Isaiah 44

King James Version

Full text for Isaiah Chapter 44

1¶ Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:

2Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, [which] will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

3For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

4And they shall spring up [as] among the grass, as willows by the water courses.

5One shall say, I [am] the LORD'S; and another shall call [himself] by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe [with] his hand unto the LORD, and surname [himself] by the name of Israel.

6Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I [am] the first, and I [am] the last; and beside me [there is] no God.

7And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.

8Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared [it]? ye [are] even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, [there is] no God; I know not [any].

9¶ They that make a graven image [are] all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they [are] their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.

10Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image [that] is profitable for nothing?

11Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they [are] of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; [yet] they shall fear, [and] they shall be ashamed together.

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.

13The carpenter stretcheth out [his] rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.

14He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish [it].

15Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth [it], and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth [it]; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.

16He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth [himself], and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:

17And the residue thereof he maketh a god, [even] his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth [it], and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou [art] my god.

18They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; [and] their hearts, that they cannot understand.

19And none considereth in his heart, neither [is there] knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten [it]: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?

20He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, [Is there] not a lie in my right hand?

21¶ Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou [art] my servant: I have formed thee; thou [art] my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.

22I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

23Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done [it]: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.

24Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I [am] the LORD that maketh all [things]; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

25That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise [men] backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

26That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:

27That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:

28That saith of Cyrus, [He is] my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

The LORD reassures Israel, His chosen servant, promising to pour His Spirit and blessing upon their offspring. He declares Himself the sole God, the first and the last, contrasting His unique power with the utter futility of graven images made by human hands. God proclaims His redemption of Israel and His sovereign power as Creator, announcing His plan to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple through Cyrus.

Medium Summary

Isaiah 44 opens with God comforting Israel, His chosen servant, promising to pour His Spirit and blessing upon their descendants, causing them to flourish. The LORD then declares His unique deity, asserting He is the first and the last, and there is no other God, challenging false deities to predict the future. The chapter vividly denounces idolatry, illustrating the absurdity of craftsmen making an idol from wood, using part for fire and part for worship, highlighting the idolaters' spiritual blindness. God reminds Israel of His redemption, having blotted out their sins, and calls for all creation to rejoice. Finally, the LORD reaffirms His role as the sole Creator and controller of all events, frustrating false prophets and confirming His servants' words, specifically naming Cyrus as His shepherd to rebuild Jerusalem and lay the temple's foundation.

Long Summary

In Isaiah 44, the LORD addresses Israel, His chosen servant, with words of comfort and reassurance, promising divine help and blessing. He declares He will pour His Spirit and blessing upon their offspring, enabling them to flourish like well-watered plants, and people will proudly identify with the LORD and Israel. God then powerfully asserts His singular sovereignty, proclaiming Himself as the first and the last, beside whom there is no other God, and challenging any other entity to foretell future events as He does, with Israel serving as His witnesses. The chapter then transitions into a scathing indictment of idolatry, detailing the laborious and ultimately futile process of crafting graven images. It describes how a smith and a carpenter fashion an idol from wood, using part of the same tree for warmth and cooking, and the remainder for a god to be worshipped. The prophet highlights the profound spiritual blindness and lack of understanding among idolaters, who fail to recognize the absurdity of bowing down to a mere piece of wood. God then calls Israel to remember their covenant, affirming His role as their Creator and promising that they will not be forgotten. He declares that He has mercifully blotted out their transgressions and redeemed them, prompting a call for all of creation—heavens, earth, mountains, and forests—to sing praises for His redemptive work. The chapter concludes with a majestic declaration of God's omnipotence as the sole Creator of the universe, who frustrates the predictions of liars and diviners, making their wisdom foolish. He confirms the words of His true servants and messengers, specifically prophesying the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the laying of the temple's foundation, identifying Cyrus as His chosen shepherd to fulfill this divine purpose.

Core Concepts

  • Divine Election and BlessingGod reassures Israel, His chosen servant, promising to pour His Spirit and blessing upon their descendants, causing them to flourish and identify with Him.
  • Unique Deity of the LORDThe LORD declares Himself the sole God, the first and the last, asserting that there is no other deity beside Him and challenging any to foretell future events as He does.
  • Futility of IdolatryThe chapter vividly denounces the absurdity of graven images, illustrating how craftsmen make idols from wood, using part for fire and part for worship, highlighting their powerlessness.
  • Spiritual BlindnessIdolaters are depicted as having their eyes and hearts shut, preventing them from understanding the irrationality of worshipping an inanimate object they themselves fashioned.
  • God's Redemption and ForgivenessThe LORD declares that He has blotted out Israel's transgressions and sins, calling them to return to Him because He has redeemed them, prompting creation to rejoice.
  • Sovereign Creator and ControllerGod reaffirms His role as the sole Creator of the heavens and earth, who frustrates false prophets and orchestrates historical events according to His will.
  • Cyrus as God's InstrumentThe LORD specifically names Cyrus as His 'shepherd' who will perform His pleasure by commanding the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the laying of the temple's foundation.