They have cast their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods, but only wood and stone—the work of human hands.
Parallel translations
- WEB and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.
- KJV And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.
- NKJV and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them.
- NASB and have thrown their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but only the work of human hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them.
- NLT And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The nations' gods were not gods but mere wood and stone made by human hands, so they were easily destroyed. This explains why Assyria's victories say nothing against the Lord.
Overview
Hezekiah distinguishes the idols of the nations, which are lifeless human craftsmanship, from the living God who made all things. Assyria conquered powerless images, not deities. This biblical critique of idolatry magnifies the Creator and prepares for the demonstration that he alone saves.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Jer 10:11Thus you are to tell them: “These gods, who have made neither the heavens nor the earth, will perish from this earth and from under these heavens.”
- Isa 44:9–10All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame.
- Isa 41:7The 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.
- Isa 10:9–11“Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?
- Isa 36:18–20Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?
- Exod 32:20Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink it.
- Isa 46:1–2Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal.
- Hos 8:6For this thing is from Israel—a craftsman made it, and it is not God. It will be broken to pieces, that calf of Samaria.
- Isa 41:29See, they are all a delusion; their works amount to nothing; their images are as empty as the wind.
- 2 Sam 5:21There the Philistines abandoned their idols, and David and his men carried them away.
- Isa 44:17From the rest he makes a god, his graven image. He bows down to it and worships; he prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god.”
- Isa 26:14The dead will not live; the departed spirits will not rise. Therefore You have punished and destroyed them; You have wiped out all memory of them.
- Ps 115:4–8Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
- Isa 40:19–21To an idol that a craftsman casts and a metalworker overlays with gold and fits with silver chains?
- Isa 41:24Behold, you are nothing and your work is of no value. Anyone who chooses you is detestable.
- Jer 10:3–6For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 37:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.