Isaiah 29:16

You have turned things upside down, as if the potter were regarded as clay. Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pottery say of the potter, “He has no understanding”?

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Isaiah pronounces a prophetic rebuke to Judah’s leaders for concealing their political schemes from God, immediately before announcing an imminent divine reversal of their fortunes.

The words — הַ֨פְכְּ/כֶ֔ם (haf.ke./Khem) = perversity/your, and יֵֽחָשֵׁ֑ב (ye.cha.Shev) = will he be regarded.

The thread — The formed/potter dynamic appears in Isaiah 64:8 and Isaiah 45:9, while the human objection to divine sovereignty is recorded in Romans 9:19.

Why it lands — The text states that created beings cannot legitimately question the wisdom or agency of their Maker, demanding that readers cease attributing their circumstances to divine ignorance or indifference.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

הַ֨פְכְּכֶ֔םhaf.ke./Khemperversity/ your אִם־'im-<if>?כְּחֹ֥מֶרke./Cho.merlike/ [the] clay of הַיֹּצֵ֖רhai./yo.Tzerthe/ potter יֵֽחָשֵׁ֑בye.cha.Shevwill he be regarded כִּֽי־ki-that יֹאמַ֨רyo.Marit will say מַעֲשֶׂ֤הma.'a.Seha thing made לְעֹשֵׂ֙הוּ֙le./'o.Se./huto/ [the] [one who] made/ it לֹ֣אlo'not עָשָׂ֔נִי'a.Sa./nihe made/ me וְיֵ֛צֶרve./Ye.tzerand/ a pot אָמַ֥ר'a.Marit said לְיוֹצְר֖וֹle./yotz.R/oto/ potter/ its לֹ֥אlo'not הֵבִֽין׃he.Vinhe has understood

King James Version

Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

Cross-references

Romans 9:19 One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?”
Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.
Isaiah 45:9 Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker—one clay pot among many. Does the clay ask the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?
Psalms 94:8 Take notice, O senseless among the people! O fools, when will you be wise?
Jeremiah 18:1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
Isaiah 24:1 Behold, the LORD lays waste the earth and leaves it in ruins. He will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants—
Acts 17:6 But when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have now come here,