Isaiah 42:17
But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, 'You are our gods!' will be turned back in utter shame.
But those who trust in idols
The phrase "those who trust in idols" refers to individuals who place their faith and reliance on man-made objects rather than the one true God. The Hebrew word for "idols" is "אֱלִילִים" (elilim), which often denotes worthless or insignificant things. In the ancient Near Eastern context, idols were physical representations of deities, crafted from materials like wood, stone, or metal. The Bible consistently warns against idolatry, emphasizing that these objects have no power or life. Trusting in idols is seen as a fundamental betrayal of faith in God, who is the Creator and Sustainer of all.

and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’
The term "molten images" comes from the Hebrew "מַסֵּכָה" (massekah), indicating images cast from metal, often gold or silver. These were common in ancient religious practices, where such images were believed to embody the presence of a deity. The declaration "You are our gods!" highlights the misplaced devotion and allegiance of the people. This phrase underscores the folly of attributing divine status to objects crafted by human hands, contrasting sharply with the biblical teaching that God alone is worthy of worship and reverence.

will be turned back in utter shame
The consequence of idolatry is described as being "turned back in utter shame." The Hebrew root for "turned back" is "שׁוּב" (shuv), which can mean to return or to be repelled. This suggests a reversal of fortune or a retreat from their misguided path. "Utter shame" conveys a deep sense of disgrace and humiliation. In the biblical narrative, shame is often associated with the exposure of sin and the realization of one's folly. This phrase serves as a prophetic warning that those who forsake God for idols will ultimately face disgrace and disappointment, as their false gods will fail them in times of need.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Isaiah
A major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah is the author of the book that bears his name. He prophesied during the reigns of several kings of Judah and is known for his messages of both judgment and hope.

2. Idolaters
The people being addressed in this verse are those who worship idols, turning away from the true God to serve man-made images.

3. Idols/Molten Images
These are the false gods made by human hands, often crafted from metal or wood, which people wrongly worship as deities.

4. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, where Isaiah primarily ministered. The people of Judah often fell into idol worship, despite being God's chosen people.

5. God's Judgment
The event implied in this verse is the coming judgment upon those who forsake God for idols, resulting in their shame and disgrace.
Teaching Points
The Folly of Idolatry
Idolatry is not just an ancient practice but a present danger. Anything that takes the place of God in our lives can become an idol.

Consequences of Turning from God
Trusting in anything other than God leads to shame and disappointment. True security and fulfillment are found only in Him.

God's Call to Repentance
God desires that we turn away from idols and return to Him. Repentance restores our relationship with God and aligns us with His will.

The Importance of Worshiping the True God
Worship should be directed solely to God, who is worthy of all honor and praise. This aligns our hearts with His truth and purpose.

Living in Obedience to God's Commands
Obedience to God's commandments, including the rejection of idols, is a demonstration of our love and commitment to Him.
Bible Study Questions
1. What are some modern-day "idols" that people might be tempted to trust in, and how can we guard against them?

2. How does the shame of idol worship described in Isaiah 42:17 manifest in today's world?

3. In what ways can we ensure that our worship is directed solely to God and not to "molten images" in our lives?

4. How do the consequences of idolatry in Isaiah 42:17 compare to the warnings given in the New Testament?

5. Reflect on a time when you may have placed something above God in your life. What steps did you take, or can you take, to realign your priorities with God's will?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 20:3-4
This passage contains the first two commandments, which prohibit the worship of other gods and the making of idols, directly relating to the sin addressed in Isaiah 42:17.

Psalm 115:4-8
These verses describe the futility of idol worship, emphasizing that idols are lifeless and those who trust in them will become like them.

Romans 1:21-23
Paul speaks about humanity's tendency to exchange the glory of God for images, highlighting the foolishness of idolatry.

