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.

ISAIAH 44:17KJV
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Isaiah 44:17 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 44:17 mean?

Isaiah 44:17 describes a person taking the leftover wood from making something else and shaping it into an idol, then bowing down to it, worshipping it, and asking it for help as if it were a real god. The verse highlights the irony and futility of worshipping something made by human hands.

In this part of Isaiah, the prophet is speaking to the people of Israel, pointing out the foolishness of idolatry. The situation is that people use part of a tree for ordinary purposes and then use the rest to make an idol, treating it as divine. Isaiah is exposing how unreasonable it is to expect deliverance from something that was just crafted from leftover materials.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 44:17

  • "residue" (שְׁאֵרִית, she'erit): This word means the remainder or what is left over. Isaiah uses it to emphasize that the idol is made from scraps, not something special or sacred.
  • "god" (אֵל, el): This is a common Hebrew word for "god" or "mighty one." The verse uses it to show that people are calling something man-made by a name reserved for the divine.
  • "image" (פֶּסֶל, pesel): This word refers to a carved or graven image, specifically an idol. It underlines that the object of worship is a human creation, not a living being.
  • "worshippeth" (שָׁחָה, shachah): This verb means to bow down or prostrate oneself, a common gesture of reverence. Here it stresses the act of giving honor to something that has no real power.
  • "Deliver" (נָצַל, natsal): This verb means to save or rescue. The irony is that the worshipper is asking for salvation from something unable to provide it.

Why Isaiah 44:17 matters

  • Isaiah 44:17 clears up any idea that idols have real power by showing they are made from leftover materials, not from anything divine or special.
  • The verse emphasizes the contrast between the living God and lifeless objects, sharpening the message that true help cannot come from things humans create.
  • In the wider context, Isaiah is urging the people to recognize the emptiness of idolatry and to turn back to the God who actually has the power to deliver.

Where else these words appear

“down” Hebrew H5456 · used in 4 verses

  • Isaiah 44:15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
  • Isaiah 44:19 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?
  • Isaiah 46:6 They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.

“image” Hebrew H6459 · used in 31 verses

  • Exodus 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
  • Judges 18:17 And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.
  • Isaiah 42:17 They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.

“residue” Hebrew H7611 · used in 66 verses

  • Genesis 45:7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
  • Jeremiah 23:3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
  • Ezekiel 11:13 And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?

“prayeth” Hebrew H6419 · used in 82 verses

  • Genesis 20:7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
  • 1 Kings 13:6 And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.
  • Job 42:8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.