Isaiah 40:19
New International Version
As for an idol, a metalworker casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it.

New Living Translation
Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold, overlaid with gold, and decorated with silver chains?

English Standard Version
An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains.

Berean Standard Bible
To an idol that a craftsman casts and a metalworker overlays with gold and fits with silver chains?

King James Bible
The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.

New King James Version
The workman molds an image, The goldsmith overspreads it with gold, And the silversmith casts silver chains.

New American Standard Bible
As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.

NASB 1995
As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.

NASB 1977
As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.

Legacy Standard Bible
As for the graven images, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.

Amplified Bible
As for the cast image (idol), a metalworker casts it, A goldsmith overlays it with gold And a silversmith casts its silver chains.

Christian Standard Bible
An idol?—something that a smelter casts and a metalworker plates with gold and makes silver chains for?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
To an idol?—something that a smelter casts, and a metalworker plates with gold and makes silver welds for it?

American Standard Version
The image, a workman hath cast it, and the goldsmith overlayeth it with gold, and casteth for it silver chains.

Contemporary English Version
Is an idol at all like God? It is made of bronze with a thin layer of gold, and decorated with silver.

English Revised Version
The graven image, a workman melted it, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth for it silver chains.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Craftsmen make idols. Goldsmiths cover them with gold. Silversmiths make silver chains for them.

Good News Translation
He is not like an idol that workers make, that metalworkers cover with gold and set in a base of silver.

International Standard Version
To an idol? A craftsman makes the image, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts silver chains.

Majority Standard Bible
To an idol that a craftsman casts and a metalworker overlays with gold and fits with silver chains?

NET Bible
A craftsman casts an idol; a metalsmith overlays it with gold and forges silver chains for it.

New Heart English Bible
A workman has cast an image, and the goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts silver chains for it.

Webster's Bible Translation
The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.

World English Bible
A workman has cast an image, and the goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts silver chains for it.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
An artisan has poured out the carved image, "" And a refiner spreads it over with gold, "" And he is refining chains of silver.

Young's Literal Translation
The graven image poured out hath a artisan, And a refiner with gold spreadeth it over, And chains of silver he is refining.

Smith's Literal Translation
The artificer cast the carved image, and the founder will spread it out with gold, and he smelted chains of silver.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Hath the workman cast a graven statue? or hath the goldsmith formed it with gold, or the silversmith with plates of silver?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Should the workman cast a statue? Or has the goldsmith formed it with gold, or the silversmith with plates of silver?

New American Bible
An idol? An artisan casts it, the smith plates it with gold, fits it with silver chains.

New Revised Standard Version
An idol? —A workman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts for it silver chains.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Is he an image which the carpenter has made and the goldsmith has overlaid with gold and fastened with silver chains?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
An image is what a carpenter made, and a goldsmith overlaid it in gold and refined silver
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The image perchance, which the craftsman hath melted, And the goldsmith spread over with gold, The silversmith casting silver chains?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Has not the artificer made an image, or the goldsmith having melted gold, gilt it over, and made it a similitude?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Here is Your God!
18To whom will you liken God? To what image will you compare Him? 19To an idol that a craftsman casts and a metalworker overlays with gold and fits with silver chains? 20To one bereft of an offering who chooses wood that will not rot, who seeks a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple?…

Cross References
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.”

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; ...

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.”

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 46:5-7
To whom will you liken Me or count Me equal? To whom will you compare Me, that we should be alike? / 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.

1 Kings 12:28-30
After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” / One calf he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. / And this thing became a sin; the people walked as far as Dan to worship before one of the calves.

Exodus 32:1-4
Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!” / So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” / Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. ...

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

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.

Revelation 9:20
Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.

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. ...

Hosea 8:4-6
They set up kings, but not by Me. They make princes, but without My approval. With their silver and gold they make themselves idols, to their own destruction. / He has rejected your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence? / 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.


Treasury of Scripture

The workman melts a graven image, and the goldsmith spreads it over with gold, and casts silver chains.

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

Isaiah 41:6,7
They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage…

Isaiah 44:10-12
Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? …

Jump to Previous
Artizan Cast Casteth Casting Casts Chains Craftsman Fashions Gold Goldsmith Gold-Worker Graven Idol Image Makes Melted Melteth Overlayeth Perchance Plates Puts Refiner Refining Silver Silversmith Spread Spreadeth Workman
Jump to Next
Artizan Cast Casteth Casting Casts Chains Craftsman Fashions Gold Goldsmith Gold-Worker Graven Idol Image Makes Melted Melteth Overlayeth Perchance Plates Puts Refiner Refining Silver Silversmith Spread Spreadeth Workman
Isaiah 40
1. The promulgation of the Gospel
3. The preaching of John Baptist foretold
9. The preaching of the apostles foretold
12. The prophet, by the omnipotence of God
18. And his incomparableness
26. Comforts the people.














