The Meaning of Isaiah 44:17 Explained

Isaiah 44:17

KJV: And 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.

YLT: And its remnant for a god he hath made -- For his graven image, He falleth down to it, and worshippeth, And prayeth unto it, and he saith, 'Deliver me, for my god thou art.'

Darby: And with the remainder thereof he maketh a god, his graven image; he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me, for thou art my god.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And 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. 

What does Isaiah 44:17 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The leftover piece becomes the idol. How can what is the result of human effort and care, an idol, put forth any effort and care for its builder? Worshipping and praying to a graven image is absurd (cf. Matthew 6:7-8).
"Diagoras of Melos, a pupil of Democritus, once threw a wooden standing figure of Hercules into the fire, and said jocularly, "Come now, Hercules, perform thy thirteenth labor, and help me to cook the turnips."" [1]
"John Knox, in decrying the idolatry of the Mass, parodied this passage with devastating effect: "With part of the flour you make bread to eat, with the residue you fashion a god to fall down before"." [2]
Isaiah concluded his expos of paganism by highlighting the blindness of idol worshippers.

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 44:17 mean?

And the rest of it into a god he makes His carved image - He falls down before it and worships [it] and Prays to it and says Deliver me for my god you [are]
וּשְׁאֵ֣רִית֔וֹ לְאֵ֥ל עָשָׂ֖ה לְפִסְל֑וֹ [יסגוד־] (יִסְגָּד־) ל֤וֹ וְיִשְׁתַּ֙חוּ֙ וְיִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל אֵלָ֔יו וְיֹאמַר֙ הַצִּילֵ֔נִי כִּ֥י אֵלִ֖י אָֽתָּה

וּשְׁאֵ֣רִית֔וֹ  And  the  rest  of  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שְׁאֵרִית  
Sense: rest, residue, remainder, remnant.
לְאֵ֥ל  into  a  god 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵל 
Sense: god, god-like one, mighty one.
עָשָׂ֖ה  he  makes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לְפִסְל֑וֹ  His  carved  image 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פֶּסֶל  
Sense: idol, image.
[יסגוד־]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
(יִסְגָּד־)  He  falls  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָגַד  
Sense: (Qal) to prostrate oneself (in worship).
ל֤וֹ  before  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: סָגַד  
Sense: (Qal) to prostrate oneself (in worship).
וְיִשְׁתַּ֙חוּ֙  and  worships  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁחָה  
Sense: to bow down.
וְיִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל  and  Prays 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּלַל 
Sense: to intervene, interpose, pray.
אֵלָ֔יו  to  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וְיֹאמַר֙  and  says 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הַצִּילֵ֔נִי  Deliver  me 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: נָצַל  
Sense: to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder.
אֵלִ֖י  my  god 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אֵל 
Sense: god, god-like one, mighty one.
אָֽתָּה  you  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.