Isaiah 44:10 kjv
Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
Isaiah 44:10 nkjv
Who would form a god or mold an image That profits him nothing?
Isaiah 44:10 niv
Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit nothing?
Isaiah 44:10 esv
Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing?
Isaiah 44:10 nlt
Who but a fool would make his own god ?
an idol that cannot help him one bit?
Isaiah 44 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 44:9 | All who fashion idols are put to shame, those who make them their boast. | Isa. 44:9 (Emphasizes shame) |
| Psalm 115:4-7 | Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands...They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see... | Psa. 115:4-7 (Idols' limitations) |
| Isaiah 40:18 | To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? | Isa. 40:18 (Uniqueness of God) |
| Isaiah 40:25 | “To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. | Isa. 40:25 (God's incomparable nature) |
| Jeremiah 10:3-5 | For the customs of the peoples are false. A tree from the forest is cut down...handled with a craftsman’s tools...It cannot speak or walk or walk. | Jer. 10:3-5 (Idol creation described) |
| Psalm 96:5 | For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. | Psa. 96:5 (Contrast with Creator) |
| Romans 1:22-23 | Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man... | Rom. 1:22-23 (Foolishness of idolatry) |
| 1 Corinthians 10:19-20 | What do I imply then that a sacrifice made to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. | 1 Cor. 10:19-20 (Demonic influence in idolatry) |
| 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 an image or sculpture devised by men’s art and imagination. | Acts 17:29 (Nature of God vs. idols) |
| Deuteronomy 4:16-19 | lest you corrupt yourselves and make yourselves an idol...an image of any kind, the form of a male or female... | Deut. 4:16-19 (Prohibition of idols) |
| Psalm 135:15-18 | The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak...Those who make them become like them, so do those who trust in them. | Psa. 135:15-18 (Idol makers becoming like them) |
| Isaiah 46:5-7 | “To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may know him? You pour from a bag of gold and carry silver. You hire a brigand to carry off... You lavished gold from the purse, and weigh out silver by the scale; you hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god. | Isa. 46:5-7 (More on futile idol worship) |
| Exodus 20:4-5 | “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness...You shall not bow down to them or serve them... | Exo. 20:4-5 (Commandment against idols) |
| Habakkuk 2:18-19 | What profit is an idol from its maker, that he makes it of wood and the coppersmith himself has to forge it? What can it profit a man that he should put his trust in him, when he has fashioned dumb idols of metal? | Hab. 2:18-19 (Profitless idols) |
| Isaiah 41:24 | Behold, you are nothing and your work is nothing! An abomination is he who chooses you! | Isa. 41:24 (Rejection of idols) |
| Isaiah 45:16 | Into shame also shall all of them be put that form idols, and all of them shall go into confusion together that make images of them. | Isa. 45:16 (Shared shame of idol makers) |
| John 10:33 | The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” | John 10:33 (Misunderstanding God's nature) |
| Mark 12:24 | And Jesus said to them, “Is not this the reason you are mistaken, that you neither understand the Scriptures nor the power of God?” | Mark 12:24 (Spiritual misunderstanding) |
| Acts 7:41 | So I made a calf out of it and presented it with sacrifices... | Acts 7:41 (Israel's past idolatry) |
| Psalm 106:19-21 | They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image. They exchanged their glory for the image of a chewing ox. | Psa. 106:19-21 (Specific idolatry) |
Isaiah 44 verses
Isaiah 44 10 Meaning
This verse describes the futility of man-made gods, highlighting their origins from the earth and the labor of human hands. It questions the wisdom of those who create and trust in idols that possess no life, knowledge, or power, contrasting them with the living God.
Isaiah 44 10 Context
This verse is found within Isaiah chapter 44, which addresses the exiles in Babylon. God, through the prophet Isaiah, is contrasting His own divine power and identity with the impotence and deception of Babylonian idols and their worship. The immediate context highlights Israel's past reliance on idols and assures them of God's unwavering faithfulness and redemptive power. The chapter emphasizes God's sovereignty over creation and history, offering comfort and hope by revealing that the "gods" of the nations are mere man-made creations with no true substance or ability. This section is a polemic against polytheism and idolatry, strengthening the identity of Yahweh as the one true God, who is also the creator and sustainer of the universe.
Isaiah 44 10 Word Analysis
- Who (מִי - mî): Interrogative pronoun. Asks "Who?" indicating a query or challenge.
- has (עָשָׂה - ʿāśâ): Verb, Qal stem, Perfect tense, 3rd person masculine singular. Means "to do," "to make," "to accomplish." Here, it refers to the act of creation or fashioning.
- declared (נִגַּד - nig gad): Verb, Niphal stem, Perfect tense, 3rd person masculine singular, from נָגַד (nāgad) meaning "to tell," "to report," "to declare." This implies making something known or foretelling.
- and (וְ - wə): Conjunction. Connects clauses or words.
- has (הִגִּיד - higgîd): Verb, Hiphil stem, Perfect tense, 3rd person masculine singular, from נָגַד (nāgad) meaning "to tell," "to show." Similar to the previous word, indicating declaration.
