2 Kings 19:18
New International Version
They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.

New Living Translation
And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands.

English Standard Version
and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed.

Berean Standard Bible
They have cast their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods, but only wood and stone—the work of human hands.

King James Bible
And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.

New King James Version
and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them.

New American Standard Bible
and have hurled their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but only the work of human hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them.

NASB 1995
and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them.

NASB 1977
and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them.

Legacy Standard Bible
and have put their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them.

Amplified Bible
and have thrown their gods into the fire, for they were not [real] gods but [only] the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they [could destroy them and] have destroyed them.

Christian Standard Bible
They have thrown their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but made by human hands—wood and stone. So they have destroyed them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They have thrown their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but made by human hands—wood and stone. So they have destroyed them.

American Standard Version
and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.

Contemporary English Version
They destroyed the idols of wood and stone that the people of those nations had made and worshiped.

English Revised Version
and have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They have thrown the gods from these countries into fires because these gods aren't real gods. They're only wooden and stone statues made by human hands. So the Assyrians have destroyed them.

Good News Translation
and burned up their gods--which were no gods at all, only images of wood and stone made by human hands.

International Standard Version
throwing their gods into the fire, since they weren't gods but rather were the product of men's handiwork—wood and stone. And so they destroyed them.

Majority Standard Bible
They have cast their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods, but only wood and stone—the work of human hands.

NET Bible
They have burned the gods of the nations, for they are not really gods, but only the product of human hands manufactured from wood and stone. That is why the Assyrians could destroy them.

New Heart English Bible
and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they have destroyed them.

Webster's Bible Translation
And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.

World English Bible
and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they have destroyed them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and have put their gods into fire, for they [are] no gods, but work of the hands of man, wood and stone, and destroy them.

Young's Literal Translation
and have put their gods into fire, for they are no gods, but work of the hands of man, wood and stone, and destroy them.

Smith's Literal Translation
And they gave their gods into fire, for they were not gods, but the work of the hands of man, wood and stone: and they will destroy them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they have cast their gods into the fire: for they were not Rods, but the works of men's hands of wood and stone, and they destroyed them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And they have cast their gods into the fire. For they were not gods, but instead were the works of men’s hands, out of wood and stone. And so they destroyed them.

New American Bible
They gave their gods to the fire—they were not gods at all, but the work of human hands—wood and stone, they destroyed them.

New Revised Standard Version
and have hurled their gods into the fire, though they were no gods but the work of human hands—wood and stone—and so they were destroyed.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And have burned their gods in fire; for they were no gods, but the works of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have burned them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And their gods they have burned in fire, because they were not gods, but the work of the hands of the children of men, of wood and of stone, and they burned them.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and have cast their gods into the fire: because they are no gods, but the works of men's hands, wood and stone; and they have destroyed them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Hezekiah's Prayer
17Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste these nations and their lands. 18They have cast their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods, but only wood and stone— the work of human hands. 19And now, O LORD our God, please save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God.”…

Cross References
Isaiah 37:19
They have cast their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods, but only wood and stone—the work of human hands.

Psalm 115:4-8
Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; ...

Psalm 135:15-18
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouths. ...

Jeremiah 10:3-5
For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman. / They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter. / Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.”

Jeremiah 10:10-11
But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at His wrath, and the nations cannot endure His indignation. / Thus you are to tell them: “These gods, who have made neither the heavens nor the earth, will perish from this earth and from under these heavens.”

Deuteronomy 4:28
And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.

Deuteronomy 32:37-38
He will say: “Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge, / which ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you; let them give you shelter!

Isaiah 44:9-20
All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame. / Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing? / Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame. ...

Isaiah 46:6-7
They pour out their bags of gold and weigh out silver on scales; they hire a goldsmith to fashion it into a god, so they can bow down and worship. / They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles.

Hosea 8:6
For this thing is from Israel—a craftsman made it, and it is not God. It will be broken to pieces, that calf of Samaria.

Habakkuk 2:18-19
What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. / Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.”

1 Corinthians 8:4-6
So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one. / For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many so-called gods and lords), / yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.

1 Corinthians 10:19-20
Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? / No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.

Acts 17:29
Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.

Romans 1:22-23
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, / and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.


Treasury of Scripture

And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.

have cast.

2 Samuel 5:21
And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them.

Isaiah 46:1,2
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

for they were.

Psalm 115:4-8
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands…

Isaiah 37:18,19
Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries, …

Isaiah 44:9-20
They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed…

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2 Kings 19
1. Hezekiah, in mourning, sends to Isaiah to pray for them.
6. Isaiah comforts them.
8. Sennacherib, going to encounter Tirhakah, sends a blasphemous letter to Hezekiah.
14. Hezekiah's prayer.
20. Isaiah's prophecy of the destruction of Sennacherib, and the good of Zion.
35. An angel slays the Assyrians.
36. Sennacherib is slain by his own sons.














