Isaiah 46:2

Isaiah 46:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.
• English Standard Version (ESV)They stoop; they bow down together; they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity.
• New King James Version (NKJV)They stoop, they bow down together; They could not deliver the burden, But have themselves gone into captivity.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Both the idols and their owners are bowed down. The gods cannot protect the people, and the people cannot protect the gods. They go off into captivity together.

Context of Isaiah 46:2

1Bel 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. They stoop and bow down together; unable to rescue the burden, they themselves go off into captivity. 3“Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. 4Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Isaiah 46:2 word by word

קָרְס֤וּ כָֽרְעוּ֙ יַחְדָּ֔ו לֹ֥א יָכְל֖וּ מַלֵּ֣ט מַשָּׂ֑א וְנַפְשָׁ֖ם בַּשְּׁבִ֥י הָלָֽכָה׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• They stoopקָרַסqâras · to stoopH7164
• they bow downכָּרַעkâra‛ · to bowH3766
• togetherיָחְדָּוyachad · togetherH3162
• they couldיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
• not deliverמָלַטmâlaţ · to escapeH4422
• the burdenמַשָּׂאmaώώâ' · burdenH4853
• but themselvesנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
• are goneהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• into captivityשְׁבִיshebîy · captivityH7628

Cross-references for Isaiah 46:2

• Isaiah 36:18“Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Have the gods of any nations ever delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria?
• Isaiah 37:12Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver them—the gods of Gozan, Harran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar?
• Isaiah 44:17From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, “Save me! You are my god!”
• Isaiah 45:20“Gather together and come; assemble, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray to gods that cannot save.
• Judges 18:17The five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the idol, the ephod and the household gods while the priest and the six hundred armed men stood at the entrance of the gate.
• 2 Samuel 5:21The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.
• Jeremiah 43:12He will set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt; he will burn their temples and take their gods captive. As a shepherd picks his garment clean of lice, so he will pick Egypt clean and depart.
• Jeremiah 48:7Since you trust in your deeds and riches, you too will be taken captive, and Chemosh will go into exile, together with his priests and officials.

Commentaries on Isaiah 46:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2They could not deliver the burden "They could not deliver their own charge" - That is, their worshippers, who ought to have been borne by them. See the two next verses. The Chaldee and Syriac Versions render it in effect to the same purpose, those that bear them, meaning their worshippers; but how they can render משא massa in an active sense, I do not understand. For לא lo, not, ולא velo, and they could not, is the reading of twenty-four of Kennicott's…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2They stoop - Bel, and Nebo, and all the Babylonian gods (see Isaiah 46:1). They could not deliver the burden - The word burden‘ here, probably means the load of metal, wood, and stone, of which the idols were composed. The gods whom the Babylonians worshipped had not even power to protect the images which were made to represent them, and which had now become a heavy burden to the animals and wains which were carrying them away. They could not rescue them…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-2This taunt was against the self-contradiction of Babylonian religion. A taunt is a mocking song or speech. In this passage, the prophet makes fun of Babylon’s beliefs. The message shows that their religion does not make sense.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. deliver--from the enemies' hands. burden--their images laid on the beasts (Is 46:1). themselves--the gods, here also distinguished from their images.Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 46:2

• Babylon
• Idolatry

In the dictionaries

• Pleasure
• Purpose
• Bear; Borne
• Deliver
• Evil
• Isaiah
• Mark, the Gospel According to
• Saviour
• Gate

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