1 Corinthians 10:14
Paul advises believers to flee from idolatry, reinforcing the need to avoid the sin Isaiah warns against.
Behold, My ServantF. B. Meyer, B. A.Isaiah 42:1-17
Christ Delighted in by the FatherH. Melvill, B. D.Isaiah 42:1-17
Cyrus and the Servant of JehovahProf. G. A. Smith, D. D.Isaiah 42:1-17
God's Programme for the WorldS. Chadwick.Isaiah 42:1-17
Jehovah and Jehovah's ServantProf. G. A. Smith, D. D.Isaiah 42:1-17
Messiah and His WorkOriginal Secession MagazineIsaiah 42:1-17
Purpose and Method of the RedeemerR. R. Meredith, D. D.Isaiah 42:1-17
Silent Spread of ChristianitySermons by the Monday ClubIsaiah 42:1-17
The Coming SaviourSermons by the Monday ClubIsaiah 42:1-17
The Coming SaviourHomiletic ReviewIsaiah 42:1-17
The Dignity of ServiceJ. Parker, D. D.Isaiah 42:1-17
The Ideal IsraeliteB. H. Alford.Isaiah 42:1-17
The Ideal Servant JehovahE. H. Plumptre, D. D.Isaiah 42:1-17
The Ideal Servant's WorkProf. S. R. Driver, D. D.Isaiah 42:1-17
The Mediator is the CentreF. Delitzsch, D. D.Isaiah 42:1-17
The Servant of JehovahProf. T. K. Cheyne, D. D.Isaiah 42:1-17
The Servant of JehovahAnon.Isaiah 42:1-17
The Servant of JehovahJ. A. Alexander.Isaiah 42:1-17
The Servant of the LordA. Maclaren, D. D.Isaiah 42:1-17
The Servant, First Israel as a Whole, Then Israel in PartProf. G. A. Smith, D. D.Isaiah 42:1-17
The Service of God and ManProf. G. A. Smith, D. D.Isaiah 42:1-17
The Servitude of JesusJ. Vaughan, M. A.Isaiah 42:1-17
The Trinity in UnityW. Cadman, M. A.Isaiah 42:1-17
Who is the Servant of JehovahProf. T. K. Cheyne, D. D.Isaiah 42:1-17
A New Song to JehovahE. Johnson Isaiah 42:10-25
People
Isaiah, Jacob, Kedar
Places
Jerusalem, Kedar, Sela
Topics
Ashamed, Backward, Confide, Covered, Disappointed, Engraved, Gods, Graven, Greatly, Hope, Idols, Image, Images, Metal, Molten, Pictured, Removed, Saying, Shame, Shamed, Trust, Trusting, Utter, Utterly
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Isaiah 42:17

     8021   faith, nature of
     8032   trust, lack of
     8224   dependence
     8354   trustworthiness

Isaiah 42:16-18

     5135   blindness, spiritual

Library
Christ the Arrester of Incipient Evil and the Nourisher of Incipient Good
'A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench.... He shall not fail nor be discouraged.'--ISAIAH xlii. 3, 4. The two metaphors which we have in the former part of these words are not altogether parallel. 'A bruised reed' has suffered an injury which, however, is neither complete nor irreparable. 'Smoking flax,' on the other hand--by which, of course, is meant flax used as a wick in an old-fashioned oil lamp--is partially lit. In the one a process has been begun which,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

How to Make Use of Christ as the Truth, when Error Prevaileth, and the Spirit of Error Carrieth Many Away.
There is a time when the spirit of error is going abroad, and truth is questioned, and many are led away with delusions. For Satan can change himself into an angel of light, and make many great and fairlike pretensions to holiness, and under that pretext usher in untruths, and gain the consent of many unto them; so that in such a time of temptation many are stolen off their feet, and made to depart from the right ways of God, and to embrace error and delusions instead of truth. Now the question is,
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant
"I give thee for a covenant of the people."--ISA. xlii. 6, xlix. 8. "The Lord shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in."--MAL. iii. 1. "Jesus was made Surety of a better covenant."--HEB. vii. 22. "The Mediator of the Better Covenant, established upon better promises . . . The Mediator of the New Covenant. . . Ye are come to Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant."--HEB. viii. 6, ix. 15, xii. 24. WE have here four titles given to our Lord Jesus in
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants

Words of Counsel.
"A bruised reed shall He not break."--Isaiah xlii. 3; Matt. xii. 20. It is dangerous for those who are seeking salvation to lean upon the experience of other people. Many are waiting for a repetition of the experience of their grandfather or grandmother. I had a friend who was converted in a field; and he thinks the whole town ought to go down into that meadow and be converted. Another was converted under a bridge; and he thinks that if any enquirer were to go there he would find the Lord. The best
Dwight L. Moody—The Way to God and How to Find It

The Blessed Journey
Gerhard Ter Steegen Is. xlii. 16 Let Him lead thee blindfold onwards, Love needs not to know; Children whom the Father leadeth Ask not where they go. Though the path be all unknown, Over moors and mountains lone. Give no ear to reason's questions: Let the blind man hold That the sun is but a fable Men believed of old. At the breast the babe will grow; Whence the milk he need not know.
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others

