I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

ISAIAH 42:8KJV
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Isaiah 42:8 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 42:8 mean?

Isaiah 42:8 declares that the LORD alone is God, and He will not share His glory or praise with anyone else, especially not with idols or images made by people. This verse makes it clear that God’s honor and worship belong to Him exclusively, and not to anything created.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah to the people of Israel, reminding them of His unique identity and authority. The setting is a time when many people worshipped idols, and God is drawing a sharp line between Himself and false gods. The verse is part of a larger passage where God is introducing His chosen servant and making clear that He alone is worthy of worship.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 42:8

  • LORD (יְהוָה, Yahweh): This is God’s personal name, emphasizing His unique identity and covenant relationship with Israel. It is not a generic title but a specific name that sets Him apart from all other so-called gods.
  • glory (כָּבוֹד, kavod): This word often refers to weight, honor, or majesty. Here, it stresses that God’s greatness and honor are not to be given to anyone or anything else.
  • images (פֶּסֶל, pesel): This word means carved or graven images, referring specifically to idols made by human hands. The verse singles out these objects as unworthy of the praise and honor that belong to God.

Why Isaiah 42:8 matters

  • Isaiah 42:8 corrects any idea that God is just one among many or that He can be represented by physical images; it insists on His uniqueness and the exclusivity of His worship.
  • The verse helps explain why idolatry is so strongly rejected in the Bible: giving God’s glory to anything else is seen as a fundamental misunderstanding of who He is.
  • In the wider context, this verse supports the message that God is about to do something new through His servant, and that only He deserves the credit and praise for what will happen.

Where else these words appear

“images” Hebrew H6456 · used in 23 verses

  • Deuteronomy 7:5 But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.
  • 2 Chronicles 33:22 But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them;
  • Isaiah 30:22 Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.

“praise” Hebrew H8416 · used in 57 verses

  • Exodus 15:11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
  • Psalms 66:8 O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:
  • Isaiah 42:10 Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.