Isaiah 37 19

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 verses

Isaiah 37 19 Meaning

The verse acknowledges that the Assyrian invaders destroyed the gods of the nations they conquered. Crucially, it clarifies that this destruction was possible because these "gods" were not divine beings at all, but merely human artifacts crafted from wood and stone. This statement by King Hezekiah underpins his plea to Yahweh, implicitly contrasting the impotence of pagan idols with the living power of the God of Israel.

Isaiah 37 19 Context

Isaiah 37 details a critical moment in Judah's history when King Hezekiah faces the imminent threat of the Assyrian army, led by Sennacherib. Sennacherib had conquered many nations, boasting of his invincibility and the impotence of the gods of those defeated peoples (Isa 37:10-13). Hezekiah, in desperation, lays Sennacherib's blasphemous letter before the Lord in the temple and prays. Verse 19 is part of Hezekiah's fervent prayer, where he concedes that the Assyrians have indeed destroyed other nations and their deities. This concession is not an admission of Yahweh's weakness, but a clever rhetorical and theological move. Hezekiah emphasizes the true nature of those "gods"—as mere human artifacts—to distinguish them sharply from the living God of Israel and to argue for Judah's unique claim on divine protection. This prayer ultimately prompts God's promise of deliverance through the prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 37 19 Word analysis

• And have cast: The Hebrew verb for "cast" (נתן - natan) often implies a strong, deliberate action, here indicating the complete submission and destruction of the pagan gods.
• their gods: (אֱלֹהֵיהֶם - ’ĕlōhêhem) - "their mighty ones." While used generically for deities, here it specifically refers to the idols of the conquered nations. This highlights the inherent belief in the Ancient Near East that a nation's strength was tied to its gods, a belief Hezekiah implicitly rejects concerning these particular "gods."
• into the fire,: (בָּאֵשׁ - bā'ēsh) - Burning was a common and effective method of utterly destroying cultic objects and removing their supposed power and sacredness in the ANE. Mosaic Law also prescribed this for idolatrous items (e.g., Deut 7:25). It symbolizes absolute desecration and annihilation, leaving no remnant.
• for they were no gods,: (כִּי לֹא אֱלֹהִים הֵמָּה - kî lō’ ’ĕlōhîm hēmmâ) - This is the central theological declaration. The emphatic negative ("no gods") directly challenges the Assyrian worldview and highlights the crucial distinction: these objects simply lack divine essence or power. They failed the ultimate test of divinity—to defend themselves or their worshippers. This is a fundamental polemic against polytheism.
• but the work: (כִּי אִם מַעֲשֵׂה - kî ’im maʿăśēh) - "but only the work." This strong conjunction draws a clear contrast between what they are proclaimed to be and what they truly are, reinforcing the preceding negative assertion.
• of men's hands: (יְדֵי אָדָם - yəḏê ’ādām) - A ubiquitous phrase in biblical critiques of idolatry (e.g., Psa 115:4, Isa 44:9, Hab 2:19). It strips the idols of any pretense of supernatural origin, asserting their createdness by humans, thus rendering them inferior and powerless relative to their creators, and utterly incomparable to the self-existent God.
• wood and stone. (עֵץ וָאֶבֶן - ’ēṣ wā'even) - Specifies the inert, material components. These common, raw materials further underline the idols' physical limitations and complete lack of life, breath, or consciousness. They are dead objects, made of dead things, with no capacity to act or intervene.
• So they destroyed them.: (וַיְאַבְּדוּם - wayya'abbədûm) - This concluding clause summarizes the inevitable outcome for such "gods." The verb "destroyed" (אבד - ’āḇaḏ) implies utter perishing or annihilation. The destruction was logically consistent with their true nature as impotent, man-made objects.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And have cast their gods into the fire": This phrase describes the violent, thorough destruction inflicted upon these pagan deities, emphasizing their vulnerability and the ease with which they could be obliterated. It sets the stage for the explanation of why such destruction was possible.
• "for they were no gods": This is the theological lynchpin, articulating the foundational difference between the true God and idols. It means they completely lacked divine nature, power, and genuine existence as deities, asserting that any belief in their godhead was utterly mistaken.
• "but the work of men's hands—wood and stone": This segment provides the irrefutable evidence for the preceding claim. By identifying their human craftsmanship and base materials, Hezekiah negates any supernatural quality and reduces them to mere artifacts, contrasting sharply with the living, uncreated God of Israel.
• "So they destroyed them.": This short concluding statement emphasizes the finality and justification of the idols' destruction. Their lack of inherent divine power made their obliteration not only possible but also logically inevitable when faced with a greater force.

Isaiah 37 19 Bonus section

• Theological Sophistication of Hezekiah: Hezekiah's prayer here is not a simple plea but a masterstroke of theological argument. He dissects Sennacherib's propaganda, using the enemy's actions as proof of their false premise—that Yahweh is merely another national deity among others. By explicitly stating that these gods were mere human constructs, Hezekiah distinguishes Yahweh not just as "stronger" but as categorically different in nature from all pagan deities.
• Assyrians as Unwitting Witnesses: The very Assyrians who scoffed at Jerusalem's God (Isa 36:19-20) unknowingly provided Hezekiah with the evidence for the non-existence of other gods. Their actions of destroying idols implicitly supported the Israelite theological position that these objects held no inherent power or divinity. This sets up a profound irony as Yahweh is about to act against them precisely because He is the living God, unlike the objects they previously incinerated.
• Distinguishing Between 'Elohim' and 'No-Elohim': The careful phrasing "they were no gods" highlights the critical boundary. In ancient thought, national gods were potent, linked to their land and people. Hezekiah fundamentally denies this potency for any other 'god,' asserting Yahweh's uniqueness and singular existence. This contrasts sharply with syncretism and polytheistic worldview, establishing a monotheistic claim that Yahweh stands alone.

Isaiah 37 19 Commentary

Isaiah 37:19 is a concise yet profound theological statement within Hezekiah's desperate prayer during the Assyrian siege. It brilliantly turns the Assyrian boast (that they destroyed the gods of other nations) into a point of differentiation for Yahweh. Hezekiah acknowledges the historical fact of idol destruction but immediately provides the crucial interpretive key: "they were no gods." This exposes the fundamental weakness of pagan religion. The idols' fate by "fire" underscores their inanimate, power-lacking nature, confirming they were "the work of men's hands—wood and stone." This verse is a powerful polemic, asserting that what the Assyrians destroyed were not divine entities engaged in a cosmic struggle, but merely inert objects crafted by human effort, ultimately subject to human destruction. Thus, it lays the groundwork for Hezekiah's expectation of Yahweh's unique and unchallengeable intervention, as Yahweh is demonstrably not a god made of human hands. Practically, this calls believers to discern where true power lies and avoid investing ultimate trust in anything human-made or material, whether ancient idols or modern pursuits of wealth, status, or ideology, which are all ultimately perishable and powerless.