China Evangelized.
China Evangelized. "The Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle."--Isa. xlii. 4. PART I. PART II. PART III. Lift up your heads, ye gates of brass! Ye bars of Iron! yield; And let the King of Glory pass,-- The Cross is in the field. That banner, brighter than the star, That leads the train of night, Shines on their march and guides from far His servants to the fight. A holy war those servants wage; --Mysteriously at strife, The powers of heaven and hell engage For more than death or life.
James Montgomery—Sacred Poems and Hymns

The Prophet Hosea.
GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS. That the kingdom of Israel was the object of the prophet's ministry is so evident, that upon this point all are, and cannot but be, agreed. But there is a difference of opinion as to whether the prophet was a fellow-countryman of those to whom he preached, or was called by God out of the kingdom of Judah. The latter has been asserted with great confidence by Maurer, among others, in his Observ. in Hos., in the Commentat. Theol. ii. i. p. 293. But the arguments
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Prayer Taught and Encouraged.
(Probably Judæa.) ^C Luke XI. 1-13. ^c 1 And it came to pass, as he was praying in a certain place, that when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, even as John also taught his disciples. [Jesus had already taught his disciples how to pray in the Sermon on the Mount. This disciple probably thought that the prayer already taught was too brief to be sufficient, especially as Jesus often prayed so long. It was customary for the rabbis to give their disciples forms
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Book ix. Epistle i. To Januarius, Bishop of Caralis (Cagliari).
To Januarius, Bishop of Caralis (Cagliari). Gregory to Januarius, &c. The preacher of Almighty God, Paul the apostle, says, Rebuke not an elder (1 Tim. v. 1). But this rule of his is to be observed in cases where the fault of an elder does not draw through his example the hearts of the younger into ruin. But, when an elder sets an example to the young for their ruin, he is to be smitten with severe rebuke. For it is written, Ye are all a snare to the young (Isai. xlii. 22). And again the prophet
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

"But if we Walk in the Light, as He is in the Light, we have Fellowship one with Another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ His
1 John i. 7.--"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." Art is the imitation of nature, and true religion is a divine art, that consists in the imitation of God himself, the author of nature. Therefore it is a more high and transcendent thing, of a sublimer nature than all the arts and sciences among men. Those reach but to some resemblance of the wisdom of God, expressed in his works,
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"And He is the Propitiation,"
1 John ii. 2.--"And he is the propitiation," &c. Here is the strength of Christ's plea, and ground of his advocation, that "he is the propitiation." The advocate is the priest, and the priest is the sacrifice, and such efficacy this sacrifice hath, that the propitiatory sacrifice may be called the very propitiation and pacification for sin. Here is the marrow of the gospel, and these are the breasts of consolation which any poor sinner might draw by faith, and bring out soul refreshment. But truly,
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Introduction, with Some General Observations from the Cohesion.
Doubtless it is always useful, yea, necessary, for the children of God to know the right way of making use of Christ, who is made all things to them which they need, even "wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption," 1 Cor. i. 30. But it is never more necessary for believers to be clear and distinct in this matter, than when Satan, by all means, is seeking to pervert the right ways of the Lord, and, one way or other, to lead souls away, and draw them off Christ; knowing that, if he prevail
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

1872-1874. Letter from Rev. A. M. W. Christopher --Letter from Gulf of St. Lawrence-Mrs. Birt's Sheltering Home, Liverpool --Letter to Mrs. Merry --Letter from Canada --Miss
Letter from Rev. A. M. W. Christopher--Letter from Gulf of St. Lawrence-Mrs. Birt's Sheltering Home, Liverpool--Letter to Mrs. Merry--Letter from Canada--Miss Macpherson's return to England-- Letter of cheer for Dr. Barnardo--Removal to Hackney Home. Though human praise is not sought, we cannot but feel peculiar pleasure in giving the following testimony from a servant of the Lord so much revered as the Rev, A. M. W. Christopher of Oxford:-- "Of all the works of Christian benevolence which the great
Clara M. S. Lowe—God's Answers

