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Text -- Isaiah 44:15 (NET)

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Context
44:15 A man uses it to make a fire; he takes some of it and warms himself. Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Then he makes a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it.
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics

Dictionary Themes and Topics: WORSHIP | Oven | JEREMY, THE EPISTLE OF | Israel | Isaiah, The Book of | Isaiah | Idolatry | Idol | Graving | GOD, 2 | Carving | CEDAR | Bowing | BREAD | Adore | ADORATION | more
Table of Contents

Word/Phrase Notes
Wesley , JFB , Calvin , TSK

Word/Phrase Notes
Barnes , Poole , Gill

Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes , Geneva Bible

Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis , MHCC , Matthew Henry , Keil-Delitzsch , Constable , Guzik

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Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Wesley: Isa 44:15 - -- Having related the practices of idolaters, he now discovers the folly of them, that he makes his fire and his god of the same materials, distinguished...

Having related the practices of idolaters, he now discovers the folly of them, that he makes his fire and his god of the same materials, distinguished only by the art of man.

JFB: Isa 44:15 - -- The same tree that furnishes the material for the god is in part used as fuel for a fire to cook his meals and warm himself!

The same tree that furnishes the material for the god is in part used as fuel for a fire to cook his meals and warm himself!

JFB: Isa 44:15 - -- Rather, "he falleth down before them," that is, such images [MAURER].

Rather, "he falleth down before them," that is, such images [MAURER].

Calvin: Isa 44:15 - -- 15., 16., and 17. Then shall a man use it for burning He censures their ignorance in not being taught by manifest experience that a trunk of wood i...

15., 16., and 17. Then shall a man use it for burning He censures their ignorance in not being taught by manifest experience that a trunk of wood is not God, and even reproves their ingratitude in defrauding of the honor due to him the true God, whose power is illustriously displayed in the trees themselves; for the wood cannot be applied to various uses without bringing before our eyes the bounty of God. Whenever bread is baked in the oven, or flesh is seethed in the pot, or meat is roasted on the coals; whenever we warm ourselves, or obtain any advantage whatever from wood, our stupidity is inexcusable, if we do not consider how bountifully God hath provided for us, that we should not want anything necessary for us. Such is the meaning of these words —

Aha! I am warm These words express the gladness of those who, freed from all uneasiness and annoyance, utter what may be called the language of triumph. What can be more base or foolish than that men, while they are pleasantly enjoying God’s benefits, should flatter and applaud themselves, and at the same time should not thank the author, and should even abuse his abundant wealth for the purpose of dishonoring him? In cooking their victuals, and in other conveniences, men perceive that the wood is subject to their control and devoted to their use; how comes it then that they bow down before a piece of wood that has the shape of a man? Is not God in this maimer robbed of his right? And when men call upon images, do they not defraud God of that sacrifice which he chiefly demands? Even heathen writers long ago laughed at this folly, that men ventured to form gods according to their own fancy out of corruptible matter which they formerly despised. Hence came that jest of Horace, “Once I was a trunk of a fig-tree, a useless piece of wood, when a carpenter, uncertain whether to make a bench or a Priapus, preferred that I should be a god; and so I became a god.” 181 But they did not actually know the fountain of impiety, because they did not apply their minds to consider the goodness and power of One God, which is displayed in all the creatures.

When the Prophet thus attacked the worshippers of idols, and laid open their stupidity and madness, they undoubtedly complained that they were unjustly defamed, and endeavored to cloak their errors under plausible pretexts, that they acknowledged that their gods were in heaven, as even their writings shewed, and did not mean that wood or stone is God, in the same manner as the Papists, in arguing against us, defend the same cause with them, and absolutely refuse to be condemned for such gross blindness. But we have already said that the Prophet does not confine his attention to the mere essence of God; and indeed if this be all that is left to God, it will be an idle phantom. He means that all the attributes which belong to him, his foreknowledge, power, government, righteousness, salvation, and everything else, remains unimpaired. Now, when wicked men set up statues or images, and fly to them for the purpose of imploring assistance, and whenever they place them before their eyes and address them, and think that God hears them, do they not wickedly connect their salvation with them? But this stupidity arises from their ignorance of the nature of God, which is simple and spiritual, but which they imagine to be gross and carnal. Thus their thoughts concerning him are excessively wicked, and they east aside and stain his glory, by making it like earthly and fading things. Nothing is so inconsistent with the majesty of God as images; and he who worships them endeavors to shut up God in them, and to treat him according to his own fancy. Justly, therefore, does the Prophet attack such corruptions, and sharply censure the mad zeal of superstitious persons, since nothing more detestable can be uttered or imagined.

TSK: Isa 44:15 - -- he maketh a god : Isa 44:10, Isa 45:20; Jdg 2:19; 2Ch 25:14; Rev 9:20

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Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: Isa 44:15 - -- Then shall it be for a man to burn - It will afford materials for a fire. The design of this verse and the following is, to ridicule the idea o...

Then shall it be for a man to burn - It will afford materials for a fire. The design of this verse and the following is, to ridicule the idea of a man’ s using parts of the same tree to make a fire to cook his victuals, to warm himself, and to shape a god. Nothing could be more stupid than the conduct here referred to, and yet it is common all over the pagan world. It shows the utter debasement of the race, that they thus of the same tree make a fire, cook their food, and construct their gods.

Poole: Isa 44:15 - -- Having related the practices of idolaters, he now discovers the vanity and folly of them; that he maketh his fire and his god of the same materials,...

Having related the practices of idolaters, he now discovers the vanity and folly of them; that he maketh his fire and his god of the same materials, distinguished only by the art of man.

