Isaiah 46:1
Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.
Original Language Analysis
כָּרַ֥ע
boweth down
H3766
כָּרַ֥ע
boweth down
Strong's:
H3766
Word #:
1 of 12
to bend the knee; by implication, to sink, to prostrate
הָיוּ֙
H1961
הָיוּ֙
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
5 of 12
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
לַחַיָּ֖ה
were upon the beasts
H2416
לַחַיָּ֖ה
were upon the beasts
Strong's:
H2416
Word #:
7 of 12
alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or livin
וְלַבְּהֵמָ֑ה
and upon the cattle
H929
וְלַבְּהֵמָ֑ה
and upon the cattle
Strong's:
H929
Word #:
8 of 12
properly, a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often collective)
עֲמוּס֔וֹת
were heavy loaden
H6006
עֲמוּס֔וֹת
were heavy loaden
Strong's:
H6006
Word #:
10 of 12
to load, i.e., impose a burden (or figuratively, infliction)
Cross References
Isaiah 21:9And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.Jeremiah 51:44And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.Jeremiah 50:2Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces.Isaiah 2:20In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;Jeremiah 51:52Wherefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will do judgment upon her graven images: and through all her land the wounded shall groan.Jeremiah 51:47Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon: and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.Jeremiah 10:5They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.Exodus 12:12For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.1 Samuel 5:3And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.
Historical Context
During Babylon's fall to Cyrus (539 BC), Nabonidus had gathered images of regional deities into Babylon for protection - they became liabilities in evacuation. Archaeological evidence confirms Marduk and Nabu worship dominated Babylonian religious life.
Questions for Reflection
- What 'burdens' in your life are actually false gods you're carrying instead of being carried by the true God?
- How does the futility of ancient idolatry expose modern idols of wealth, power, or pleasure?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Bel (Marduk) and Nebo (Nabu), Babylon's chief deities, are depicted as burdensome cargo loaded on weary beasts, contrasting with Yahweh who carries His people (v. 3-4). This reversal exposes idolatry's fundamental irrationality - worshipers must bear their gods rather than being borne by them. The gods 'stoop' and 'bow down' in defeat, foreshadowing Babylon's fall and anticipating Philippians 2:10 where every knee bows to Christ.