Isaiah 44 13

Isaiah 44:13 kjv

The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.

Isaiah 44:13 nkjv

The craftsman stretches out his rule, He marks one out with chalk; He fashions it with a plane, He marks it out with the compass, And makes it like the figure of a man, According to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house.

Isaiah 44:13 niv

The carpenter measures with a line and makes an outline with a marker; he roughs it out with chisels and marks it with compasses. He shapes it in human form, human form in all its glory, that it may dwell in a shrine.

Isaiah 44:13 esv

The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house.

Isaiah 44:13 nlt

Then the wood-carver measures a block of wood
and draws a pattern on it.
He works with chisel and plane
and carves it into a human figure.
He gives it human beauty
and puts it in a little shrine.

Isaiah 44 verses

Isaiah 44 13 Meaning

The verse meticulously details the extensive and precise process a craftsman undertakes to carve an idol from wood. Utilizing various tools like a rule, stylus, chisels, and a compass, the artisan carefully shapes the raw material into a figure bearing "the shape of a man" and deliberately aiming for "the beauty of a human form." The explicit purpose for this elaborately crafted figure is "to live in a house," which signifies its placement within a shrine or a designated dwelling for worship, ironically highlighting its inanimate and dependent nature. This detailed description functions as a scathing critique and denunciation of the profound futility and foolishness inherent in idol worship.

Isaiah 44 13 Context

Isaiah 44:13 is embedded within the broader message of comfort, assurance, and prophetic warning found in Isaiah chapters 40-55, often directed toward the exiled Israelite community in Babylon or its foreseeable future. The immediate context of verses 9-20 constitutes a robust and satirical indictment of idolatry, strategically aimed at bolstering Israel's trust in Yahweh, the one true God, amidst the pervasive polytheistic environment of Babylonian culture. The prophet uses meticulous detail to expose the foolishness and ultimate impotence of idols fashioned by human hands, setting them in stark contrast to the omnipotent, eternal, and sovereign Creator God of Israel. This specific verse, therefore, vividly illustrates the painstaking, yet ultimately meaningless, human endeavor expended to create a lifeless object of devotion.

Isaiah 44 13 Word analysis

• The carpenter (חָרַשׁ - kharash): Refers to a craftsman, specifically a woodcarver here. This emphasizes that the "god" is merely a product of human labor and skill, underscoring its manufactured, non-divine origin.
• stretches out his rule (מִדָּה - middah): Signifies careful measurement and precision. The artisan meticulously plans the idol, highlighting human ingenuity, but simultaneously exposing that this "god" is a constructed entity adhering to human specifications, not a transcendent deity.
• he marks out (וַיְתָאֲרֵהוּ - vayta'arehu): Implies sketching an outline, carefully planning the figure before the carving process begins. This further stresses the deliberate human design dictating the idol's form.
• the shape with a stylus (שֶׂרֶד - sered): A sharp tool used for marking or incising. This detail adds to the imagery of careful, detailed human craftsmanship and effort, confirming that the "shape" is entirely human-devised.
• he planes it with chisels (מַקֶּצֶבֶת - maqqetzeveth): Chisels are used for carving, shaping, and smoothing wood. This signifies the strenuous and practical work involved, starkly contrasting with God's effortless creation through His word.
• and marks it with a compass (מְחוּגָה - m'khugah): A tool for drawing perfect circles and precise curves, ensuring symmetry and proper proportions. This shows a desire for aesthetic perfection and visual appeal, but it's a human aesthetic applied to an inanimate object.
• and shapes it into the figure (תַּבְנִית - tavnit): Meaning "pattern, model, form, structure, likeness." This refers to the ultimate form or likeness achieved. The human artisan confers identity upon the piece of wood.
• of a man (אִישׁ - ish): The idol is crafted in human likeness. This directly reverses the biblical truth of Gen 1:27, where humanity is created in God's image; here, man attempts to create a god in his own image, exposing the idol's fundamentally limited, earthly origin.
• with the beauty (תִּפְאֶרֶת - tif'eret): Refers to splendor, glory, or ornamentation. The objective is to make the idol visually appealing and perhaps majestic, attempting to inspire reverence through human-imposed aesthetics.
• of a human form (אָדָם - adam): Emphasizes the intrinsic humanness of the idol's appearance, contrasting with any divine nature attributed to it. Despite human effort to beautify it, it remains fundamentally human-made.
• to live in a house (לָשֶׁבֶת בָּיִת - lashevet bayit): Describes the ultimate destination and intended purpose. The idol is to be housed, typically in a temple or shrine, confirming it as a stationary, dependent object. This stands in direct contrast to the omnipresent God who cannot be contained by any human structure (1 Kgs 8:27, Isa 66:1-2). The "living" here is deeply ironic; it only "exists" in a dwelling because humans place it there.

Isaiah 44 13 Bonus section

The descriptive power of Isaiah 44:13 contributes significantly to the prophet's larger rhetorical strategy of systematically dismantling the legitimacy of idols. By explicitly outlining the manufacturing process, Isaiah skillfully demystifies the idols, stripping them of any claimed supernatural presence or power, and revealing them as mere inert objects. This deliberate narrative approach serves both as a potent satire and a compelling theological argument: if a "god" must be painstakingly planned, meticulously cut, and physically assembled, it logically cannot possess true divine attributes like omnipotence or eternal existence. The explicit mention of endowing the idol with "beauty" touches upon the universal human desire to adorn and revere that which is perceived as grand, yet tragically, this devotion is misdirected toward something inherently lifeless and finite. This passage also subtly yet firmly confronts any lingering syncretistic tendencies within Israel, reinforcing the unbridgeable chasm between the sovereign Yahweh and the impotent gods of the surrounding nations.

Isaiah 44 13 Commentary

Isaiah 44:13 brilliantly exposes the profound emptiness of idolatry by detailing the intensive, meticulous, and ultimately futile human labor invested in fabricating a "god." The passage overflows with irony: the very 'deity' is carefully shaped by finite, weary hands, and given a form that unmistakably mirrors its creators. Every tool and action described—measuring, outlining, carving, shaping, and beautifying—underscores that this god is nothing more than a manufactured artifact, utterly dependent on its human artisans from its inception to its final placement in a stationary "house." It can only reside where it is placed, lacks genuine life, and possesses no ability to intervene or act in the lives of its worshippers. This verse serves as a powerful reminder that worship directed toward anything crafted by human ingenuity is a fundamental misdirection of devotion away from the living God, the true Creator, who requires no artisans to fashion Him and cannot be confined within any earthly structure. It satirizes the misplaced creativity of those who confuse the product of their own labor with divine power, urging a reflection on what truly holds ultimate authority in one's life.