Gill: Isa 44:15 - -- Then shall it be for a man to burn,.... And which indeed is the proper use of it, but not all that this man puts it to; only the boughs, and what he c...

Then shall it be for a man to burn,.... And which indeed is the proper use of it, but not all that this man puts it to; only the boughs, and what he cuts off as useless to his purpose, and the chips he makes, which he commits to the fire:

for he will take thereof, and warm himself; with some part of it he makes a fire in his parlour, and warms himself when it is cold weather:

yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; he heats his oven with another part of it, and bakes the bread he has made for himself and family to live on, and which is putting it to a good use:

yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh a graven image, and falleth down thereto; the other part of the tree, and which is the better part, he makes an image of, and carves it, and calls it a god; and not only so, but when he has done, falls down and worships it; than which there cannot be a greater instance of stupidity and folly.

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Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Isa 44:15 Or perhaps, “them.”

Geneva Bible: Isa 44:15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take of it, and ( u ) warm himself; indeed, he kindleth [it], and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, ...

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Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: Isa 44:1-28 - --1 God comforts the church with his promises.7 The vanity of idols,9 and folly of idol makers.21 He exhorts to praise God for his redemption and omnipo...

MHCC: Isa 44:9-20 - --Image-making is described, to expose the folly of idolaters. Though a man had used part of a log for fuel, he fell down before an image made of the re...

Matthew Henry: Isa 44:9-20 - -- Often before, God, by the prophet, had mentioned the folly and strange sottishness of idolaters; but here he enlarges upon that head, and very fully...

Keil-Delitzsch: Isa 44:14-17 - -- The prophet now traces the origin of the idols still further back. Their existence or non-existence ultimately depends upon whether it rains or not....

Constable: Isa 40:1--55:13 - --IV. Israel's calling in the world chs. 40--55 This part of Isaiah picks up a theme from chapters 1-39 and develo...

Constable: Isa 40:1--48:22 - --A. God's grace to Israel chs. 40-48 These chapters particularly address the questions of whether God cou...

Constable: Isa 41:1--44:23 - --2. The servant of the Lord 41:1-44:22 There is an emphasis on the uniqueness of the Lord compare...

Constable: Isa 42:10--44:23 - --God's purposes for His servants 42:10-44:22 The section of Isaiah that I have titled "Go...

Constable: Isa 43:8--44:21 - --The witness to redemption 43:8-44:20 Isaiah continued to show that Yahweh was both willing and able to deliver His people, a theme begun in 42:10. He ...

Guzik: Isa 44:1-28 - --Isaiah 44 - The LORD, Your Redeemer A. A promise to pour out the Spirit. 1. (1-4) Fear not, knowing the promise of the outpoured Spirit. Yet hear ...

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Introduction / Outline

JFB: Isaiah (Book Introduction) ISAIAH, son of Amoz (not Amos); contemporary of Jonah, Amos, Hosea, in Israel, but younger than they; and of Micah, in Judah. His call to a higher deg...

JFB: Isaiah (Outline) PARABLE OF JEHOVAH'S VINEYARD. (Isa. 5:1-30) SIX DISTINCT WOES AGAINST CRIMES. (Isa. 5:8-23) (Lev 25:13; Mic 2:2). The jubilee restoration of posses...

TSK: Isaiah (Book Introduction) Isaiah has, with singular propriety, been denominated the Evangelical Prophet, on account of the number and variety of his prophecies concerning the a...

TSK: Isaiah 44 (Chapter Introduction) Overview Isa 44:1, God comforts the church with his promises; Isa 44:7, The vanity of idols, Isa 44:9, and folly of idol makers; Isa 44:21, He exh...

Poole: Isaiah (Book Introduction) THE ARGUMENT THE teachers of the ancient church were of two sorts: 1. Ordinary, the priests and Levites. 2. Extraordinary, the prophets. These we...

Poole: Isaiah 44 (Chapter Introduction) CHAPTER 44 A further promise of spiritual blessings, Isa 44:1-6 . The vanity of idols, and folly of idol.makers and worshippers, Isa 44:7-20 . An e...

MHCC: Isaiah (Book Introduction) Isaiah prophesied in the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. He has been well called the evangelical prophet, on account of his numerous and...

MHCC: Isaiah 44 (Chapter Introduction) (Isa 44:1-8) Here are promises of the influences of the Holy Spirit. (Isa 44:9-20) An exposure of the folly of idolatry. (Isa 44:21-28) Also the del...

Matthew Henry: Isaiah (Book Introduction) An Exposition, With Practical Observations, of The Book of the Prophet Isaiah Prophet is a title that sounds very great to those that understand it, t...

Matthew Henry: Isaiah 44 (Chapter Introduction) God, by the prophet, goes on in this chapter, as before, I. To encourage his people with the assurance of great blessings he had in store for them...

Constable: Isaiah (Book Introduction) Introduction Title and writer The title of this book of the Bible, as is true of the o...

Constable: Isaiah (Outline) Outline I. Introduction chs. 1-5 A. Israel's condition and God's solution ch. 1 ...

Constable: Isaiah Isaiah Bibliography Alexander, Joseph Addison. Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah. 1846, 1847. Revised ed. ...

Haydock: Isaiah (Book Introduction) THE PROPHECY OF ISAIAS. INTRODUCTION. This inspired writer is called by the Holy Ghost, (Ecclesiasticus xlviii. 25.) the great prophet; from t...

Gill: Isaiah (Book Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH This book is called, in the New Testament, sometimes "the Book of the Words of the Prophet Esaias", Luk 3:4 sometimes only t...

Gill: Isaiah 44 (Chapter Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 44 In this chapter the Lord comforts his people with the promise of the effusion of his Spirit, and the blessings of his gra...

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