The Meaning of Isaiah 44:15 Explained

Isaiah 44:15

KJV: Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.

YLT: And it hath been for man to burn, And he taketh of them, and becometh warm, Yea, he kindleth it, and hath baked bread, Yea, he maketh a god, and boweth himself, He hath made it a graven image, And he falleth down to it.

Darby: And it shall be for a man to burn, and he taketh thereof, and warmeth himself; he kindleth it also, and baketh bread; he maketh also a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.

ASV: Then shall it be for a man to burn; and he taketh thereof, and warmeth himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread: yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then shall it be for a man  to burn:  for he will take  thereof, and warm  himself; yea, he kindleth  [it], and baketh  bread;  yea, he maketh  a god,  and worshippeth  [it]; he maketh  it a graven image,  and falleth down  thereto. 

What does Isaiah 44:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 44:12-20 - The Folly Of Idolatry
We are here conducted to a metal idol factory, Isaiah 44:12. As we enter, we are forewarned that we shall find the workmen vain, and their delectable things unprofitable. With this caution, we watch the image being made beneath the heavy blows of the hammer, wielded by the swarthy smith. After a few hours of work he becomes tired and thirsty. But surely an idol can never impart perennial energy and help, if its manufacturer is so easily exhausted.
Next, we are led into a factory of wooden idols, Isaiah 44:13, where a carpenter is at work, drawing a pattern on a block of timber. The floor is littered with shavings, and the idol that is to receive worship and exercise authority is handled very unceremoniously. Lastly we follow an individual into the forest, where he saws part of a tree for firewood and the rest for his household effigy. What folly! These men are hungry for some object of worship, but they feed their hunger on ashes; and they cannot be made to realize that they are deceiving themselves. The true bread is Christ. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 44

1  God comforts the church with his promises
7  The vanity of idols
9  And folly of idol makers
21  He exhorts to praise God for his redemption and omnipotence

What do the individual words in Isaiah 44:15 mean?

And it shall be for a man to burn for he will take some of it and warm himself Yes he kindles [it] and bakes bread indeed he makes a god and worships [it] He makes it a carved image and falls down to it
וְהָיָ֤ה לְאָדָם֙ לְבָעֵ֔ר וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֵהֶם֙ וַיָּ֔חָם אַף־ יַשִּׂ֖יק וְאָ֣פָה לָ֑חֶם אַף־ יִפְעַל־ אֵל֙ וַיִּשְׁתָּ֔חוּ עָשָׂ֥הוּ פֶ֖סֶל וַיִּסְגָּד־ לָֽמוֹ

וְהָיָ֤ה  And  it  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְאָדָם֙  for  a  man 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
לְבָעֵ֔ר  to  burn 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּעַר 
Sense: to burn, consume, kindle, be kindled.
וַיִּקַּ֤ח  for  he  will  take  some 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
מֵהֶם֙  of  it 
Parse: Preposition-m, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
וַיָּ֔חָם  and  warm  himself 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָמַם  
Sense: to be hot, become warm.
אַף־  Yes 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אַף  
Sense: also, yea, though, so much the more adv.
יַשִּׂ֖יק  he  kindles  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָשַׂק  
Sense: to kindle, burn.
וְאָ֣פָה  and  bakes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָפָה 
Sense: to bake.
לָ֑חֶם  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
אַף־  indeed 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אַף  
Sense: also, yea, though, so much the more adv.
יִפְעַל־  he  makes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּעַל  
Sense: to do, make.
אֵל֙  a  god 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵל 
Sense: god, god-like one, mighty one.
וַיִּשְׁתָּ֔חוּ  and  worships  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁחָה  
Sense: to bow down.
עָשָׂ֥הוּ  He  makes  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
פֶ֖סֶל  a  carved  image 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּסֶל  
Sense: idol, image.
וַיִּסְגָּד־  and  falls  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָגַד  
Sense: (Qal) to prostrate oneself (in worship).
לָֽמוֹ  to  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural

What are the major concepts related to Isaiah 44:15?

Loading Information...