Isaiah 44:13

The 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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Isaiah addresses Israel, cataloging the step-by-step labor of a woodworker fabricating a wooden idol.

The words — חָרַשׁ (cha.Rash) identifies the craftsman, while קָו (kav) names the measuring line he stretches to draft the figure's proportions.

The thread — The warning against carved likenesses aligns with Deuteronomy 4:16, the description of the idol's inert features mirrors Psalm 115:5, and the artisan's trade parallels the silversmith in Judges 17:4.

Why it lands — It requires the reader to acknowledge that a deity reduced to human drafting tools and manual shaping possesses no independent life or authority.

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

חָרַ֣שׁcha.Rasha craftsman of עֵצִים֮'e.Tzimwood<s>נָ֣טָהNa.tahhe stretches out קָו֒kava measuring-line יְתָאֲרֵ֣הוּye.ta.'a.Re./huhe outlines/ it בַשֶּׂ֔רֶדva./Se.redwith <the>/ marker יַעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ya.'a.Se./huhe works/ it בַּמַּקְצֻע֔וֹתba./mak.tzu.'otwith <the>/ scraping tools וּבַמְּחוּגָ֖הu./va./me.chu.Gahand/ with <the>/ compass יְתָאֳרֵ֑הוּye.to.'o.Re./huhe outlines/ it וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙va/i.ya.'a.Se./huand/ he made/ it כְּתַבְנִ֣יתke./tav.Nitlike/ [the] form of אִ֔ישׁ'Isha man כְּתִפְאֶ֥רֶתke./tif.'E.retlike/ [the] beauty of אָדָ֖ם'a.Dama man לָשֶׁ֥בֶתla./She.vetto/ dwell בָּֽיִת׃Ba.yita house

King James Version

The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.

Cross-references

Judges 17:4 So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into a graven image and a molten idol. And they were placed in the house of Micah.
Deuteronomy 4:16 that you do not act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves of any form or shape, whether in the likeness of a male or female,
Psalms 115:5 They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see;
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 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
Genesis 31:19 Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.
Genesis 31:30 Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?”
Genesis 31:32 If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.
Genesis 35:2 So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments.
Exodus 20:4 You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.