The Credibility of Scripture Sufficiently Proved in So Far as Natural Reason Admits.
1. Secondary helps to establish the credibility of Scripture. I. The arrangement of the sacred volume. II. Its dignity. III. Its truth. IV. Its simplicity. V. Its efficacy. 2. The majesty conspicuous in the writings of the Prophets. 3. Special proofs from the Old Testament. I. The antiquity of the Books of Moses. 4. This antiquity contrasted with the dreams of the Egyptians. II. The majesty of the Books of Moses. 5. The miracles and prophecies of Moses. A profane objection refuted. 6. Another profane
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Purpose in the Coming of Jesus.
God Spelling Himself out in Jesus: change in the original language--bother in spelling Jesus out--sticklers for the old forms--Jesus' new spelling of old words. Jesus is God following us up: God heart-broken--man's native air--bad choice affected man's will--the wrong lane--God following us up. The Early Eden Picture, Genesis 1:26-31. 2:7-25: unfallen man--like God--the breath of God in man--a spirit, infinite, eternal--love--holy--wise--sovereign over creation, Psalm 8:5-8--in his own will--summary--God's
S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks about Jesus

How to Make Use of Christ, as Truth, for Comfort, when Truth is Oppressed and Born Down.
There is another difficulty, wherein believing souls will stand in need of Christ, as the truth, to help them; and that is, when his work is overturned, his cause borne down, truth condemned, and enemies, in their opposition to his work, prospering in all their wicked attempts. This is a very trying dispensation, as we see it was to the holy penman of Psalm lxxiii. for it made him to stagger, so that his feet were almost gone, and his steps had well nigh slipt; yea he was almost repenting of his
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Jesus Heals Multitudes Beside the Sea of Galilee.
^A Matt. XII. 15-21; ^B Mark III. 7-12. ^a 15 And Jesus perceiving it withdrew ^b with his disciples ^a from thence: ^b to the sea [This was the first withdrawal of Jesus for the avowed purpose of self-preservation. After this we find Jesus constantly retiring to avoid the plots of his enemies. The Sea of Galilee, with its boats and its shores touching different jurisdictions, formed a convenient and fairly safe retreat]: ^a and many followed him; ^b and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Messiah the Son of God
For to which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee? T hough every part of a revelation from God must of course be equally true, there may be a considerable difference even among truths proposed by the same authority, with respect to their immediate importance. There are fundamental truths, the knowledge of which are essentially necessary to our peace and holiness: and there are others of a secondary nature, which, though very useful in their proper connection,
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

God's Glory the Chief End of Man's Being
Rom. xi. 36.--"Of him and through him, and to him, are all things, to whom be glory for ever." And 1 Cor. x. 31--"Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." All that men have to know, may be comprised under these two heads,--What their end is, and What is the right way to attain to that end? And all that we have to do, is by any means to seek to compass that end. These are the two cardinal points of a man's knowledge and exercise. Quo et qua eundum est,--Whither to go, and what way to go.
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. "
1 John ii. 1.--"We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." There is no settlement to the spirit of a sinner that is once touched with the sense of his sins, and apprehension of the justice and wrath of God, but in some clear and distinct understanding of the grounds of consolation in the gospel, and the method of salvation revealed in it. There is no solid peace giving answer to the challenges of the law and thy own conscience, but in the advocation of Jesus Christ, the Saviour
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Of the Unity of the Godhead and the Trinity of Persons
Deut. vi. 4.--"Hear, O Israel The Lord our God is one Lord."--1 John v. 7 "There are three that bear record in heaven the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost and these three are one." "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness," 2 Tim. iii. 16. There is no refuse in it, no simple and plain history, but it tends to some edification, no profound or deep mystery, but it is profitable for salvation. Whatsoever
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Covenanting Provided for in the Everlasting Covenant.
The duty of Covenanting is founded on the law of nature; but it also stands among the arrangements of Divine mercy made from everlasting. The promulgation of the law, enjoining it on man in innocence as a duty, was due to God's necessary dominion over the creatures of his power. The revelation of it as a service obligatory on men in a state of sin, arose from his unmerited grace. In the one display, we contemplate the authority of the righteous moral Governor of the universe; in the other, we see
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Covenanting Adapted to the Moral Constitution of Man.
The law of God originates in his nature, but the attributes of his creatures are due to his sovereignty. The former is, accordingly, to be viewed as necessarily obligatory on the moral subjects of his government, and the latter--which are all consistent with the holiness of the Divine nature, are to be considered as called into exercise according to his appointment. Hence, also, the law of God is independent of his creatures, though made known on their account; but the operation of their attributes
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Links
Isaiah 42:17 NIV
Isaiah 42:17 NLT
Isaiah 42:17 ESV
Isaiah 42:17 NASB
Isaiah 42:17 KJV

Isaiah 42:17 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Isaiah 42:16
Top of Page
Top of Page