Isaiah 44:10
New International Version
Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit nothing?

New Living Translation
Who but a fool would make his own god— an idol that cannot help him one bit?

English Standard Version
Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing?

Berean Standard Bible
Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing?

King James Bible
Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?

New King James Version
Who would form a god or mold an image That profits him nothing?

New American Standard Bible
Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no benefit?

NASB 1995
Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no profit?

NASB 1977
Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no profit?

Legacy Standard Bible
Who has formed a god or cast a graven image to no profit?

Amplified Bible
Who has made a god or cast an idol which is profitable for nothing?

Christian Standard Bible
Who makes a god or casts a metal image that benefits no one?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Who makes a god or casts a metal image for no profit?

American Standard Version
Who hath fashioned a god, or molten an image that is profitable for nothing?

Contemporary English Version
Why make an idol or an image that can't do a thing?

English Revised Version
Who hath fashioned a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Nothing comes from making gods or casting metal idols.

Good News Translation
It does no good to make a metal image to worship as a god!

International Standard Version
Who would shape a god or cast an image that profits nothing?

Majority Standard Bible
Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing?

NET Bible
Who forms a god and casts an idol that will prove worthless?

New Heart English Bible
Who has fashioned a god, or molds an image that is profitable for nothing?

Webster's Bible Translation
Who hath formed a god, or cast a graven image that is profitable for nothing?

World English Bible
Who has fashioned a god, or molds an image that is profitable for nothing?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Who has formed a god, "" And poured out a molten image—not profitable?

Young's Literal Translation
Who hath formed a god, And a molten image poured out -- not profitable?

Smith's Literal Translation
Who formed a god and a carved molten image, profiting for nothing?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who hath formed a god, and made a graven thing that is profitable for nothing?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Who has formed a god or cast a molten image, which is useful for nothing?

New American Bible
Who would fashion a god or cast an idol, that is of no use?

New Revised Standard Version
Who would fashion a god or cast an image that can do no good?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Therefore let them be ashamed, those who make gods or graven and molten images that are profitable for nothing.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because of this, those who are making gods and are forming molten images shall be ashamed, because there is no profit in them
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Who hath fashioned a god, or molten an image That is profitable for nothing?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
that form a god, and all that grave worthless things:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The LORD has Chosen Israel
9All 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. 10Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing? 11Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 10:14-15
Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them. / They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish.

Psalm 115:4-8
Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; ...

Habakkuk 2:18-19
What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. / Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.”

Jeremiah 51:17-18
Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them. / They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish.

Deuteronomy 4:28
And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.

1 Corinthians 8:4-6
So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one. / For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many so-called gods and lords), / yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.

Psalm 135:15-18
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouths. ...

Romans 1:22-23
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, / and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

1 Kings 18:26-29
And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made. / At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, “Shout louder, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or occupied, or on a journey. Perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened!” / So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them. ...

1 Corinthians 10:19-20
Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? / No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.

Exodus 20:4-5
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. / You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

Acts 17:29
Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.

2 Kings 19:18
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.

Revelation 9:20
Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.

Hosea 8:4-6
They set up kings, but not by Me. They make princes, but without My approval. With their silver and gold they make themselves idols, to their own destruction. / He has rejected your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence? / For this thing is from Israel—a craftsman made it, and it is not God. It will be broken to pieces, that calf of Samaria.


Treasury of Scripture

Who has formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?

1 Kings 12:28
Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

Jeremiah 10:5
They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

Daniel 3:1,14
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon…

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Cast Casts Fashioned Fashions Formed Graven Idol Image Makes Metal Molds Molten Poured Profit Profitable Shapes
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Cast Casts Fashioned Fashions Formed Graven Idol Image Makes Metal Molds Molten Poured Profit Profitable Shapes
Isaiah 44
1. God comforts the church with his promises
7. The vanity of idols
9. And folly of idol makers
21. He exhorts to praise God for his redemption and omnipotence














Who fashions a god
This phrase addresses the act of creating a deity, highlighting the futility of idolatry. In the ancient Near Eastern context, idol-making was a common practice among surrounding nations, such as the Babylonians and Egyptians, who crafted gods from wood, stone, and metal. The biblical narrative consistently condemns this practice, emphasizing the uniqueness and sovereignty of the God of Israel (Exodus 20:3-4). The act of fashioning a god underscores human attempts to control and manipulate the divine, contrasting with the biblical portrayal of God as the Creator who cannot be contained or represented by human hands (Isaiah 40:18-20).

or casts an idol
Casting an idol refers to the process of creating a physical representation of a deity, often through metalwork. This practice was prevalent in ancient cultures, where idols were believed to house the spirit of the god they represented. The Bible frequently criticizes this practice, as seen in the story of the golden calf (Exodus 32:1-4), where the Israelites fell into idolatry. The prophets, including Isaiah, denounce idols as powerless and lifeless, contrasting them with the living God who speaks and acts in history (Jeremiah 10:3-5).

which profits him nothing?
This rhetorical question highlights the futility and worthlessness of idols. Despite the effort and resources invested in creating them, idols offer no real benefit or power. The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that idols cannot save or deliver (Psalm 115:4-8). This phrase serves as a critique of misplaced trust in man-made objects rather than in the true God. The prophets call the people to recognize the emptiness of idolatry and to turn back to the God who alone can provide, protect, and fulfill His promises (Isaiah 45:20-22).

Persons / Places / Events
1. Isaiah
A major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah is the author of the book that bears his name. He prophesied to the Kingdom of Judah during a time of moral and spiritual decline.

2. Idol Makers
The individuals who create idols, which are objects of worship made by human hands. In this context, they are criticized for their futile efforts.

3. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, which often fell into idolatry despite being the chosen people of God.

4. Idols
Objects made to represent gods, often worshipped in place of the one true God. They are central to the critique in this passage.

5. God
The one true God of Israel, who is contrasted with the lifeless idols made by human hands.
Teaching Points
The Futility of Idolatry
Idols, whether physical or metaphorical, cannot provide true profit or fulfillment. They are powerless and cannot compare to the living God.

The Call to Worship the True God
Believers are called to worship God in spirit and truth, recognizing His sovereignty and rejecting all forms of idolatry.

Modern Idolatry
Idolatry today may not involve physical idols but can include anything that takes precedence over God in our lives, such as money, power, or status.

God's Sovereignty and Power
Unlike idols, God is active and powerful, involved in the lives of His people. Trusting in Him brings true profit and fulfillment.

Repentance and Renewal
Recognizing the futility of idols should lead to repentance and a renewed commitment to God, seeking His guidance and strength.Verse 10. - Who hath... molten a graven image? Metal idols were mostly cast in the first instance, and then finished off with a graving-tool. "Who hath molten" means "who has been so foolish as to do so - to take so much trouble about a thing which cannot possibly profit any one?"

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Who
מִֽי־ (mî-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

fashions
יָצַ֥ר (yā·ṣar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3335: To mould into a, form, as a, potter, to determine

a god
אֵ֖ל (’êl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 410: Strength -- as adjective, mighty, the Almighty

or casts
נָסָ֑ךְ (nā·sāḵ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5258: To pour out, a libation, to cast, to anoint a, king

an idol
וּפֶ֣סֶל (ū·p̄e·sel)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6459: An idol, image

which profits him
הוֹעִֽיל׃ (hō·w·‘îl)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3276: To confer or gain profit or benefit

nothing?
לְבִלְתִּ֖י (lə·ḇil·tî)
Preposition-l
Strong's 1115: A failure of, not, except, without, unless, besides, because not, until


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 44:10 Who has fashioned a god or molds (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 44:9
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