Isaiah 46

Isaiah · Chapter 46

Isaiah 46:1

1Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.2They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.3Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb:4And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.5To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?6They 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.7They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.8Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.9Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,10Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:11Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.12Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness:13I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
1Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal.Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth; their idols are upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: the things that ye carried about are made a load, a burden to the weary beast.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Where

Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
he has bowed downכָּרַ֥עka-RA'H3766
to bow

כָּרַע (ka.ra) 1) to bend, kneel, bow, bow down, sink down to one's knees, kneel down to rest (of animals), kneel in reverence 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to bow 1a2) to bow down, crouch 1a3) to bow down over 1a4) to tilt, lean 1b) (Hiphil) to cause to bow

Belבֵּל֙belH1078
Bel

בֵּל (bel) § Bel = "lord" a chief Babylonian deity

[is] stooping lowקֹרֵ֣סko-RESH7164
to stoop

קָרַס (qa.ras) (Qal) to bend down, stoop, crouch

Neboנְב֔וֹne-VOH5015B
Nebo

נְבוֹ (ne.vo) § Nebo = "prophet" a Babylonian deity who presided over learning and letters; corresponds to Greek Hermes, Latin Mercury, and Egyptian Thoth

they belongהָיוּ֙ha-YUH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

idols theirעֲצַבֵּיהֶ֔ם'a-tza-bei-HEMH6091
idol

עָצָב (a.tsav) idol, image

to the animal[s]לַחַיָּ֖הla-chai-YAHH2416C
living thing

חַיָּה (chay.yah) 1) living thing, animal 1a) animal 1b) life 1c) appetite 1d) revival, renewal Aramaic equivalent: che.va (חֵיוָא "beast" H2423)

and to the cattleוְלַבְּהֵמָ֑הve-la-be-he-MAHH0929
animal

בְּהֵמָה (be.he.mah) 1) beast, cattle, animal 1a) beasts (coll of all animals) 1b) cattle, livestock (of domestic animals) 1c) wild beasts

burdens yourנְשֻׂאֹתֵיכֶ֣םne-su-'o-tei-KHEMH5385
burden

נְשׂוּאָה (ne.su.ah) what is borne or carried about, load

[are] carriedעֲמוּס֔וֹתa-mu-SOTH6006
to lift

עָמַס (a.mas) 1) to load, carry, carry a load 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to load 1a2) to carry a load 1b)(Hiphil) to lay a load on

a loadמַשָּׂ֖אma-SA'H4853A
burden

מַשָּׂא (mas.sa) 1) load, bearing, tribute, burden, lifting 1a) load, burden 1b) lifting, uplifting, that to which the soul lifts itself up 1c) bearing, carrying 1d) tribute, that which is carried or brought or borne

for a weary [animal]לַעֲיֵפָֽה׃la-'a-ye-FAHH5889
faint

עָיֵף (a.yeph) faint, exhausted, weary

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.