Isaiah 37:19 kjv
And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.
Isaiah 37:19 nkjv
and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men's hands?wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them.
Isaiah 37:19 niv
They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.
Isaiah 37:19 esv
and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed.
Isaiah 37:19 nlt
And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all ? only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands.
Isaiah 37 19 Cross References
Verse | Text | Reference |
---|---|---|
Psalm 47:2 | God is the great King over all the earth. | God's supreme sovereignty |
Psalm 95:3 | For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods. | God's kingship and greatness |
Psalm 145:3 | Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; His greatness is unfathombable. | Incomprehensible greatness |
Isaiah 40:25-26 | To whom will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One. Look up at the skies; who created all the stars? He brings them out in host, counts them, calls them all by name. | God's incomparable creation |
Isaiah 46:5 | To whom will you compare me, or make me equal, or liken me, that we may be alike? | God's uniqueness |
Romans 11:33-34 | Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His paths beyond tracing out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? | Unsearchable wisdom/paths |
1 Cor 2:16 | For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. | Possession of God's mind |
Phil 4:7 | And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. | Peace beyond understanding |
Col 1:15 | He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. | Christ's divine image |
Col 2:9 | For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form. | Fullness of Deity in Christ |
Heb 1:3 | The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. | Christ's exact representation |
Rev 1:8 | “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” | Eternal nature of God |
Rev 4:8 | ... “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” | Triune holiness |
Rev 19:16 | On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. | Christ's ultimate authority |
Ps 139:6 | Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain to it. | Human limitation |
Job 11:7-9 | “Can you fathom the depths of God? Can you probe the foundations of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens—what can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave—what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea." | God's unfathomable nature |
Jer 32:17 | “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” | God's omnipotence |
Matt 19:26 | Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” | Divine possibility |
Isaiah 37 verses
Isaiah 37 19 Meaning
He has made Himself like Himself; it is impossible for man to comprehend Him. He is incomparable in power and majesty.
Isaiah 37 19 Context
This verse appears in Isaiah chapter 37, which records King Hezekiah's prayer and God's response through the prophet Isaiah concerning the Assyrian threat. King Sennacherib of Assyria had sent a blasphemous message to Jerusalem, mocking Yahweh and boasting of his conquests. Hezekiah, upon hearing the words of the Assyrian envoy, spread the threatening letter before the Lord in the temple and prayed fervently. This verse is part of Isaiah's comforting reply to Hezekiah, assuring him that God, the supreme King, is aware of the situation and will act against the Assyrian king. The immediate context is the spiritual battle between Yahweh and the Assyrian gods, and by extension, all pagan deities.
Isaiah 37 19 Word Analysis
- כִּי (ki): "for," "because," "that." Introduces a clause of reason or explanation, linking to the preceding prayer and situation.
- כּוּנָּה (kwnh): This root conveys ideas of establishing, fixing, preparing, or making something firm or ready. Here, it signifies God's self-establishment or self-definition.
- עַצְמוֹ (`atsmoh): "himself," "itself." The reflexive pronoun, emphasizing that God is the subject and object of His own being and making.
- לוֹ (lo): "to him," "for him." Possessive or relational.
Words-group Analysis:
- "כִּי כּוּנָּה עַצְמוֹ לוֹ" ("ki kwnh `atsmoh lo"): This phrase can be translated and understood as "for He established Himself to Himself" or "for He has made Himself to be to Himself." It speaks to God's self-sufficiency and His inherent nature, that His being and essence are fully contained within Himself, not dependent on any external source or created being. He is the self-existent One, YHWH (Exodus 3:14). He is not made or derived; He is. This highlights His absolute sovereignty and distinctiveness from creation.
Isaiah 37 19 Bonus Section
This concept of God being self-existent and uncreated is foundational to monotheism. The Assyrian gods, like other pagan deities, were often conceived as existing by divine procreation or through battles among themselves. Isaiah's statement here powerfully contrasts the true God with these polytheistic conceptions, emphasizing Yahweh's unique, unparalleled, and self-originating nature. This self-sufficiency implies His absolute authority and power over all creation, making Him incomparable and supreme. It points to His eternal plan and unchangeable purpose.
Isaiah 37 19 Commentary
The verse asserts God's absolute self-sufficiency and uncreated nature. Unlike earthly kings or idols that are made or appointed, God exists by Himself and for Himself. His essence, power, and being are eternally complete within His own divine nature. This incomprehensibility means humans cannot fully grasp or define God through their limited understanding. He transcends all comparisons and categories. This truth was a vital reassurance to Hezekiah, assuring him that the mighty Assyrian king was insignificant compared to the eternal, self-existent God of Israel, who was acting on behalf of His people.