Isaiah 41:24 kjv
Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.
Isaiah 41:24 nkjv
Indeed you are nothing, And your work is nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination.
Isaiah 41:24 niv
But you are less than nothing and your works are utterly worthless; whoever chooses you is detestable.
Isaiah 41:24 esv
Behold, you are nothing, and your work is less than nothing; an abomination is he who chooses you.
Isaiah 41:24 nlt
But no! You are less than nothing and can do nothing at all.
Those who choose you pollute themselves.
Isaiah 41 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 40:18 | To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness will you compare to him? | Direct contrast on idols |
| Isaiah 40:25 | “To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him?” says the Holy One. | God's incomparable holiness |
| Isaiah 44:6 | “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.” | God's eternality |
| Isaiah 44:9 | Those who make idols are all of them empty, and their most cherished nor their good designs are of no avail; they are their own witnesses that they do not see and do not know, so that they will be put to shame. | Idols are useless |
| Isaiah 45:5 | “I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God. | God's unique existence |
| Isaiah 45:19 | “I did not speak in secret, in some dark place of the earth; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare what is right.” | God's clear pronouncements |
| Isaiah 46:9 | remembering the former things, those of long ago, and that I am God, and there is no other God; I am God, and there is none like me, | God's unique supremacy |
| Jeremiah 10:3 | For the customs of the peoples are futile; for it is a tree that one cuts from the forest, the work of the hands of a craftsman with a chisel. | Idols made by human hands |
| Jeremiah 10:14 | Every man is stupid and without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his molten images are false, and there is no breath in them. | Idols lack life |
| Psalm 115:4 | Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. | Idols are man-made |
| Psalm 115:5 | They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; | Idols' inability to perceive |
| Psalm 115:6 | they have ears, but do not hear; they have noses, but do not smell; | Idols' inability to sense |
| Psalm 115:7 | they have hands, but do not feel; they have feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. | Idols' lack of physical function |
| Acts 17:29 | Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, or like an image formed by the art and imagination of man. | Spiritual understanding |
| 1 Corinthians 8:4 | Therefore concerning the eating of food sacrificed to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.” | Idols' lack of reality |
| 1 Corinthians 10:19 | What do I imply then that a sacrifice made to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? | The insignificance of idols |
| Revelation 21:8 | But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. | Consequence of idolatry |
| Psalm 135:15 | The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. | Further denunciation of idols |
| Hosea 4:6 | My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since, because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. | Rejection of knowledge |
| Job 11:12 | For a stupid person will get understanding, when a wild donkey is born tame. | Human foolishness |
Isaiah 41 verses
Isaiah 41 24 Meaning
This verse declares the absolute nullity of idols and the true power and sovereign authority of God. It asserts that whatever does not come from God is inherently empty and destined for destruction, emphasizing God's unique position as the sole true God.
Isaiah 41 24 Context
Isaiah 41:24 is part of a larger discourse in Isaiah where the prophet confronts the exiles in Babylon. He is speaking against the pagan deities worshipped by the Babylonians, such as Marduk, and by extension, any idolatrous practices of the Israelites. The surrounding verses highlight the impotence of idols and contrast them with the unique power of the LORD, who has a plan and brings it to fruition. God challenges the idols to reveal the future or show what has happened in the past, something they are incapable of doing. This verse serves as a summation of that challenge and a declaration of their ultimate worthlessness. The historical context is the Babylonian exile, a period where the Israelites were surrounded by powerful nations and their elaborate polytheistic religions, making this divine declaration particularly relevant and comforting.
Isaiah 41 24 Word Analysis
"And," (וְ - ve): A conjunction indicating addition or continuation. Connects this declaration to the preceding verses, building upon the critique of idols.
"behold," (הִנֵּה - hinneh): An interjection commanding attention. It signifies that what follows is of utmost importance, drawing the listener’s focus to a momentous truth.
"a man" (אִישׁ - ish): Refers to a human being. This highlights that the source of these idols is man.
"is nothing" (אֵינֶנּוּ - einennu): Literally "he is not." This emphasizes complete absence or nullity. The subject (a man, or by extension, what proceeds from him) possesses no inherent substance or value.
"and" (וְ - ve): Conjunction, linking the two clauses of the verse.
"his work" (פֹּעֳלוֹ - po'alo): Means his deed, action, or product. Here it specifically refers to the idols created by humans.
"is abominable" (תּוֹעֵבָה - to'evah): This word signifies something detestable, abhorrent, or an abomination, particularly in a religious context. It denotes something that is a source of disgust and revulsion to God.
Word Group Analysis:
- "a man is nothing": This phrase powerfully links human existence (without God) to absolute futility. It suggests that apart from divine validation and purpose, human effort, especially when misdirected into idolatry, amounts to zero.
- "his work is abominable": This directly addresses the manufactured idols. The "work" (פֹּעֳלוֹ - po'alo) of human hands, when it is fashioned into an idol and worshipped, is not just neutral or neutral but actively repulsive ("abominable" - תּוֹעֵבָה - to'evah) to the holy God. This intensifies the condemnation beyond mere uselessness.
Isaiah 41 24 Bonus Section
The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (to'evah) is used frequently throughout the Old Testament to describe acts and objects that are an offense to God, especially those associated with pagan worship and those that violate the Mosaic covenant. This includes dietary laws and specific sexual practices, but fundamentally it describes that which is fundamentally wrong from God's perspective. In this verse, it’s applied to the work of man, the idol, because idol worship itself is the ultimate to'evah. The structure of the verse sets up a parallel: if a man (without God) is nothing, then his product (idol) is detestable. It reinforces that all unauthorized worship systems stem from and return to human emptiness, marked by God’s displeasure.
Isaiah 41 24 Commentary
This verse is a stark pronouncement against idolatry, underscoring the divine contempt for anything created by man to represent or replace God. The impotence of idols is not merely a lack of power, but their very existence as objects of worship is an offense. It points to the ultimate vanity of trusting in human crafts and ingenuity over divine revelation. True value and purpose come from God alone, and all human endeavors outside of His will and provision are fundamentally worthless and detestable in His sight. This message offered a profound reassurance to the exiles that their God, unlike the impotent idols of Babylon, was real, sovereign, and capable of restoring them.