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. THEY LAVISH GOLD OUT OF THE BAG ... AND HIRE A GOLDSMITH; AND HE MAKETH IT A GOD - (Isaiah 40:19; .) They lavish gold out of their purses, and spare no expense for their idol. Their profuseness shames the niggardliness of professors who worship God with what cost them nothing. Sin is always a costly service....

6._Lavishing gold out of bags. _The Prophet had formerly said this, and he now repeats it, in order to fix this doctrine more and more deeply on the hearts of men; for superstition has struck its roots so deeply in their hearts, that it cannot be torn out, unless the Lord entirely change our nature. Whatever we have heard about this madness quickly passes out of our minds; for we always carry about some seed of superstition, and there is nothing to which we are more prone than to fall into it. He says, therefore, that one person supplies the materials for manufacturing idols, and another gives them a shape; and that in this way it may be said that there are two fathers of such gods, that is, the rich man who lavishes out the gold or silver, and the workman who adds the shape and makes the idol. Thus he makes an open exposure of the madness of these who seek a deity in their purses and in...

5-13 Here the folly of those who made idols, and then prayed to them, is exposed. How does the profuseness of idolaters shame the niggardliness of many who call themselves God's servants, but are for a religion which costs them nothing! The service of sin always costs a great deal. God puts it to them what senseless, helpless things idols are. Let, then, the Jews show themselves men, avoiding such abominations. Many Scripture prophecies, delivered long ago, are not yet fulfilled; but the fulfilling of some is an earnest that the rest will come to pass. Nothing can help more to make us easy, than to be assured that God will do all his pleasure. Even those who know not and mind not God's revealed will, are called and used to fulfil the counsels of his secret will. Heaven and earth shall pass away, sooner than one tittle of the word of God. Obstinate sinners are addressed. Such were far fr...

THEY LAVISH GOLD - The word used here means properly to shake out; and then to pour out abundantly, or in a lavish manner. It is used in connection with the idea of squandering in Deuteronomy 21:20; Proverbs 23:21; Proverbs 28:7. Here the idea is, that they spared no expense; they poured out gold as if it were vile and worthless, in order to make an idol. The design of this verse is, to show the superstition of those who were idolaters; and, particularly, how much they were willing to devote in order to maintain idol-worship. OUT OF THE BAG - They pour their gold out of the bag, or purse, where they have kept it; that is, they lavish it

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 46:1, ISAIAH 46:2 THE FALL OF THE GODS OF BABYLON. Among the direct consequences of the victories of Cyrus will be the downfall, in a certain sense, of the Babylonian idolatry. The prophet expresses the downfall by material imagery, graphically describing the fate of the idols themselves. But we must regard him as exulting mainly in the thought of the blow that would be dealt to idolatry in general, and to the Babylonian fond of it in particular, by the substitution of the non-idolatrous and almost monotheistic Persians for the polytheistic and grossly idolatrous Babylonians, in the sovereignty of the Asiat

THEY LAVISH GOLD OUT OF THE BAG,.... As if it was of no value and account; that is, the Heathen idolaters, some of them, who are excessively devoted to idolatry; these, being rich, take out their bags of gold, and give it in a very profuse manner to a workman to make a golden image for them, not caring what it cost them; such an one was that which Nebuchadnezzar made, sixty cubits high, and six broad, Daniel 3:1 see an instance of profuseness this way in the Israelites themselves, Exodus 32:2. AND WEIGH SILVER IN THE BALANCE; or "with a reed" o. Others, though idolaters, yet less devoted to idolatry, and more tenacious of their money, make silver do for a god, and weigh it out to the workman, that it be made of such a weight, and no more, and that they might not be cheated of their silver; or they

CHAPTER 46 1. _Babylon Is to Fall The Babylonian idols carried by the beasts (Isaiah 46:1)_ 2. _How Jehovah carries His people (Isaiah 46:3)_ 3. _The divine reproach (Isaiah 46:5)_ 4. _A ravenous bird (Cyrus) to come from the east (Isaiah 46:8)_ 5. _Salvation in Zion (Isaiah 46:12) _ The opening verses are comforting. The helplessness of the Babylonian idols is described. They have to be carried. They cannot deliver out of captivity, for they themselves have gone in to captivity. But Jehovah carries His people from birth to

THE HELPLESS PLIGHT OF BABYLON'S GODS CONTRASTED WITH THE SAVING MIGHT OF YAHWEH. Isaiah 46:1 f. In vision the prophet sees the images of Babylon's gods (two of the most prominent are named), taken from their proud pedestals and placed upon the victor's beasts. So far from delivering others, or even their own images, Bel and Nabu are carried away captive. The general drift is clear, but details are uncertain owing to corruption of the text. Isaiah 46:1. and upon the cattle: delete as gloss on beasts. THE THINGS THAT YE CARRIED ABOUT: the images carried in festive processions, but perhaps after BEASTS we should read simply, laid as a load upon the weary cattle. ISAIAH 46:3. Yahweh ad

GOD. Hebrew El. App-4....

TO WHOM WILL YE LIKEN ME— We have in these verses the conviction itself, exhibiting the vanity of idolatry. The argument is similar to that in chap. Isaiah 40:18, &c. and Isaiah 44:12, &c. except that the discourse in chap. 40: is directed to the Gentiles, but here to the house of Jacob in captivity. The last clause of the sixth verse may be rendered, _They adore: yea, they fall prostrate before it._...