries

• Axe
• Consider
• Fit
• Graving
• Hammer
• Idol
• Pleasure
• Surname
• Ax (axe); Ax-Head
• Coal

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