The Meaning of Isaiah 41:7 Explained

Isaiah 41:7

KJV: So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.

YLT: And strengthen doth an artisan the refiner, A smoother with a hammer, Him who is beating on an anvil, Saying, 'For joining it is good,' And he strengtheneth it with nails, it is not moved!

Darby: And the artizan encouraged the founder, he that smootheth with the hammer him that smiteth on the anvil, saying of the soldering, It is good; and he fasteneth it with nails, that it be not moved.

ASV: So the carpenter encourageth the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smiteth the anvil, saying of the soldering, It is good; and he fasteneth it with nails, that is should not be moved.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

So the carpenter  encouraged  the goldsmith,  [and] he that smootheth  [with] the hammer  him that smote  the anvil,  saying,  It [is] ready  for the sodering:  and he fastened  it with nails,  [that] it should not be moved. 

What does Isaiah 41:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Furthermore, they proceed to build idols. Rather than turning to the Lord, they make gods to whom they turn. In Isaiah 40:18-20, Isaiah contrasted the idols with the God of creation, but here he contrasted them with the God of history. It is not these idols who strengthen their worshippers, but the worshippers who strengthen their idols.
"What a god he must be that needs a common laborer to pass inspection and declare that he is in good condition!" [1]
"The purpose of all this detail is not clear, but the prophet may want to heighten the ironic effect by showing what a complex and arduous task idol making is. Thus he is implicitly asking his hearers if simply trusting the sovereign Lord is not a great deal easier. Another purpose may be to point out how dependent the gods are. They cannot be created by just one person; it takes a whole host of people to keep them going." [2]
Regardless of the nations" refusal to acknowledge Yahweh, He would intervene in history for the welfare of His people. Israel would not need to fear like the nations because the Lord would be with them and protect them.

Context Summary

Isaiah 41:1-16 - The Lord Upholdeth His Servant
The conception of this passage is superb. Jehovah is represented as summoning the earth to determine whether He or some idol of the heathen is the true God, Isaiah 41:7. Also see Isaiah 41:23. The test proposed is a simple one! Which can most precisely predict the future? Not, as in Elijah's case, is the appeal made to fire, but to the fitting of prophecy with historical fulfillment. See Isaiah 41:22-23.
While this great arbitration is in process, God turns with tender assurances to His own people. They were at this time captives in Babylon. They were poor and needy. They were surrounded by strong and crafty foes, against whom they were as powerless as a worm. But no height, however precipitous, or depth, however profound, could separate them from His love. Heart and flesh might fail, but He would strengthen; difficulties might appear insurmountable, but He would help. He does more. He takes His people, weak as worms, and makes them, if they but yield to Him, sharp threshing instruments having teeth before which the powers of evil become as chaff. O man, listen to God saying, I will make. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 41

1  God expostulates with his people, about his mercies to the church
10  About his promises
21  And about the vanity of idols

What do the individual words in Isaiah 41:7 mean?

So encouraged the craftsman - the goldsmith He who smooths [with] the hammer [inspired] him who strikes the anvil Saying for the soldering ready it [is] and he fastened it with pegs not [That] it might totter -
וַיְחַזֵּ֤ק חָרָשׁ֙ אֶת־ צֹרֵ֔ף מַחֲלִ֥יק פַּטִּ֖ישׁ ה֣וֹלֶם פָּ֑עַם אֹמֵ֤ר לַדֶּ֙בֶק֙ ט֣וֹב ה֔וּא וַיְחַזְּקֵ֥הוּ בְמַסְמְרִ֖ים לֹ֥א יִמּֽוֹט ס

וַיְחַזֵּ֤ק  So  encouraged 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָזַק  
Sense: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore.
חָרָשׁ֙  the  craftsman 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֶרֶשׁ 
Sense: craftsman, artisan, engraver, graver, artificer.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
צֹרֵ֔ף  the  goldsmith 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: צָרַף  
Sense: to smelt, refine, test.
מַחֲלִ֥יק  He  who  smooths 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: חָלַק 
Sense: to divide, share, plunder, allot, apportion, assign.
פַּטִּ֖ישׁ  [with]  the  hammer 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּטִּישׁ  
Sense: forge hammer, hammer.
ה֣וֹלֶם  [inspired]  him  who  strikes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: הָלַם  
Sense: (Qal) to smite, strike, hammer, strike down.
פָּ֑עַם  the  anvil 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: פַּעַם  
Sense: stroke, beat, foot, step, anvil, occurrence.
אֹמֵ֤ר  Saying 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לַדֶּ֙בֶק֙  for  the  soldering 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֶּבֶק  
Sense: joints, soldering, joining, appendage.
ט֣וֹב  ready 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
ה֔וּא  it  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
וַיְחַזְּקֵ֥הוּ  and  he  fastened  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: חָזַק  
Sense: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore.
בְמַסְמְרִ֖ים  with  pegs 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַסְמֵר  
Sense: nail.
יִמּֽוֹט  [That]  it  might  totter 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מֹוט  
Sense: to totter, shake, slip.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation