Isaiah 44:12
New International Version
The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it in the coals; he shapes an idol with hammers, he forges it with the might of his arm. He gets hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint.

New Living Translation
The blacksmith stands at his forge to make a sharp tool, pounding and shaping it with all his might. His work makes him hungry and weak. It makes him thirsty and faint.

English Standard Version
The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint.

Berean Standard Bible
The blacksmith takes a tool and labors over the coals; he fashions an idol with hammers and forges it with his strong arms. Yet he grows hungry and loses his strength; he fails to drink water and grows faint.

King James Bible
The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.

New King James Version
The blacksmith with the tongs works one in the coals, Fashions it with hammers, And works it with the strength of his arms. Even so, he is hungry, and his strength fails; He drinks no water and is faint.

New American Standard Bible
The craftsman of iron shapes a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary.

NASB 1995
The man shapes iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary.

NASB 1977
The man shapes iron into a cutting tool, and does his work over the coals, fashioning it with hammers, and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary.

Legacy Standard Bible
The man crafts iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, forming it with hammers and working it with his powerful arm. He also gets hungry and has no power; he drinks no water and becomes weary.

Amplified Bible
The ironsmith shapes iron and uses a chisel and works it over the coals. He forms the [idol’s] core with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He also becomes hungry and his strength fails; he drinks no water and grows tired.

Christian Standard Bible
The ironworker labors over the coals, shapes the idol with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. Also he grows hungry and his strength fails; he doesn’t drink water and is faint.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The ironworker labors over the coals, shapes the idol with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. Also he grows hungry and his strength fails; he doesn’t drink water and is faint.

American Standard Version
The smith maketh an axe, and worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with his strong arm: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth; he drinketh no water, and is faint.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
The carpenter who sharpens iron and hews it with an ax and carves it with an auger, and he makes it with the power of his arm, also he is hungry and he is thirsty and drinks no water and he is exhausted

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For the artificer sharpens the iron; he fashions the idol with an axe, and fixes it with an awl, and fashions it with the strength of his arm: and he will be hungry and weak, and will drink no water.

Contemporary English Version
A metalworker shapes an idol by using a hammer and heat from the fire. In his powerful hand he holds a hammer, as he pounds the metal into the proper shape. But he gets hungry and thirsty and loses his strength.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The smith hath wrought with his file, with coals, and with hammers he hath formed it, and hath wrought with the strength of his arm: he shall hunger and faint, he shall drink no water, and shall be weary.

English Revised Version
The smith maketh an axe, and worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with his strong arm: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth; he drinketh no water, and is faint.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Blacksmiths shape iron into tools. They work them over the coals and shape them with hammers, working them with their strong arms. They get hungry, and their strength fails. If they don't drink water, they will faint.

Good News Translation
The metalworker takes a piece of metal and works with it over a fire. His strong arm swings a hammer to pound the metal into shape. As he works, he gets hungry, thirsty, and tired.

International Standard Version
The blacksmith prepares a tool and works in the coals, then fashions an idol with hammers, working by the strength of his arm. He even becomes hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint.

JPS Tanakh 1917
The smith maketh an axe, And worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, And worketh it with his strong arm; Yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth; He drinketh no water, and is faint.

Literal Standard Version
He has worked iron [with] an axe, | And has worked with coals, | And forms it with hammers, | And works it by his powerful arm, | Indeed, he is hungry, and there is no power, | He does not drink water, and he is wearied.

Majority Standard Bible
The blacksmith takes a tool and labors over the coals; he fashions an idol with hammers and forges it with his strong arms. Yet he grows hungry and loses his strength; he fails to drink water and grows faint.

New American Bible
The ironsmith fashions a likeness, he works it over the coals, Shaping it with hammers, working it with his strong arm. With hunger his strength wanes, without water, he grows faint.

NET Bible
A blacksmith works with his tool and forges metal over the coals. He forms it with hammers; he makes it with his strong arm. He gets hungry and loses his energy; he drinks no water and gets tired.

New Revised Standard Version
The ironsmith fashions it and works it over the coals, shaping it with hammers, and forging it with his strong arm; he becomes hungry and his strength fails, he drinks no water and is faint.

New Heart English Bible
The blacksmith takes an axe, works in the coals, fashions it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. He is hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water, and is faint.

Webster's Bible Translation
The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yes, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.

World English Bible
The blacksmith takes an ax, works in the coals, fashions it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. He is hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water, and is faint.

