The Meaning of Isaiah 44:19 Explained

Isaiah 44:19

KJV: And 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?

YLT: And none doth turn it back unto his heart, Nor hath knowledge nor understanding to say, 'Half of it I have burned in the fire, Yea, also, I have baked bread over its coals, I roast flesh and I eat, And its remnant for an abomination I make, To the stock of a tree I fall down.'

Darby: And none taketh it to heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire, and have also baked bread upon the coals thereof, I have roasted flesh, and eaten it, and with the rest thereof shall I make an abomination? shall I bow down to a block of wood?

ASV: And none calleth to mind, 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?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And 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? 

What does Isaiah 44:19 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 44:12-20 - The Folly Of Idolatry
We are here conducted to a metal idol factory, Isaiah 44:12. As we enter, we are forewarned that we shall find the workmen vain, and their delectable things unprofitable. With this caution, we watch the image being made beneath the heavy blows of the hammer, wielded by the swarthy smith. After a few hours of work he becomes tired and thirsty. But surely an idol can never impart perennial energy and help, if its manufacturer is so easily exhausted.
Next, we are led into a factory of wooden idols, Isaiah 44:13, where a carpenter is at work, drawing a pattern on a block of timber. The floor is littered with shavings, and the idol that is to receive worship and exercise authority is handled very unceremoniously. Lastly we follow an individual into the forest, where he saws part of a tree for firewood and the rest for his household effigy. What folly! These men are hungry for some object of worship, but they feed their hunger on ashes; and they cannot be made to realize that they are deceiving themselves. The true bread is Christ. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Isaiah 44:19 mean?

And no one considers in his heart nor [is there] knowledge nor understanding to say half of it I have burned in the fire and Yes I have baked on its coals bread I have roasted meat and eaten [it] and the rest of it an abomination shall I make before a block of wood shall I fall down
וְלֹא־ יָשִׁ֣יב אֶל־ לִבּ֗וֹ וְלֹ֨א דַ֥עַת וְלֹֽא־ תְבוּנָה֮ לֵאמֹר֒ חֶצְי֞וֹ שָׂרַ֣פְתִּי בְמוֹ־ אֵ֗שׁ וְ֠אַף אָפִ֤יתִי עַל־ גֶּחָלָיו֙ לֶ֔חֶם אֶצְלֶ֥ה בָשָׂ֖ר וְאֹכֵ֑ל וְיִתְרוֹ֙ ؟ לְתוֹעֵבָ֣ה אֶעֱשֶׂ֔ה לְב֥וּל עֵ֖ץ ؟ אֶסְגּֽוֹד

וְלֹא־  And  no  one 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יָשִׁ֣יב  considers 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
לִבּ֗וֹ  his  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
וְלֹ֨א  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
דַ֥עַת  [is  there]  knowledge 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: דַּעַת 
Sense: knowledge.
וְלֹֽא־  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תְבוּנָה֮  understanding 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּבוּנָה 
Sense: understanding, intelligence.
לֵאמֹר֒  to  say 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
חֶצְי֞וֹ  half  of  it 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֲצִי 
Sense: half.
שָׂרַ֣פְתִּי  I  have  burned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׂרַף  
Sense: to burn.
אֵ֗שׁ  the  fire 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
וְ֠אַף  and  Yes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אַף  
Sense: also, yea, though, so much the more adv.
אָפִ֤יתִי  I  have  baked 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: אָפָה 
Sense: to bake.
גֶּחָלָיו֙  its  coals 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: גַּחַל 
Sense: coal, burning coal, coals of fire, hot coals.
לֶ֔חֶם  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
אֶצְלֶ֥ה  I  have  roasted 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: צָלָה  
Sense: (Qal) to roast.
בָשָׂ֖ר  meat 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
וְאֹכֵ֑ל  and  eaten  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וְיִתְרוֹ֙  and  the  rest  of  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יֶתֶר 
Sense: .
؟ לְתוֹעֵבָ֣ה  an  abomination 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֹּועֵבָה  
Sense: a disgusting thing, abomination, abominable.
אֶעֱשֶׂ֔ה  shall  I  make 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לְב֥וּל  before  a  block 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בּוּל 
Sense: produce, outgrowth.
עֵ֖ץ  of  wood 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
؟ אֶסְגּֽוֹד  shall  I  fall  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: סָגַד  
Sense: (Qal) to prostrate oneself (in worship).