The Meaning of Isaiah 40:19 Explained

Isaiah 40:19

KJV: The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.

YLT: The graven image poured out hath a artisan, And a refiner with gold spreadeth it over, And chains of silver he is refining.

Darby: The workman casteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains for it.

ASV: The image, a workman hath cast it , and the goldsmith overlayeth it with gold, and casteth for it'silver chains.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The workman  melteth  a graven image,  and the goldsmith  spreadeth  it over with gold,  and casteth  silver  chains. 

What does Isaiah 40:19 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 40:18-31 - The Everlasting God The Giver Of Strength
Day changes to night, and as the twilight deepens, the stars come out in their myriads, Isaiah 40:26. To the poetic eye of the watcher, they appear as a vast flock following the shepherd, who calls each by its name. Not one falls out of its place, or is lacking. Will Jehovah do so much for stars and nought for men? Will He not have a name for each? Will He not guard and guide each? If He has sustained the orbs of light in their mighty rounds, will He fail the poor soul that clings to His feet?
They that wait on God change their strength. In their earliest days they rely on the energy and vigor of youth, on their blameless, unstained character, in the consciousness of their glorious manhood; but as years pass, they come to count all these as refuse in comparison with Jesus Christ the Lord, Philippians 3:8. Notice the order in Isaiah 40:31! At first sight we should have expected that it would advance from walking to running, and so to flying. But that order is reversed. It is more difficult to walk than to mount! Every cyclist will tell you that the hardest task is to keep your cycle at walking pace. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 40

1  The promulgation of the Gospel
3  The preaching of John Baptist foretold
9  The preaching of the apostles foretold
12  The prophet, by the omnipotence of God
18  And his incomparableness
26  Comforts the people

What do the individual words in Isaiah 40:19 mean?

An image molds the workman and the goldsmith with gold overspreads it and chains silver the silversmith casts
הַפֶּ֙סֶל֙ נָסַ֣ךְ חָרָ֔שׁ וְצֹרֵ֖ף בַּזָּהָ֣ב יְרַקְּעֶ֑נּוּ וּרְתֻק֥וֹת כֶּ֖סֶף צוֹרֵֽף

הַפֶּ֙סֶל֙  An  image 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּסֶל  
Sense: idol, image.
נָסַ֣ךְ  molds 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָסַךְ 
Sense: to pour out, pour, offer, cast.
חָרָ֔שׁ  the  workman 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֶרֶשׁ 
Sense: craftsman, artisan, engraver, graver, artificer.
וְצֹרֵ֖ף  and  the  goldsmith 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: צָרַף  
Sense: to smelt, refine, test.
בַּזָּהָ֣ב  with  gold 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָהָב  
Sense: gold.
יְרַקְּעֶ֑נּוּ  overspreads  it 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: רָקַע  
Sense: to beat, stamp, beat out, spread out, stretch.
וּרְתֻק֥וֹת  and  chains 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: רְתֻקֹות  
Sense: chain.
כֶּ֖סֶף  silver 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
צוֹרֵֽף  the  silversmith  casts 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: צָרַף  
Sense: to smelt, refine, test.