Isaiah 29:16

NETBible

Your thinking is perverse! 1  Should the potter be regarded as clay? 2  Should the thing made say 3  about its maker, “He didn’t make me”? Or should the pottery say about the potter, “He doesn’t understand”?

NIV ©

You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "He did not make me"? Can the pot say of the potter, "He knows nothing"?

NASB ©

You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, That what is made would say to its maker, "He did not make me"; Or what is formed say to him who formed it, "He has no understanding"?

NLT ©

How stupid can you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you. You are only the jars he makes! Should the thing that was created say to the one who made it, "He didn’t make us"? Does a jar ever say, "The potter who made me is stupid"?

MSG ©

You have everything backwards! You treat the potter as a lump of clay. Does a book say to its author, "He didn't write a word of me"? Does a meal say to the woman who cooked it, "She had nothing to do with this"?

BBE ©

You are turning things upside down! Is the wet earth the same to you as the one who is forming it? will the thing made say of him who made it, He made me not: or the thing formed say of him who gave it form, He has no knowledge?

NRSV ©

You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay? Shall the thing made say of its maker, "He did not make me"; or the thing formed say of the one who formed it, "He has no understanding"?

NKJV ©

Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, "He did not make me"? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding"?

KJV
Surely your turning of things upside down
<02017> (8800)
shall be esteemed
<02803> (8735)
as the potter's
<03335> (8802)
clay
<02563>_:
for shall the work
<04639>
say
<0559> (8799)
of him that made
<06213> (8802)
it, He made
<06213> (8804)
me not? or shall the thing framed
<03336>
say
<0559> (8804)
of him that framed
<03335> (8802)
it, He had no understanding
<0995> (8689)_?
NASB ©
You turn
<2016>

things
around
<2016>
! Shall the potter
<3335>
be considered
<2803>
as equal with the clay
<2563>
, That what
<4639>
is made
<4639>
would say
<559>
to its maker
<6213>
, "He did not make
<6213>
me"; Or what
<3336>
is formed
<3335>
say
<559>
to him who formed
<3335>
it, "He has no
<3808>
understanding
<995>
"?
LXXM
ouc
<3364> 
ADV
wv
<3739> 
ADV
o
<3588> 
T-NSM
phlov
<4081> 
N-NSM
tou
<3588> 
T-GSM
keramewv
<2763> 
N-GSM
logisyhsesye
<3049> 
V-FPI-2P
mh
<3165> 
ADV
erei {V-FAI-3S} to
<3588> 
T-NSN
plasma
<4110> 
N-NSN
tw
<3588> 
T-DSM
plasanti
<4111> 
V-AAPDS
ou
<3364> 
ADV
su
<4771> 
P-NS
me
<1473> 
P-AS
eplasav
<4111> 
V-AAI-2S
h
<2228> 
CONJ
to
<3588> 
T-NSN
poihma
<4161> 
N-NSN
tw
<3588> 
T-DSM
poihsanti
<4160> 
V-AAPDS
ou
<3364> 
ADV
sunetwv
<4908> 
ADV
me
<1473> 
P-AS
epoihsav
<4160> 
V-AAI-2S
NET [draft] ITL
Your thinking is perverse
<02017>
! Should
<0518>
the potter
<03335>
be regarded
<02803>
as clay
<02563>
? Should the thing made
<04639>
say
<0559>
about its maker
<06213>
, “He didn’t
<03808>
make
<06213>
me”? Or should the pottery
<03336>
say
<0559>
about the potter
<03335>
, “He doesn’t
<03808>
understand
<0995>
”?
HEBREW
Nybh
<0995>
al
<03808>
wruwyl
<03335>
rma
<0559>
ruyw
<03336>
ynve
<06213>
al
<03808>
whvel
<06213>
hvem
<04639>
rmay
<0559>
yk
<03588>
bsxy
<02803>
ruyh
<03335>
rmxk
<02563>
Ma
<0518>
Mkkph (29:16)
<02017>
NETBible

Your thinking is perverse! 1  Should the potter be regarded as clay? 2  Should the thing made say 3  about its maker, “He didn’t make me”? Or should the pottery say about the potter, “He doesn’t understand”?

NET Notes

1 tn Heb “your overturning.” The predicate is suppressed in this exclamation. The idea is, “O your perversity! How great it is!” See GKC 470 §147.c. The people “overturn” all logic by thinking their authority supersedes God’s.

2 tn The expected answer to this rhetorical question is “of course not.” On the interrogative use of אִם (’im), see BDB 50 s.v.

3 tn Heb “that the thing made should say.”