Isaiah 31:7

For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7) In that day every man shall cast away . . .—The act is the same as that of Isaiah 2:20, but with a marked difference of motive: there it springs from the terror of despair, here from the repentance which is the ground of hope.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

31:6-9 They have been backsliding children, yet children; let them return, and their backslidings shall be healed, though they have sunk deep into misery, and cannot easily recover. Many make an idol of their silver and gold, and by the love of that are drawn from God; but those who turn to God, will be ready to part with it. Then, when they have cast away their idols, shall the Assyrian fall by the sword of an angel, who strikes more strongly than a mighty man, yet more secretly than a mean man. God can make the stoutest heart to tremble. But if we keep up the fire of holy love and devotion in our hearts and houses, we may depend upon God to protect us and them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For in that day - That is, in the invasion of Sennacherib, and the events that shalt be consequent thereon.

Every man shall cast away his idols - (see the note at Isaiah 30:22; compare the note at Isaiah 2:20).

For a sin - Or rather, the sin which your own hands have made. The sense is, that the making of those idols had been a sin, or sin itself. It had been "the" sin, by way of eminence, which was chargeable upon them.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

7. In the day of trial the idols will be found to render no help and will therefore be cast away. Compare as to the future restoration and conversion of Israel simultaneously with the interposition of Jehovah in its defense, Zec 12:9-14; 13:1, 2.

for a sin—that is, whereby especially you contracted guilt (1Ki 12:30).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

For when the Assyrian shall invade your land, you shall find the vanity of those idols to which you have trusted; and therefore shall cast them away with indignation, and be forced to seek to me for help. So this is added as an argument to persuade them to practise his counsel of turning to God. Which your own hands have made unto you for a sin; which you have made as instruments of your sin of idolatry. Or, which your sinful hands (by a common Hebraism, called hands of sin) have made for you. Or, the sin (as an idol is called, Deu 9:21) which your hands have made for you. So there is only a transposition of one word, which is very usual in the Hebrew text.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For in that day,.... When deliverance shall be wrought; when men shall be convinced of the vanity and insufficiency of their idols to help them, and of their sin in worshipping them; when they shall be brought to repentance for it, and turn to the Lord as an evidence of it:

every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold; with contempt and abhorrence of them, as the word (w) signifies; every man "his" own idol, and even those that were of the greatest value, which were made of gold and silver:

which your own hands have made unto you for a sin; their idols were the work of their own hands, and were made by them in order to commit sin with, the sin of idolatry; or sin may be put for the punishment of sin, which is the issue and consequence of such practices: or it may be rendered, "which your hands of sin", or "sinful hands, have made" (x); it was a sin to make such idols, especially with a view to worship them; it was a sin to worship them; and the fruit of it was deserved punishment.

(w) a "spernere, reprobare." (x) "manus vestrae flagitiosae", Bootius Animadv. Sacr. l. 4. c. 2. sect. 12.

Geneva Study Bible

For in that day every man shall {g} cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made to you for a sin.

(g) By these fruits your repentance will be known, as in Isa 2:20.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7. Comp. Isaiah 30:22, Isaiah 17:8, Isaiah 2:8 and esp. Isaiah 2:20.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 7. - For in that day every man shall cast away his idols. "In that day" - the day of Assyria's discomfiture - shall the vanity of idols be seen and recognized. They have not helped Assyria. How should they help Judah (comp. Isaiah 30:22)? Isaiah 31:7

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The first is, that idolatry would one day be recognised in all its abomination, and put away. "For in that day they will abhor every one their silver idols and their gold idols, which your hands have made you for a sin," i.e., to commit sin and repent, with the preponderance of the latter idea, as in Hosea 8:11 (compare 1 Kings 13:34). חטא, a second accusative to עשׂוּ, indicating the result. The prospect is the same as that held out in Isaiah 30:22; Isaiah 27:9; Isaiah 17:8; Isaiah 2:20.