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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Isaiah 44:10

Why make an idol or an image that can't do a thing?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Carving;   Idol;   Idolatry;   Vanity;   Thompson Chain Reference - False;   Idol;   Idolatry;   Ignorance;   Self, Ignorance of;   Worship, False;   Worship, True and False;   The Topic Concordance - Idolatry;   Knowledge;   Profit;   Understanding;   Worship;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Idolatry;   Vanity;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Idol, idolatry;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Idol, Idolatry;   Religion;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Idol;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Worshipper;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Exile;   God;   Idol;   Isaiah;   Life;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Election;   Micah, Book of;   Righteousness;   Servant of the Lord;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Nebuchadnezzar;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Form;   Idolatry;   Jeremy, the Epistle of;   Nothing;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Jeremiah, Epistle of;   Judaism;   Names of God;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Who makes a god or casts a metal imagethat benefits no one?
Hebrew Names Version
Who has fashioned a god, or molten an image that is profitable for nothing?
King James Version
Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
English Standard Version
Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing?
New American Standard Bible
Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no benefit?
New Century Version
Who made these gods? Who made these useless idols?
Amplified Bible
Who has made a god or cast an idol which is profitable for nothing?
World English Bible
Who has fashioned a god, or molten an image that is profitable for nothing?
Geneva Bible (1587)
Who hath made a god, or molten an image, that is profitable for nothing?
Legacy Standard Bible
Who has formed a god or cast a graven image to no profit?
Berean Standard Bible
Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing?
Complete Jewish Bible
Who would fashion a god or cast an image that profits no one anything?
Darby Translation
Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
Easy-to-Read Version
Who made these false gods? Who covered these useless statues?
George Lamsa Translation
Therefore let them be ashamed, those who make gods or graven and molten images that are profitable for nothing.
Good News Translation
It does no good to make a metal image to worship as a god!
Lexham English Bible
Who would form a god and cast an image of which he cannot profit?
Literal Translation
Who has formed a god, or poured out an image to no profit?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Who shulde now make a god, or fashio an Idol, that is profitable for nothinge?
American Standard Version
Who hath fashioned a god, or molten an image that is profitable for nothing?
Bible in Basic English
Whoever makes a god, makes nothing but a metal image in which there is no profit.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Who hath fashioned a god, or molten an image that is profitable for nothing?
King James Version (1611)
Who hath formed a God, or moulten a grauen image that is profitable for nothing?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Who dare then make a god, or fashion an image that is profitable for nothing?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
that form a god, and all that grave worthless things:
English Revised Version
Who hath fashioned a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Who fourmyde a god, and yetide an ymage, not profitable to ony thing?
Update Bible Version
Who has fashioned a god, or molten an image that is profitable for nothing?
Webster's Bible Translation
Who hath formed a god, or cast a graven image [that] is profitable for nothing?
New English Translation
Who forms a god and casts an idol that will prove worthless?
New King James Version
Who would form a god or mold an image That profits him nothing?
New Living Translation
Who but a fool would make his own god— an idol that cannot help him one bit?
New Life Bible
Who has made a false god or an object of worship that is of no worth?
New Revised Standard
Who would fashion a god or cast an image that can do no good?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Who hath fashioned a GOD, Oran image, hath molten? It cannot profit!
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who hath formed a god, and made a graven thing that is profitable for nothing?
Revised Standard Version
Who fashions a god or casts an image, that is profitable for nothing?
Young's Literal Translation
Who hath formed a god, And a molten image poured out -- not profitable?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no profit?

Contextual Overview

9 The Lord said: Those people who make idols are nothing themselves, and the idols they treasure are just as worthless. Worshipers of idols are blind, stupid, and foolish. 10 Why make an idol or an image that can't do a thing? 11 Everyone who makes idols and all who worship them are mere humans, who will end up sadly disappointed. Let them face me in court and be terrified. 12 A metalworker shapes an idol by using a hammer and heat from the fire. In his powerful hand he holds a hammer, as he pounds the metal into the proper shape. But he gets hungry and thirsty and loses his strength. 13 Some woodcarver measures a piece of wood, then draws an outline. The idol is carefully carved with each detail exact. At last it looks like a person and is placed in a temple. 14 Either cedar, cypress, oak, or any tree from the forest may be chosen. Or even a pine tree planted by the woodcarver and watered by the rain. 15 Some of the wood is used to make a fire for heating or for cooking. One piece is made into an idol, then the woodcarver bows down and worships it. 16 He enjoys the warm fire and the meat that was roasted over the burning coals. 17 Afterwards, he bows down to worship the wooden idol. "Protect me!" he says. "You are my god." 18 Those who worship idols are stupid and blind!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

1 Kings 12:28, Jeremiah 10:5, Daniel 3:1, Daniel 3:14, Habakkuk 2:18, Acts 19:26, 1 Corinthians 8:4

Reciprocal: Exodus 32:4 - fashioned Deuteronomy 27:15 - maketh 1 Samuel 12:21 - cannot profit 2 Kings 17:16 - molten images 2 Chronicles 25:15 - which could Isaiah 37:19 - no gods Isaiah 40:19 - General Isaiah 41:24 - ye are Isaiah 44:15 - he maketh a god Jeremiah 16:19 - wherein Zechariah 11:17 - idol Acts 14:15 - from

Cross-References

Genesis 44:17
Joseph told them, "I would never punish all of you. Only the one who was caught with the cup will become my slave. The rest of you are free to go home to your father."
Genesis 44:24
So we returned to our father and reported what you had said.
Genesis 44:25
Later our father told us to come back here and buy more grain.
Genesis 44:33
Sir, I am your slave. Please let me stay here in place of Benjamin and let him return home with his brothers.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Who hath formed a god,.... Who ever made one? was such a thing ever known? or can that be a god which is made or formed? who so mad, foolish and sottish, as to imagine he has made a god? or is it possible for a creature to be the maker of a god? or any so stupid as to fancy he had made one? yet such there were, so void of understanding and reason, and even common sense: "or molten a graven image": first melted it, and cast it into a mould, and then graved and polished it, and called it a god?

that is profitable for nothing? or seeing it "is profitable for nothing", as a god; cannot see the persons, nor hear the prayers, nor relieve the distresses of those that worship it; and therefore it must be great folly indeed to make an image for such a purpose, which answers no end.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Who hath formed a god - The Septuagint reads this verse in connection with the close of the previous verse, ‘But they shall be ashamed who make a god, and all who sculpture unprofitable things.’ This interpretation also, Lowth, by a change in the Hebrew text on the authority of a manuscript in the Bodleian library, has adopted. This change is made by reading כי kı̂y instead of מי mı̂y in the beginning of the verse. But the authority of the change, being that of a single MS. and the Septuagint, is not sufficient. Nor is it necessary. The question is designed to be ironical and sarcastic: ‘Who is there,’ says the prophet, ‘that has done this? Who are they that are engaged in this stupid work? Do they give marks of a sound mind? What is, and must be the character of a man that bas formed a god, and that has made an unprofitable graven image?

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 44:10. Isaiah 44:9.


 
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