Lexical Summary rethuqah: Chain, bond Original Word: רְתֻקָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance chain Feminine passive participle of rathaq; something fastened, i.e. A chain -- chain. see HEBREW rathaq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom rathaq Definition a chain NASB Translation chains (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [רְתֻקָה] noun [feminine] chain (?); — plural construct כֶּסֶף רְתֻקוֺת Isaiah 40:19. Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrence Retuqah appears a single time in Scripture, in the prophetic oracle of Isaiah 40:19. The verse reads: “A craftsman casts an idol, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it.” The word identifies the costly metal overlay or plating that gave a wooden image the outward glitter of divinity. Historical and Cultural Background Ancient Near-Eastern craftsmen commonly covered wooden cult statues with beaten sheets of precious metal. Such overlays hid the ordinary core and conveyed the illusion of permanence, power, and beauty. Isaiah’s generation knew these techniques from Assyrian, Babylonian, and Phoenician workshops; archaeological finds from Nineveh and Byblos display similar inlaid idols. Retuqah therefore evokes sights and sounds familiar to Isaiah’s audience: hammers on metal, molten gold poured thin, silver chains hammered flat to secure an unstable figure. Prophetic Significance in Isaiah 40 Isaiah 40 opens the Book’s “comfort” section yet simultaneously exposes the emptiness of pagan religion. Immediately after proclaiming, “Behold your God!” (Isaiah 40:9), the prophet ridicules idols that need retuqah to keep them from toppling. The contrast is deliberate: • YHWH is eternal, self-existent, and uncreated (Isaiah 40:28). Retuqah thus becomes a visual aid for the Holy Spirit’s argument: whatever must be ornamented to appear glorious cannot be God. Related Biblical Themes Idolatry’s Futility Exodus 32:4; Psalms 115:4–8; Habakkuk 2:18-19; Acts 17:29; 1 Corinthians 8:4 all echo the same indictment—handmade gods are powerless. Retuqah reinforces this verdict: surface brilliance masks intrinsic impotence. The True Glory of God While metal plating adds borrowed splendor to an idol, the Living God possesses inherent glory (Psalm 24:10; Revelation 4:11). The contrast urges worshipers to look beyond outward shine to the One whose radiance is essential, not applied. Christological Perspective Where idols require retuqah to appear worthy, Jesus Christ “is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3). No overlay enhances Him; His majesty is native. The lonely occurrence of retuqah quietly anticipates the Gospel’s unveiling of a glory that needs no gilding. Practical Ministry Applications 1. Discern Modern Overlays Contemporary culture still plates its idols—status, technology, wealth—with enticing veneers. Retuqah warns believers not to be deceived by surface brilliance (Colossians 2:8). 2. Encourage Authentic Worship True worship honors the God who does not depend on human artistry (John 4:24). Preachers may contrast retuqah’s thin covering with the Spirit’s inward work that transforms hearts rather than objects. 3. Foster Humble Stewardship Gold and silver, though gifts from God (Haggai 2:8), become snares when enlisted to fabricate deities. Stewardship teaching can use retuqah to remind the church that material resources serve, not rule. Homiletical Insights • Title: “Gilded Gods and the Living Lord” (Isaiah 40:18-26). Devotional Reflection Consider the paradox: men wrap wood with gold to fashion a god, while the true God wrapped His glory in flesh to save men (John 1:14). Retuqah spotlights the emptiness of the former and the humility of the latter. As you pray, ask the Lord to expose any gilded substitutes in your life and to renew your gaze on His unplated majesty. Forms and Transliterations וּרְתֻק֥וֹת ורתקות ū·rə·ṯu·qō·wṯ uretuKot ūrəṯuqōwṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 40:19 HEB: בַּזָּהָ֣ב יְרַקְּעֶ֑נּוּ וּרְתֻק֥וֹת כֶּ֖סֶף צוֹרֵֽף׃ NAS: And a silversmith [fashions] chains of silver. KJV: and casteth silver chains. INT: gold plates chains of silver silversmith 1 Occurrence |
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