The Meaning of Isaiah 31:7 Explained

Isaiah 31:7

KJV: For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.

YLT: For in that day despise doth each His idols of silver, and his idols of gold, That your hands made to you -- a sin.

Darby: for in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your sinful hands have made unto you.

ASV: For in that day they shall cast away every man his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For in that day  every man  shall cast away  his idols  of silver,  and his idols  of gold,  which your own hands  have made  unto you [for] a sin. 

What does Isaiah 31:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

"In that day" points to the eschatological revival of Israel (cf. Isaiah 2:20). The Judahites of Isaiah"s day needed to return to the Lord, because in the future, Israel as a whole would do so. The time for decisive action was now.

Context Summary

Isaiah 31:1-9 - A Nobler Future For The Nation
Isaiah continues to denounce the contemplated alliance with Egypt. His compatriots put their trust in horses and chariots, and refused the help of their fathers' God. Yet was He not so wise as the Egyptians, and equally as strong! And were they not running a fearful risk in rejecting One who would not recall His words of threatened punishment to those who refused His help? At best, the Egyptians were men, and not God, and their cavalry, flesh. If only they would trust Him, God would defy their foes, as a lion defies a company of unarmed shepherds, Isaiah 31:4. The mother-bird hovers over her brood to protect it from the kestrel; so would He spread His covering wing over Jerusalem, Isaiah 31:5. We may have deeply revolted, yet we may turn back to God with the certainty that He will receive and rescue us, Isaiah 31:6.
Sennacherib fell by the sword of his sons. Compare Isaiah 32:8 with 2 Kings 19:36-37. How different is our glorious King, whose many-sided nature meets all our needs! Isaiah 32:2. Before Him all men are unveiled in their true characters. Only those who are royal in heart shall stand before Him, Isaiah 31:8. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 31

1  The prophet shows the folly and danger of trusting Egypt, and forsaking God
6  He exhorts to conversion
8  He shows the fall of Assyria

What do the individual words in Isaiah 31:7 mean?

For in day that shall throw away every man idols of his silver and idols of his gold which have made for yourselves your own hands sin
כִּ֚י בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא יִמְאָס֗וּן אִ֚ישׁ אֱלִילֵ֣י כַסְפּ֔וֹ וֶאֱלִילֵ֖י זְהָב֑וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשׂ֥וּ לָכֶ֛ם יְדֵיכֶ֖ם חֵֽטְא

בַּיּ֣וֹם  in  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַה֔וּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יִמְאָס֗וּן  shall  throw  away 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: מָאַס 
Sense: to reject, despise, refuse.
אִ֚ישׁ  every  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֱלִילֵ֣י  idols 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלִיל  
Sense: of nought, good for nothing, worthless.
כַסְפּ֔וֹ  of  his  silver 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
וֶאֱלִילֵ֖י  and  idols 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלִיל  
Sense: of nought, good for nothing, worthless.
זְהָב֑וֹ  of  his  gold 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: זָהָב  
Sense: gold.
עָשׂ֥וּ  have  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לָכֶ֛ם  for  yourselves 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
יְדֵיכֶ֖ם  your  own  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc, second person masculine plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
חֵֽטְא  sin 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵטְא  
Sense: sin.