Isaiah 29:16

Isaiah 29:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
• English Standard Version (ESV)You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, "He did not make me"; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding"?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?
• New Living Translation (NLT)How foolish can you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay! Should the created thing say of the one who made it, “He didn’t make me”? Does a jar ever say, “The potter who made me is stupid”?

Context of Isaiah 29:16

14Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.” 15Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?” You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “You did not make me”? Can the pot say to the potter, “You know nothing”? 17In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field and the fertile field seem like a forest? 18In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.

Isaiah 29:16 word by word

הַ֨פְכְּכֶ֔ם אִם־כְּחֹ֥מֶר הַיֹּצֵ֖ר יֵֽחָשֵׁ֑ב כִּֽי־יֹאמַ֨ר מַעֲשֶׂ֤ה לְעֹשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ לֹ֣א עָשָׂ֔נִי וְיֵ֛צֶר אָמַ֥ר לְיוֹצְר֖וֹ לֹ֥א הֵבִֽין׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Surely your turning of things upside downהֹפֶךְhôphek · perversityH2017
• shall be esteemedחָשַׁבchâshab · to devise: thinkH2803
• as the potter’sיָצַרyâtsar · to form: potterH3335
• clayחֹ֫מֶרchômer · clayH2563
• for shall the workמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
• sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• of him that madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• me not? or shall the thing framedיֵ֫צֶרyêtser · intentionH3336
• of him that framedיָצַרyâtsar · to form: formedH3335
• it, He had no understandingבִּיןbîyn · to understandH995

Cross-references for Isaiah 29:16

• Isaiah 24:1See, the Lord is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants—
• Acts 17:6But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here,
• Isaiah 45:9“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’?
• Jeremiah 18:1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord:
• Romans 9:19One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?”
• Isaiah 45:11“This is what the Lord says— the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands?
• Psalms 94:8Take notice, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise?

Commentaries on Isaiah 29:16

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Surely your turning of things upside down - Your perversion of all things. They had no just views of truth. They deemed mere formality to be all that was required. They attempted to conceal their plans even from Yahweh; and everything in the opinions and practice of the nation had become perverted and erroneous. There has been much diversity in rendering this phrase. Luther renders it, O how perverse ye are.‘ Lowth renders it, Perverse as ye are! shall…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-16Verses 9-16 The security of sinners in sinful ways, is cause for lamentation and wonder. The learned men, through prejudice, said that the Divine prophecies were obscure; and the poor urged their want of learning. The Bible is a sealed book to every man, learned or unlearned, till he begins to study it with a simple heart and a teachable spirit, that he may thence learn the truth and the will of God. To worship God, is to approach him. And if the heart be…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16potter … clay: This picture shows that the Lord has full authority over his creation. A potter has the right to shape clay as he chooses. In the same way, God has the right to guide and rule his people. Scripture does not forbid people from asking God honest and difficult questions. However, it does not allow people to resist or reject God’s will (see Isaiah 10:15; 45:9; 64:8; Romans 9:20). He did not make me?: When people speak this way about God, they…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. Rather, "Ah! your perverseness! just as if the potter should be esteemed as the clay!" [Maurer]. Or, "Ye invert (turn upside down) the order of things, putting yourselves instead of God," and vice versa, just as if the potter should be esteemed as the clay [Horsley], (Is 45:9; 64:8).Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 29:16

• Blasphemy
• Clay
• Formalism
• God Continued...
• Hypocrisy
• Infidelity
• Isaiah
• Presumption
• Wisdom
• Worship

In the dictionaries

• Close
• Mouth
• Raise
• Sennacherib
• Choose; Chosen
• Esteem
• Form
• Isaiah
• Potter; Pottery

Commentaries on Isaiah 29

• 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