To an idol
The Hebrew word for "idol" here is "פֶּסֶל" (pesel), which refers to a carved image or statue. In the ancient Near Eastern context, idols were often physical representations of deities, crafted to be worshipped. The use of "idol" in this verse highlights the futility and impotence of man-made gods compared to the living God of Israel. This serves as a reminder of the first commandment, which prohibits the worship of graven images, emphasizing the unique and unparalleled nature of Yahweh.

that a craftsman casts
The term "craftsman" is derived from the Hebrew "חָרָשׁ" (charash), meaning an artisan or skilled worker. The act of casting refers to the process of shaping metal or other materials into a desired form. This phrase underscores the human origin of idols, crafted by human hands, and thus inherently limited and flawed. It contrasts the divine Creator, who is not made by human hands but is the Maker of all things.

and a metalworker overlays with gold
The "metalworker" or "צֹרֵף" (tzoref) in Hebrew, is one who refines or works with metals. The overlaying with gold signifies an attempt to beautify and add value to the idol, making it appear more precious and worthy of worship. Historically, gold was a symbol of wealth and divinity, often used in religious artifacts. However, this embellishment is superficial, as it cannot imbue the idol with life or power, highlighting the emptiness of idol worship.

and fits with silver chains
The use of "silver chains" suggests adornment and perhaps an attempt to secure the idol, preventing it from toppling. Silver, like gold, was a valuable commodity, often associated with wealth and status. The imagery of chaining an idol also implies its inherent instability and the need for human intervention to maintain its position. This serves as a metaphor for the spiritual bondage of idolatry, where reliance on created things leads to spiritual enslavement rather than freedom.

(19) The workman melteth . . .--The reign of Ahaz, not to speak of that of Manasseh, must have supplied the prophet with his picture of the idol factory not less fully than if he had lived in Babylon or Nineveh.

Spreadeth it over with gold.--The image of lead was covered over, as in the well-known story of Phidias's "Zeus," with plates of gold. The "silver chains" fastened it to the wall.

Verse 19. - The workman melteth a graven image; rather, the workman casteth an image (comp. Isaiah 41:7; Isaiah 44:9-17; Isaiah 46:6, 7). Israel's tendency to idolatry has been touched on in the earlier prophecies once or twice (Isaiah 2:8, 20; Isaiah 31:7); but in the later chapters idolatry is assailed with a frequency, a pungency, and a vigour that are new, and that imply a change, either in the prophet's circumstances or in his standpoint. Perhaps it is enough to suppose that, placing himself ideally among the captives, Isaiah sees that the Babylonian idolatry will be, or at any rate may be, a snare to them, and provides an antidote against the subtle poison. The special antidote which he employs is ridicule, and the first ground of his ridicule is the genesis or formation of an image. It is made by man himself, out of known material substances. Either a figure is cast in some inferior metal, and then coated with gold and finished with the graving tool, or a mere block of wood is taken and cut into shape. Can it be supposed that such things are "likenesses" of God, or that he is comparable to them? Casteth silver chains; as ornaments to be worn by the images, which were often dressed (see Thucyd., 2:13; Baruch 6:9-12).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
To an idol
הַפֶּ֙סֶל֙ (hap·pe·sel)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6459: An idol, image

that a craftsman
חָרָ֔שׁ (ḥā·rāš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2796: A fabricator, any material

casts
נָסַ֣ךְ (nā·saḵ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5258: To pour out, a libation, to cast, to anoint a, king

and a metalworker
וְצֹרֵ֖ף (wə·ṣō·rêp̄)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6884: To smelt, refine, test

overlays
יְרַקְּעֶ֑נּוּ (yə·raq·qə·‘en·nū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7554: To pound the earth, to expand, to overlay

with gold
בַּזָּהָ֣ב (baz·zā·hāḇ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2091: Gold, something gold-colored, as oil, a clear sky

and fits with
צוֹרֵֽף׃ (ṣō·w·rêp̄)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6884: To smelt, refine, test

silver
כֶּ֖סֶף (ke·sep̄)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3701: Silver, money

chains?
וּרְתֻק֥וֹת (ū·rə·ṯu·qō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 7577: Something fastened, a chain


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 40:19 A workman has cast an image (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 40:18
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