Isaiah 17:8 kjv
And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images.
Isaiah 17:8 nkjv
He will not look to the altars, The work of his hands; He will not respect what his fingers have made, Nor the wooden images nor the incense altars.
Isaiah 17:8 niv
They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made.
Isaiah 17:8 esv
He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made, either the Asherim or the altars of incense.
Isaiah 17:8 nlt
They will no longer look to their idols for help
or worship what their own hands have made.
They will never again bow down to their Asherah poles
or worship at the pagan shrines they have built.
Isaiah 17 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 17:8 | “The high places... were abandoned...” | Context of judgment upon Syria |
| Leviticus 26:31 | "I will lay waste your cities... and will make desolate your sanctuaries." | Consequences of disobedience |
| Deuteronomy 28:51 | "And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until he be destroyed..." | Curse for rejecting God's covenant |
| Jeremiah 9:11 | "And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a dwelling place for jackals..." | God's judgment on Jerusalem |
| Jeremiah 18:16 | "To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing..." | Consequence of societal corruption |
| Ezekiel 36:34 | "And the desolate land shall be tilled..." | Restoration after desolation |
| Hosea 14:5 | "I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily..." | Promise of renewal |
| Joel 1:19 | "How do the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed..." | Divine judgment affecting nature |
| Amos 1:2 | "And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and will utter his voice from Jerusalem;" | Judgment's source and impact |
| Amos 3:14 | "For in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the slaughter upon the houses of Ahab;" | Targeting corrupt leadership |
| Micah 3:12 | "Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps..." | Judgment leading to destruction |
| Nahum 3:11 | "Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy." | Fall of Nineveh, symbolic of judgment |
| Zephaniah 2:5 | "Woe unto the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Cherethims! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, that I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant." | Judgment on Philistia |
| Romans 11:19 | "Thou wilt say then, The boughs were broken off, that I might be graffed in." | Metaphor of Gentiles grafted in |
| Romans 11:20 | "Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high minded, but fear:" | Warning against pride in salvation |
| Galatians 3:22 | "But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." | Universal sin and faith in Christ |
| Revelation 11:2 | "But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." | Gentiles trampling Jerusalem |
| Revelation 16:19 | "And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath." | Divine judgment on Babylon |
| Isaiah 31:7 | "For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you." | Forsaking idols due to divine awe |
| Psalm 106:35 | "But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works." | Assimilation leading to sin |
Isaiah 17 verses
Isaiah 17 8 Meaning
The verse speaks of the consequences of turning away from God. The natural world itself, through the divine order, reflects this disobedience, causing scarcity and abandonment. It highlights that God's judgment affects all of creation when His people stray.
Isaiah 17 8 Context
This verse is part of a prophecy against Damascus and Samaria (chief city of Ephraim/Israel), recorded in Isaiah chapter 17. The immediate context (verses 1-3) describes the complete devastation of Damascus, to the point where it will no longer be a city but a "heap of ruins." Following this, verses 4-6 shift to describe the resulting state of Israel. The prophecy addresses the remnant that will be left, signifying a chastening judgment rather than total annihilation, but a severe one nonetheless. The loss of Assyria's power, which was the instrument of God's judgment on Samaria, is also implied as the cycle of judgment and remnant applies to the northern kingdom.
Isaiah 17 8 Word Analysis
- וְקֹלְלָת֙ (we-ko-le-lot): This is the conjunction "and" (וְ - we) followed by "the high places" (קֹלְלָת֙ - kol-lo-th, plural of kōlēl). The root suggests elevation or rising up, often referring to religious or cultic sites on high ground, typically used for worship, frequently idolatrous.
- אָשֵׁ֤מוּ (a-she-mu): From the root אָשַׁם (a-sham), meaning "to be guilty," "to trespass," or "to bear guilt." Here it conveys a sense of being desolate, forsaken, or rendered empty and shameful due to guilt or sin.
- הַבָּמ֨וֹת (hab-ba-mo-th): This word translates to "the high places."
- מִפְּנֵי֙ (mip-pe-nei): Literally "from the face of" or "because of." It indicates the cause or reason for something.
- בְּנֵ֣י (be-nei): "Sons of" or "children of," often signifying people or inhabitants.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (Yis-ra-'el): "Israel," referring to the northern kingdom.
Group Analysis:
- "the high places... were abandoned because of the sons of Israel": This phrase links the desolation of the high places (often associated with pagan worship or corrupt Israelite practices) directly to the actions and sinful behavior of the people of Israel. Their unfaithfulness is the reason for the abandonment and ruin of these sacred or sacrilegious sites.
Isaiah 17 8 Bonus Section
The prophetic imagery here aligns with the broader biblical theme that the land itself experiences the consequences of its inhabitants' obedience or disobedience to God. Just as obedience leads to blessings and fertility (Deuteronomy 28:3-13), disobedience results in barrenness and ruin (Leviticus 26:31-33). The desolation of the high places is particularly pointed because these sites were often focal points of the covenant relationship, or its perversion. Their abandonment signifies the end of the communities that frequented them, either by divine judgment or their own self-destruction through sin. This prophecy is fulfilled in the eventual destruction and dispersion of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians.
Isaiah 17 8 Commentary
Isaiah 17:8 is a solemn declaration that places of worship, both those dedicated to God and those used for idolatry, would become desolate as a direct consequence of Israel's rebellion and sin. The high places, whether meant for legitimate sacrifice or illicit cults, were emptied. This emptiness is a visible sign of God's judgment, a turning away from the worship they represented, because the people who frequented them had turned away from the true God. This verse serves as a stark reminder of the spiritual implications of national sin, showing how the land and its structures reflect the condition of its people in the eyes of the Almighty. It underscores that God's favor is withdrawn when His covenant people stray, leaving even their places of worship vulnerable to desolation.