- him (לוֹ - lōw): Pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular, preposition "to." Refers back to the "one" who declares or proclaims.
- to declare (לְהַגִּיד - ləhaggîd): Infinitive construct of נָגַד (nāgad), with the preposition לְ (lə), meaning "to tell," "to declare," "to show forth." Emphasizes the action of making known.
- his (קּוֹל - qōl): Noun, masculine singular. Means "voice," "sound."
- first (רִאשׁוֹן - rîšôn): Adjective, masculine singular. Means "first," "chief," "former."
- for (וְ - wə): Conjunction. Connects words or clauses.
- witness (עֵד - ʿēd): Noun, masculine singular. Means "witness." Refers to someone or something that bears testimony.
- let (יַּעַשׂ - yaʿăś): Verb, Qal stem, Imperfect tense, 3rd person masculine singular, from עָשָׂה (ʿāśâ) meaning "to do," "to make." It’s a jussive, indicating a command or strong wish, "Let him make."
- also (גַּם - gam): Adverb. Means "also," "even," "indeed."
- they (הֵם - hēm): Pronoun, 3rd person masculine plural. Refers to "they."
- gather (יַקְהֵל־ - yaq'hel): Verb, Qal stem, Imperfect tense, 3rd person masculine singular, from קָהַל (qāhal) meaning "to gather," "to assemble." Used here for an action that "they" would do. The hyphen indicates it's the end of a verb before a conjunction.
- the (אֶת־ - ʾet): Definite article prefix, followed by a particle often marking the definite direct object. The hyphen signifies the end of the preceding word.
- peoples (עַמִּים - ʿammîm): Noun, masculine plural. Means "peoples," "nations."
- and (וְ - wə): Conjunction.
- let (יָבִאוּ - yāḇîʾū): Verb, Hiphil stem, Imperfect tense, 3rd person masculine plural, from בּוֹא (bōʾ) meaning "to come." Used in the jussive sense: "Let them bring."
- them (אֶת־ - ʾet): Definite article prefix for the direct object.
- to (אֶל־ - ʾel): Preposition meaning "to," "toward."
- their (מוֹעֲצֹתָיו - mōʿăṣōṯāw): Noun, feminine plural with masculine singular suffix. From מוֹעֵצָה (mōʿēṣâ) meaning "counsel," "advice," "purpose," or "assembly." Here likely refers to their chosen ones or those assembled.
- wise ones (חֲכָמָיו - ḥăḵāmāw): Noun, masculine plural with masculine singular suffix. From חָכָם (ḥāḵām) meaning "wise man," "wise." Refers to their wise men or advisors.
Word Group Analysis:The first part, "Who has declared and proclaimed it, and announced it beforehand from the first? Was it not I, the Lord?" highlights God's self-declaration and pre-eminence. He is the source of truth and prophecy. The second part, "Let all the nations gather together, and let the peoples assemble," describes a hypothetical gathering of nations and peoples. The verse challenges the effectiveness of such gatherings and the entities they might seek counsel from (implied by "their wise ones") in comparison to God's unique declaration. The use of "wise ones" points directly to the nations consulting their own oracles or learned individuals about idols.
Isaiah 44 10 Bonus Section
The passage implies that true wisdom and reliable prophecy come only from the Lord. Human wisdom, when applied to idolatry, becomes folly. The act of idol making itself reflects a deficiency in understanding the true nature of God. Scholars often point out that this text served to deconstruct the religious authority of Babylon for the captive Israelites, assuring them that the power behind their captors’ worship was null and void compared to Yahweh. It’s a profound theological statement about God's unique status as the sole possessor of divine knowledge and power, a truth echoed throughout Scripture, challenging all who would seek spiritual guidance apart from Him.
Isaiah 44 10 Commentary
This verse is a rhetorical question from God to His people and the surrounding nations. It underscores God's exclusive role as the one who declares future events and His own identity. The nations, and their so-called wise counselors, cannot do this because their objects of worship (idols) are utterly incapable. They are lifeless creations, unable to speak or foresee anything. The phrase "their wise ones" implicitly refers to the soothsayers, priests, and scholars of pagan nations who purported to offer divine wisdom through their idols or divinatory practices.
God challenges any of these idols, or their worshipers, to produce anyone who can do what He does – to announce events from the beginning and reveal divine will. This highlights the absolute difference between the Creator and the created. No man-made object, however intricately fashioned, can possess divine attributes like omniscience or omnipotence.
The second half of the verse, "Let all the nations gather together, and let the peoples assemble," sets up a grand council of the world's deities and their followers. God, in essence, says, "Let them all come forth. Let them bring their wisest counselors. Who among them can match my prophetic pronouncements? Who among them can demonstrate genuine foresight or control over history?" The implication is that none can. Their wisdom is foolishness, their gods are impotent, and their prophecies are mere speculation or deceit. This is a powerful declaration of God's supreme sovereignty and the futility of all other forms of worship.