Isaiah 29 16

Isaiah 29:16 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?

Isaiah 29:16 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"?

Isaiah 29:16 niv

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"?

Isaiah 29:16 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"?

Isaiah 29:16 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"?

Isaiah 29 verses

Isaiah 29 16 Meaning

The verse declares that the people of Judah have twisted the wisdom and understanding of God into something perverted. They treat God's creative work as if it originated from their own skill, discrediting the Creator Himself.

Isaiah 29 16 Context

Isaiah 29 addresses the judgment of God against Jerusalem, referred to as "Ariel." The chapter highlights the perversion of true worship and the self-deception of the people, who rely on their own strategies and efforts instead of God's guidance. This specific verse speaks to a deep-seated spiritual corruption where human cleverness is elevated above divine revelation, leading to a distorted view of reality and a rejection of the Creator. The historical context involves Judah's political and spiritual state, marked by a false sense of security and a turning away from God's covenants, often influenced by pagan philosophies or self-serving agendas.

Isaiah 29 16 Word Analysis

• Woe (הוֹי - hoy): An exclamation of grief, sorrow, or denunciation. It introduces a pronouncement of doom or a strong warning.
• unto you: Directed specifically at the people addressed, indicating a personal accountability.
• that obscure (סָתַם - satam): To cover, conceal, hide. Here, it implies intentionally hiding or masking God's commands and wisdom.
• counsel (עֵצָה - etsah): Plan, advice, purpose. Refers to God's divine plan and instruction.
• from the LORD (מִיהוָה - mi-hovah): From Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. Emphasizes the source of true wisdom being rejected.
• and their knowledge (וְדַעְתָם - we'datam): And their knowledge. Refers to the understanding and intelligence they possess.
• is hid (מִמֶּנוּ - mimmenu): From Him. Indicates that God's wisdom is deliberately hidden from the LORD, meaning they are disregarding or obscuring it from their own minds and actions. This is a perversion.
• the LORD: Yahweh.
• And: Connects the first part of the verse to the second.
• Woe (הוֹי - hoy): Repeats the exclamation of denunciation.
• unto them: Continues the direct address.
• that invert (עָשָׂה - asah): To do, make, fashion. Here, it means to turn things upside down, pervert, or reverse. It speaks of a radical distortion of reality.
• work (מַעֲשֶׂה - ma'aseh): Deed, doing, creation, work. Can refer to God's actions or the works of human hands.
• of their hands (יְדֵיהֶם - yedeihem): Their hands. Refers to human actions, creations, or endeavors.

Words Group Analysis:

• "obscure counsel from the LORD and their knowledge is hid from Him": This phrase highlights a deliberate turning away from divine guidance. The people actively hide God's counsel and truth from themselves, effectively blinding themselves to His will. The "knowledge" being "hid from Him" is ironic, as it's not that God's knowledge is hidden from God, but rather their own acknowledged understanding is obscured from its divine source, leading them to act as if it originated from themselves.
• "turn the work of their hands into something that cannot be known" / "inverting the work of their hands": This describes the consequence of their rebellion. They twist and distort God's intended design and their own actions, making their achievements nonsensical or meaningless in God's eyes. They boast in their own skills, acting as if their achievements are entirely self-generated and disconnected from God's power and authority.

Isaiah 29 16 Bonus Section

The theme of perverting God's truth and the consequence of relying on human wisdom echoes throughout Scripture. The judgment described here foreshadows later judgments upon nations and individuals who pride themselves on their own understanding and reject divine authority. This verse serves as a stark warning against intellectual pride and the dangerous tendency to view human ingenuity as independent of, or superior to, the Creator. It underscores that all true wisdom and capability originate from God and acknowledging Him in all things is essential for meaning and right living.

Isaiah 29 16 Commentary

This verse condemns a specific type of spiritual perversion: intellectual and practical arrogance that denies God's sovereignty and source of wisdom. It’s not just ignorance, but a wilful distortion and obscuring of divine truth, leading people to wrongly attribute their capabilities and achievements solely to themselves. This elevates human work and understanding to the level of divine creation, essentially rendering God invisible and irrelevant in their lives. This is a severe offense, earning the denunciation of "Woe." It points to a people who are outwardly religious but inwardly rebellious, boasting in a knowledge and ability that they have divorced from its true origin, God. The consequence is that their own "works" become meaningless and void of true substance.