Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version A person too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot; they look for a skilled worker to set up an idol that will not topple. New Living Translation Or if people are too poor for that, they might at least choose wood that won’t decay and a skilled craftsman to carve an image that won’t fall down! English Standard Version He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move. Berean Standard Bible 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? King James Bible He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved. New King James Version Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution Chooses a tree that will not rot; He seeks for himself a skillful workman To prepare a carved image that will not totter. New American Standard Bible He who is too impoverished for such an offering Selects a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To prepare an idol that will not totter. NASB 1995 He who is too impoverished for such an offering Selects a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To prepare an idol that will not totter. NASB 1977 He who is too impoverished for such an offering Selects a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To prepare an idol that will not totter. Legacy Standard Bible He who is too impoverished to make such a contribution Chooses a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a wise craftsman To prepare a graven image that will not be shaken. Amplified Bible He who is too impoverished for such an offering [to give to his god] Chooses a tree that will not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To [carve and] set up an idol that will not totter. Christian Standard Bible A poor person contributes wood for a pedestal that will not rot. He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not fall over. Holman Christian Standard Bible To one who shapes a pedestal, choosing wood that does not rot? He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not fall over. American Standard Version He that is too impoverished for such an oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a skilful workman to set up a graven image, that shall not be moved. Aramaic Bible in Plain English He fastened it, he selected it; it is wood that does not rot, and a carpenter chose and in his wisdom he engraved it and he constructed the image so that it is not shaken Brenton Septuagint Translation For the artificer chooses out a wood that will not rot, and will wisely enquire how he shall set up his image, and that so that it should not be moved. Contemporary English Version Or special wood may be chosen because it doesn't rot--then skilled hands take care to make an idol that won't fall on its face. Douay-Rheims Bible He hath chosen strong wood, and that will not rot: the skilful workman seeketh how he may set up an idol that may not be moved. English Revised Version He that is too impoverished for such an oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to set up a graven image, that shall not be moved. GOD'S WORD® Translation The poorest people choose wood that will not rot and search out skillful craftsmen to set up idols that will not fall over. Good News Translation Anyone who cannot afford silver or gold chooses wood that will not rot. He finds a skillful worker to make an image that won't fall down. International Standard Version To the impoverished person? He prepares an offering— wood that won't rot— Or to the one who chooses a skilled craftsman and seeks to erect an idol that won't topple?" JPS Tanakh 1917 A holm-oak is set apart, He chooseth a tree that will not rot; He seeketh unto him a cunning craftsman To set up an image, that shall not be moved. Literal Standard Version He who is poor [by] raised-offerings, | Chooses a tree [that is] not rotten, | He seeks a skillful artisan for it, | To establish a carved image—not moved. Majority Standard Bible 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? New American Bible Is mulberry wood the offering? A skilled artisan picks out a wood that will not rot, Seeks to set up for himself an idol that will not totter. NET Bible To make a contribution one selects wood that will not rot; he then seeks a skilled craftsman to make an idol that will not fall over. New Revised Standard Version As a gift one chooses mulberry wood —wood that will not rot— then seeks out a skilled artisan to set up an image that will not topple. New Heart English Bible He who is too impoverished for such an offering chooses a tree that will not rot. He seeks a skillful workman to set up an engraved image for him that will not be moved. Webster's Bible Translation He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh for himself a skillful workman to prepare a graven image that shall not be moved. World English Bible He who is too impoverished for such an offering chooses a tree that will not rot. He seeks a skillful workman to set up a carved image for him that will not be moved. Young's Literal Translation He who is poor by heave-offerings, A tree not rotten doth choose, A skilful artisan he seeketh for it, To establish a graven image -- not moved. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Here is Your God!…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? 21Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the foundation of the earth?… Cross References 1 Samuel 5:3 When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. 1 Samuel 5:4 But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD, with his head and his hands broken off and lying on the threshold. Only the torso remained. 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 44:12 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. Isaiah 44:14 He cuts down cedars or retrieves a cypress or oak. He lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel, and the rain makes it grow. 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. Jeremiah 10:4 They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter. Treasury of Scripture He that is so impoverished that he has no oblation chooses a tree that will not rot; he seeks to him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved. Isaiah 2:8,9 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: … Isaiah 44:13-19 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… Jeremiah 10:3,4 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe… shall not Isaiah 41:7 So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved. Isaiah 46:7 They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble. 1 Samuel 5:3,4 And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again… Jump to Previous Apart Chooses Chooseth Cunning Engraved Fixed Graven Holm-Oak Idol Image Impoverished Looks Makes Move Moved Oblation Offering Poor Prepare Present Rot Seeketh Seeks Selection Selects Skilful Skilled Skillful Soft Totter Tree Wise Wood WorkmanJump to Next Apart Chooses Chooseth Cunning Engraved Fixed Graven Holm-Oak Idol Image Impoverished Looks Makes Move Moved Oblation Offering Poor Prepare Present Rot Seeketh Seeks Selection Selects Skilful Skilled Skillful Soft Totter Tree Wise Wood WorkmanIsaiah 40 1. The promulgation of the Gospel3. 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. (20) He that is so impoverished . . .--The transition is abrupt, but the intention apparently is to represent idolatry at its opposite extremes of the elaborate art in which kings and princes delighted, and the rude rough image, hardly more than a fetiche, the inutile lignum of Horace, "which cannot be moved," standing on its own wide base, so as not to fall.Verse 20. - He that is so impoverished, etc.; rather, he that can only make a poor offering, i.e. that cannot spend much on religion. Chooseth a tree; rather, chooseth wood - goes to the carpenter, and selects a good sound block of wood, out of which his idol shall be made. After this he has to find a skilful workman, who will carve his image for him and set it up, so that it shall not shake. As Delitzsch observes, "The thing carries its own satire" in the mere plain description of it. Is such a thing comparable to God? Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew To one bereftהַֽמְסֻכָּ֣ן (ham·suk·kān) Article | Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine singular Strong's 5533: To cut, damage, to grow, poor of an offering תְּרוּמָ֔ה (tə·rū·māh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 8641: Contribution, offering (for sacred uses) who chooses יִבְחָ֑ר (yiḇ·ḥār) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 977: To try, select wood עֵ֥ץ (‘êṣ) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 6086: Tree, trees, wood that does not לֹֽא־ (lō-) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no rot? יִרְקַ֖ב (yir·qaḇ) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 7537: To decay He looks for יְבַקֶּשׁ־ (yə·ḇaq·qeš-) Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 1245: To search out, to strive after a skilled חָכָם֙ (ḥā·ḵām) Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 2450: Wise craftsman חָרָ֤שׁ (ḥā·rāš) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 2796: A fabricator, any material to set up לְהָכִ֥ין (lə·hā·ḵîn) Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct Strong's 3559: To be erect an idol פֶּ֖סֶל (pe·sel) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 6459: An idol, image that will not לֹ֥א (lō) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no fall over. יִמּֽוֹט׃ (yim·mō·wṭ) Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 4131: To waver, to slip, shake, fall Links Isaiah 40:20 NIVIsaiah 40:20 NLT Isaiah 40:20 ESV Isaiah 40:20 NASB Isaiah 40:20 KJV Isaiah 40:20 BibleApps.com Isaiah 40:20 Biblia Paralela Isaiah 40:20 Chinese Bible Isaiah 40:20 French Bible Isaiah 40:20 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Isaiah 40:20 He who is too impoverished for such (Isa Isi Is) |