Young's Literal Translation
He hath wrought iron with an axe, And hath wrought with coals, And with hammers doth form it, And doth work it by his powerful arm, Yea, he is hungry, and there is no power, He doth not drink water, and he is wearied.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The LORD has Chosen Israel
11Behold, 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. 12The blacksmith takes a tool and labors over the coals; he fashions an idol with hammers and forges it with his strong arms. Yet he grows hungry and loses his strength; he fails to drink water and grows faint. 13The woodworker extends a measuring line; he marks it out with a stylus; he shapes it with chisels and outlines it with a compass. He fashions it in the likeness of man, like man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine.…

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

Isaiah 40:19
To an idol that a craftsman casts and a metalworker overlays with gold and fits with silver chains?

Isaiah 40:20
To 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?

Isaiah 41:6
Each one helps the other and says to his brother, "Be strong!"

Isaiah 41:7
The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and he who wields the hammer cheers him who strikes the anvil, saying of the welding, "It is good." He nails it down so it will not be toppled.

Isaiah 46:6
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.

Isaiah 46:7
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.


Treasury of Scripture

The smith with the tongs both works in the coals, and fashions it with hammers, and works it with the strength of his arms: yes, he is hungry, and his strength fails: he drinks no water, and is faint.

the smith

Isaiah 40:19
The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.

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

Isaiah 46:6,7
They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship…

the tong.

Habakkuk 2:13
Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?

Jump to Previous
Arm Arms Axe Blacksmith Coals Cutting Drinketh Drinks Faileth Fails Faint Fashioneth Fashions Fire Hammers Heating Hungry Idol Iron Iron-Worker Loses Maketh Metal Shapes Smith Strength Strong Tongs Tool Water Weary Worketh Working Works
Jump to Next
Arm Arms Axe Blacksmith Coals Cutting Drinketh Drinks Faileth Fails Faint Fashioneth Fashions Fire Hammers Heating Hungry Idol Iron Iron-Worker Loses Maketh Metal Shapes Smith Strength Strong Tongs Tool Water Weary Worketh Working Works
Isaiah 44
1. God comforts the church with his promises
7. The vanity of idols
9. And folly of idol makers
21. He exhorts to praise God for his redemption and omnipotence














(12) The smith with the tongs.--We begin with the metal idol. Better, The smith uses a chisel. The work involves stooping over the charcoal furnace. The maker of the god is exhausted with his toil, and requires food and drink to sustain him.

Verse 12. - The smith with the tongs. The Hebrew text is defective, some word having fallen out. We should probably supply "maketh," and translate, The smith maketh an axe, and worketh it in the coals, and with hammers fashioneth it. The description of image-making thus commences with the fashioning of the carpenter's tools. He is hungry, etc. The artificer who takes the first step in "forming a god" (ver. 10) is himself hungry and thirsty, depending on so mean a thing as food to supply him with the needful strength. Unless he can cat and drink, the whole work is brought to a standstill.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The blacksmith
חָרַ֤שׁ (ḥā·raš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2796: A fabricator, any material

takes a tool
מַֽעֲצָ֔ד (ma·‘ă·ṣāḏ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4621: An axe

and labors
וּפָעַל֙ (ū·p̄ā·‘al)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6466: To do, make, to practise

over the coals;
בַּפֶּחָ֔ם (bap·pe·ḥām)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6352: A coal

he fashions [an idol]
יִצְּרֵ֑הוּ (yiṣ·ṣə·rê·hū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3335: To mould into a, form, as a, potter, to determine

with hammers
וּבַמַּקָּב֖וֹת (ū·ḇam·maq·qā·ḇō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4717: A perforatrix, a hammer

and forges [it]
וַיִּפְעָלֵ֙הוּ֙ (way·yip̄·‘ā·lê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6466: To do, make, to practise

with his strong
כֹּח֔וֹ (kō·ḥōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3581: A small reptile (of unknown species)

arms.
בִּזְר֣וֹעַ (biz·rō·w·a‘)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 2220: The arm, the foreleg, force

Yet
גַּם־ (gam-)
Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

he grows hungry
רָעֵב֙ (rā·‘êḇ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7456: To be hungry

and his strength
כֹּ֔חַ (kō·aḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3581: A small reptile (of unknown species)

fails;
וְאֵ֣ין (wə·’ên)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

he fails
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

to drink
שָׁ֥תָה (šā·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8354: To imbibe

water
מַ֖יִם (ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

and grows faint.
וַיִּיעָֽף׃ (way·yî·‘āp̄)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3286: To be weary, faint


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 44:12 The blacksmith takes an axe works (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 44:11
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