Isaiah Chapter 46 · Verse 2

Authorized King James Version

Study PDF

They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.

Original Language Analysis

קָרְס֤וּ They stoop H7164
קָרְס֤וּ They stoop
Strong's: H7164
Word #: 1 of 10
to hunch, i.e., be hump-backed
כָֽרְעוּ֙ they bow down H3766
כָֽרְעוּ֙ they bow down
Strong's: H3766
Word #: 2 of 10
to bend the knee; by implication, to sink, to prostrate
יַחְדָּ֔ו together H3162
יַחְדָּ֔ו together
Strong's: H3162
Word #: 3 of 10
properly, a unit, i.e., (adverb) unitedly
לֹ֥א H3808
לֹ֥א
Strong's: H3808
Word #: 4 of 10
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יָכְל֖וּ they could H3201
יָכְל֖וּ they could
Strong's: H3201
Word #: 5 of 10
to be able, literally (can, could) or morally (may, might)
מַלֵּ֣ט not deliver H4422
מַלֵּ֣ט not deliver
Strong's: H4422
Word #: 6 of 10
properly, to be smooth, i.e., (by implication) to escape (as if by slipperiness); causatively, to release or rescue; specifically, to bring forth youn
מַשָּׂ֑א the burden H4853
מַשָּׂ֑א the burden
Strong's: H4853
Word #: 7 of 10
a burden; figuratively, an utterance, chiefly a doom, especially singing; mental, desire
וְנַפְשָׁ֖ם but themselves H5315
וְנַפְשָׁ֖ם but themselves
Strong's: H5315
Word #: 8 of 10
properly, a breathing creature, i.e., animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or ment
בַּשְּׁבִ֥י into captivity H7628
בַּשְּׁבִ֥י into captivity
Strong's: H7628
Word #: 9 of 10
exiled; captured; as noun, exile (abstractly or concretely and collectively); by extension, booty
הָלָֽכָה׃ are gone H1980
הָלָֽכָה׃ are gone
Strong's: H1980
Word #: 10 of 10
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)

Analysis & Commentary

They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden. Isaiah employs devastating irony to expose idolatry's futility. The verbs qara' (stoop) and shachach (bow down) typically describe worshipers before deities, yet here describe the gods themselves collapsing under their own weight. The idols Bel and Nebo (v. 1), Babylon's chief deities, require human carriers and cannot even preserve themselves from toppling.

"They could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity" inverts the worshiper-deity relationship. Instead of gods delivering devotees from captivity, the gods themselves go into exile. When Cyrus conquered Babylon (539 BC), sacred images were seized as war plunder - the supposed divine protectors became prisoners. This historical event demonstrates that idols possess no agency, power, or reality beyond the material they're fashioned from.

Reformed theology sees here a fundamental apologetic: the true God acts; false gods are acted upon. Idolatry reverses proper order, making humans into god-bearers rather than God-bearers. Whereas Israel's God carried them (v. 3-4), Babylonian devotees exhausted themselves carrying lifeless statues. This principle applies to modern idolatries - career, wealth, ideology - which promise to carry us but ultimately require we bear their increasing weight until they collapse.

Historical Context

This prophecy targets Babylon's religious system, particularly the annual Akitu festival where massive statues of Bel (Marduk) and Nebo (Nabu) were paraded through Babylon's Processional Way. These ceremonies displayed the empire's gods in triumph, reinforcing Babylonian supremacy. Isaiah prophesies these very statues would be loaded onto pack animals (v. 1) as captive plunder when Cyrus conquered Babylon. Historical records confirm Persian forces captured Babylonian cult images, fulfilling Isaiah's mockery written 150+ years earlier.

Questions for Reflection