12The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.
Linguistic Insight
Tap any underlined word in the verse to see its original meaning.
Cross-References
From the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.
They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage. …
They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. …
And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?
Commentary
Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary on the Bible (1710)
(vv. 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 and particularly exposes them to contempt and ridicule. This discourse is intended, 1. To arm the people of Israel against the strong temptation they would be in to worship idols when they were captives in Babylon, in compliance with the custom of the…
My Notes
Notes are saved on this device.