Isaiah 40:19
The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.
Original Language Analysis
נָסַ֣ךְ
melteth
H5258
נָסַ֣ךְ
melteth
Strong's:
H5258
Word #:
2 of 9
to pour out, especially a libation, or to cast (metal); by analogy, to anoint a king
צוֹרֵֽף׃
and casteth
H6884
צוֹרֵֽף׃
and casteth
Strong's:
H6884
Word #:
4 of 9
to fuse (metal), i.e., refine (literally or figuratively)
בַּזָּהָ֣ב
it over with gold
H2091
בַּזָּהָ֣ב
it over with gold
Strong's:
H2091
Word #:
5 of 9
gold, figuratively, something gold-colored (i.e., yellow), as oil, a clear sky
יְרַקְּעֶ֑נּוּ
spreadeth
H7554
יְרַקְּעֶ֑נּוּ
spreadeth
Strong's:
H7554
Word #:
6 of 9
to pound the earth (as a sign of passion); by analogy to expand (by hammering); by implication, to overlay (with thin sheets of metal)
Cross References
Jeremiah 10:9Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men.Judges 17:4Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah.
Historical Context
Babylon's religion featured elaborate idol processions and gold-covered statues. Isaiah mocks these expensive lifeless objects, contrasting them with the living God who cannot be contained in human-made forms.
Questions for Reflection
- What modern 'idols' do people carefully craft and decorate, only to serve them?
- How does this verse expose the foolishness of trusting in anything created rather than the Creator?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
This verse satirizes idol manufacture with biting irony: a craftsman creates what people then worship. The Hebrew 'nasak' (cast/pour) describes metal-working, while overlaying with gold and silver makes an impressive but impotent object. The absurdity is intentional—worshiping what human hands made inverts the Creator-creature relationship.