44:17 With the rest of it he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships it.
He prays to it, saying,
‘Rescue me, for you are my god!’
44:15 A man uses it to make a fire; 1
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. 2
46:6 Those who empty out gold from a purse
and weigh out silver on the scale 3
hire a metalsmith, who makes it into a god.
They then bow down and worship it.
44:19 No one thinks to himself,
nor do they comprehend or understand and say to themselves:
‘I burned half of it in the fire –
yes, I baked bread over the coals;
I roasted meat and ate it.
With the rest of it should I make a disgusting idol?
Should I bow down to dry wood?’ 4
1 tn Heb “and it becomes burning [i.e., firewood] for a man”; NAB “to serve man for fuel.”
2 tn Or perhaps, “them.”
1 tn Heb “the reed,” probably referring to the beam of a scales. See BDB 889 s.v. קָנֶה 4.c.
1 tn There is no formal interrogative sign here, but the context seems to indicate these are rhetorical questions. See GKC 473 §150.a.