They have cast their gods into the fire
This phrase highlights the futility of idol worship. The Hebrew word for "cast" (שָׁלַךְ, shalak) implies a forceful rejection or disposal. Historically, this reflects the common practice of conquering nations to destroy the idols of the vanquished, symbolizing the superiority of the conqueror's deity. The act of casting into the fire signifies total destruction, emphasizing the impotence of these so-called gods.

and destroyed them
The Hebrew root for "destroyed" (שָׁחַת, shachat) conveys complete ruin or annihilation. This underscores the transient nature of idols, which can be easily obliterated. From a theological perspective, it serves as a reminder of the eternal nature of the one true God, in contrast to the temporary existence of man-made deities.

for they were not gods
This phrase is a direct assertion of monotheism, a central tenet of the Hebrew faith. The Hebrew word for "gods" here is אֱלֹהִים (elohim), which can mean gods or judges, but in this context, it refers to false deities. The statement categorically denies the divinity of idols, reinforcing the belief in Yahweh as the sole, true God.

but only wood and stone
The materials mentioned, "wood" (עֵץ, etz) and "stone" (אֶבֶן, even), are significant. They are common, earthly materials, emphasizing the mundane and powerless nature of idols. Archaeological findings have uncovered numerous wooden and stone idols from ancient Near Eastern cultures, illustrating the widespread practice of idol worship and the biblical critique of it.

the work of human hands
This phrase highlights the artificial origin of idols. The Hebrew word for "work" (מַעֲשֶׂה, ma'aseh) implies craftsmanship or labor. By emphasizing that these idols are crafted by human hands, the text underscores their lack of divine essence or power. This serves as a powerful reminder of the Creator-creature distinction, where only God is the true Creator, and all else is His creation.

(18) And have cast (put) their gods into the fire.--Comp. 1Chronicles 14:12. The Assyrian's emphatic question, "Where are the gods?" implied their annihilation.

For they were no gods.--This idea is common in the latter half of the Book of Isaiah. The question has been raised whether the compiler of Kings has not made Hezekiah express a stricter monotheism than had been attained by the religious thought of his days. But if, as Kuenen alleges, no such definite statement of this belief is to be found in Isaiah and Micah (but comp. Isaiah 2:18-21; Isaiah 8:10; Isaiah 10:10 seq.) we may still point to the words of a third prophet of that age--namely, Amos the herdman of Tekoah. (Comp. Amos 4:13; Amos 5:8; Amos 9:6-7.) "To Amos . . . the doctrine of creation is full of practical meaning. 'He that formed the mountains and created the wind, that declareth unto man what is His thought, that maketh the morning darkness and treadeth on the high places of the earth, Jehovah, the God of hosts is His name.' This supreme God cannot be thought of as having no interest or purpose beyond Israel. It was He that brought Israel out of Egypt, but it was He too who brought the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir. Every movement of history is Jehovah's work. It is not Asshur but Jehovah who has created the Assyrian empire; He has a purpose of His own in raising up the vast overwhelming strength, and suspending it as a threat of imminent destruction over Israel and the surrounding nations. To Amos, therefore, the question is not what Jehovah as king of Israel will do for His people against the Assyrian, but what the Sovereign of the world designs to effect by the terrible instrument He has created" (Robertson Smith). We do not think, however, that the utterance of Hezekiah on this occasion was necessarily recorded in writing at the time. The prayer may well be a free composition put into the king's mouth by the author of this narrative. . . .

Verse 18. - And have east their gods into the fire. The images worshipped by the various nations are regarded as "their gods," which they were, at any rate in the minds of the common people. The ordinary practice of the Assyrians was to carry off the images taken from a conquered people, and to set them up in their own country as trophies of victory (see Isaiah 46:1, 2, where a similar practice is ascribed by anticipation to the Persians). But there are places in the inscriptions where the gods are said to have been "destroyed" or "burnt." It is reasonable to suppose that the images destroyed were those of wood, stone, and bronze, which had little or no intrinsic value, while the gold and silver idols were carried off to the land of the conqueror. No doubt idols of the former far outnumbered those of the latter kind, and, at each sack of a city the "gods" which it contained were mostly burnt. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone (comp. Isaiah 42:17; Isaiah 44:9-20; Isaiah 46:6, 7). Wooden images (the Greek ξόανα) were probably the earliest that were made, and, on account of their antiquity, were often especially reverenced. They were "carved, but rude, with undivided feet, and eyes indicated by a line, the face colored red, or white, or gilt. It was only later that ivory and gold plates were commonly laid over the wood, vested and decked out with ornaments" (Dollinger, 'Jew and Gentile,' vol. 1. p. 240). Stone idols were at first shapeless masses, then pillars or cones, finally imitations of the human form, varying from the rudest representations to the priceless statues of Phidias. In Assyrian times, neither the wooden nor the stone idols were possessed of any artistic beauty. Therefore they have destroyed them. "Gods" of this kind could not help themselves, much less save their devotees or the cities supposed to be under their protection. It was not to be wondered at that the Assyrians had triumphed ever such gods.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They have cast
וְנָתְנ֥וּ (wə·nā·ṯə·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

their gods
אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם (’ĕ·lō·hê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

into the fire
בָּאֵ֑שׁ (bā·’êš)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

and destroyed them,
וַֽיְאַבְּדֽוּם׃ (way·’ab·bə·ḏūm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6: To wander away, lose oneself, to perish

for
כִּי֩ (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

they
הֵ֗מָּה (hêm·māh)
Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

were not
לֹ֨א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

gods
אֱלֹהִ֜ים (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

but
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

only
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

wood
עֵ֥ץ (‘êṣ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6086: Tree, trees, wood

and stone—
וָאֶ֖בֶן (wā·’e·ḇen)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 68: A stone

the work
מַעֲשֵׂ֧ה (ma·‘ă·śêh)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4639: An action, a transaction, activity, a product, property

of human
אָדָ֛ם (’ā·ḏām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

hands.
יְדֵֽי־ (yə·ḏê-)
Noun - fdc
Strong's 3027: A hand


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OT History: 2 Kings 19:18 And have cast their gods into (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 19:17
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