The Meaning of Isaiah 37:19 Explained

Isaiah 37:19

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.

YLT: so as to put their gods into fire -- for they are no gods, but work of the hands of man, wood and stone -- and they destroy them.

Darby: and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; and they have destroyed them.

ASV: 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 Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Isaiah 37:19 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 37

1  Hezekiah mourning, sends to Isaiah to pray for them
6  Isaiah comforts them
8  Sennacherib, going to encounter Tirhakah, sends a blasphemous letter to Hezekiah
14  Hezekiah's prayer
21  Isaiah's prophecy of the destruction of Sennacherib, and the good of Zion
36  An angel slays the Assyrians
37  Sennacherib is slain at Nineveh by his own sons

What do the individual words in Isaiah 37:19 mean?

and have cast - their gods into the fire for not gods they [were] for but the work of hands of men wood and stone therefore they have destroyed them
וְנָתֹ֥ן אֶת־ אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם בָּאֵ֑שׁ כִּי֩ לֹ֨א אֱלֹהִ֜ים הֵ֗מָּה כִּ֣י אִם־ מַעֲשֵׂ֧ה יְדֵֽי־ אָדָ֛ם עֵ֥ץ וָאֶ֖בֶן וַֽיְאַבְּדֽוּם

וְנָתֹ֥ן  and  have  cast 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם  their  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בָּאֵ֑שׁ  into  the  fire 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
אֱלֹהִ֜ים  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הֵ֗מָּה  they  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
מַעֲשֵׂ֧ה  the  work 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
יְדֵֽי־  of  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אָדָ֛ם  of  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
עֵ֥ץ  wood 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
וָאֶ֖בֶן  and  stone 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
וַֽיְאַבְּדֽוּם  therefore  they  have  destroyed  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine plural
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.