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Kretzmann's Popular Commentary

Isaiah 29:16

Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay, the sentence being like an exclamation: "Alas upon your perversion! As clay is the potter to be considered?" For shall the work, the vessel as it comes from the potter's hands, say of him that made it, He made me not? Or shall the thing framed, that which is formed by the artist's skill, say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? The leaders of Judah were turning things upside down, ignoring God and even placing themselves in His stead.

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See also Isaiah 29:16 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    SURELY YOUR TURNING OF THINGS UPSIDE DOWN - Your perversion of all things. They had no just views of truth. They deemed mere formality to be all that was required. They attempted to conceal their plan...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 29 The Second Woe Against Ariel and the Third Woe 1. _The fall of Ariel (Jerusalem) predicted (Isaiah 29:1)_ 2. _Their enemies dealt with by Jehovah (Isaiah 29:5)_ 3. The people's condition:...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    SAY. Compare Isaiah 45:9....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Shall the creature attempt to outwit the Creator? _Surely your turning … clay_ Render as R.V. marg.: O YOUR PERVERSITY! SHALL THE POTTER BE COUNTED AS CLAY? "Is there no difference between maker and t...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Isaiah 29:15-24 A Messianic forecast The third "Woe" (Isaiah 29:15), directed against the political intrigue with Egypt, merely serves as a point of attachment for a glowing description of the regene...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    WOE UNTO THEM, &C.— _Woe unto them who with deep dissimulation seek to hide their counsel,_ &c. Isaiah 29:16. _This perverseness of yours is as if the potter were reputed as clay; that the work should...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    4. SULLENNESS TEXT: Isaiah 29:9-16 9 Tarry ye and wonder; take your pleasure and be blind: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. 10 For Jehovah hath poured...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He h...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    WARNINGS TO JUDAH These Chapter s refer to the state of affairs during the reign of Hezekiah, when Palestine was threatened by Assyria, and an influential party in Judah favoured resistance, relying...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ISAIAH: GOD CONTROLS THE NATIONS GOD CONTROLS THE FUTURE ISAIAH CHAPTER S 21 TO 30 _NORMAN HILLYER_ CHAPTER 29 THE FATE OF *JERUSALEM V1 *Woe to *Jerusalem, the city of David! It will not matt...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    He speaks such beautiful words with his mouth. This is the woman’s only complete description of the man. But the man describes the woman in three places: 4:1-7; 6:4-7 and 7:1-9. There are other aston...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    SURELY YOUR TURNING OF THINGS UPSIDE DOWN. — The words are better taken as exclamatory, _O your perversity!_ Isaiah was indignant at that habit of always taking things at their wrong end, and looking...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    הַ֨פְכְּכֶ֔ם אִם ־כְּ חֹ֥מֶר הַ יֹּצֵ֖ר יֵֽחָ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    BOOK 3 ORATIONS ON THE EGYPTIAN INTRIGUES AND ORACLES ON FOREIGN NATIONS 705-702 B.C. Isaiah: 29 About 703 30 A little later 31 A little later 32:1-8 Later 32:9-20 Date uncertain ------------...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    This is the first of a series of declamations concerning the chosen people, and sets forth the purpose of Jehovah in judgment. The message opens with a description of the judgment (verses Isa 29:1-4),...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed (o) as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing formed say of him that formed it, H...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Not. So it is in vain to think that your hypocrisy or excuses will deceive God, chap. xxviii. 15. (Haydock)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    All spiritual visitations which the Lord makes upon his people, are among the heaviest of his judgments. And in what an awful instance was this prediction fulfilled, and is still fulfilling, on Israel...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    16._Is your turning reckoned like potter’s clay! _There are various ways of explaining this verse, and, indeed, there is some difficulty on account of the two particles, אם (ĭ_m_) and כי (_kī_). אם (ĭ...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Jerusalem is reduced to the last extremity. But this time Jehovah appears for her deliverance, and the multitude of her enemies disappear as a dream of the night. Everything is dark and gloomy as to t...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    SURELY YOUR TURNING OF THINGS UPSIDE DOWN,.... Revolving things in their minds, throwing them into different shapes, forming various schemes, and inverting the order of things by their deep counsels,...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He ha...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Wo unto them that seek deep_ Hebrew, המעמיקים, _that make_, or _dig deep;_ a metaphor from persons digging deep into the earth, that they may hide what they wish to keep safe and unknown. _To hide th...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    9-16 The security of sinners in sinful ways, is cause for lamentation and wonder. The learned men, through prejudice, said that the Divine prophecies were obscure; and the poor urged their want of le...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    YOUR TURNING OF THINGS UPSIDE DOWN; all your subtle devices, by which you turn yourselves into all shapes; and turn your thoughts hither and thither, and pervert the order which God hath appointed. SH...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Isaiah 29:16 around H2017 (H8800) potter H3335 (H8802) esteemed H2803 (H8735) clay H2563 made H4639 say...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE THIRD WOE: AGAINST THOSE WHO SEEK TO HIDE WHAT THEY DO FROM GOD, BUT YAHWEH WILL TRIUMPH IN SPITE OF IT (ISAIAH 29:15). Analysis. a Woe to those who seek deep, to hide their counsel from Yahweh,...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Warnings to Judah and Jerusalem of impending discipline. The blessing after the final deliverance. CHARACTERS: God, David, Abraham. CONCLUSION: Those who are formal and hypocritical in the...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Isaiah 29:1. _Woe to Ariel,_ the lion of God, or the strong lion, for _El_ is often rendered _strong_ or _rock,_ as in Psalms 42:9. “God my rock.” The city of Jerusalem was that strong rock, or strong...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord_ THE FOLLY OF ACTING SEPARATELY FROM GOD I. THEIR POLITICS DESCRIBED (Isaiah 29:15). The consultations they had about their own safet...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ISAIAH—NOTE ON ISAIAH 29:15 Judah’s leaders are reduced to the secrecy of underhanded human politics. For them, the sovereign God might as well not exist. ⇐...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ISAIAH 29:1 A WARNING TO JERUSALEM. Expostulation is followed by threats. The prophet is aware that all his preaching to the authorities in Jerusalem (Isaiah 28:14) will be of no avail, an...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Chapter 29, the woe unto Jerusalem. Ariel means the lion of God. It is one of the names for Jerusalem. Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, [the lion of God] the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let th...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Acts 17:6; Isaiah 24:1; Isaiah 45:10; Isaiah 45:11; Isaiah 45:9;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Surely — All your subtle devices, by which you turn yourselves into all shapes. As clay — It is no more to me, than the clay is to the potter, who can alter and dispose it as he sees fit....

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