Isaiah 29:16
14 Therefore I will again confound these people with wonder upon wonder. The wisdom of the wise will vanish, and the intelligence of the intelligent will be hidden.”
15 Woe to those who dig deep to hide their plans from the LORD. In darkness they do their works and say, “Who sees us, and who will know?”
You have turned things upside down, as if the potter were regarded as clay. Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pottery say of the potter, “He has no understanding”?
17 In a very short time, will not Lebanon become an orchard, and the orchard seem like a forest?
18 On that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of the deep darkness the eyes of the blind will see.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- You have turned things upside down, as if the potter were regarded as clay. Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pottery say of the potter, “He has no understanding”?
- KJV
- 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 had no understanding?
- WEB
- You turn things upside down! Should the potter be thought to be like clay, that the thing made should say about him who made it, “He didn’t make me;” or the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?
- ASV
- Ye turn things upside down! Shall the potter be esteemed as clay; that the thing made should say of him that made it, He made me not; or the thing formed say of him that formed it, He hath no understanding?
- DARBY
- [Oh] your perverseness! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay, so that the work should say of him that made it, He made me not; or the thing formed say of him that formed it, He hath no understanding?
- BLB
- You⁺ have turned things upside down! Shall the potter be considered like clay? Shall the thing made say of the one making it “He did not make me”? Or the thing formed say of the one forming it “He does not understand”?
- ÅB
- Hvor forvendte dere er! - Er pottemakeren å akte som hans leire, så verket kunne si om ham som gjorde det: Han har ikke gjort meg, og det som er laget, si om ham som laget det: Han skjønner det ikke?
- OTB
- Dere snur den naturlige orden opp ned! Skal pottemakeren betraktes som det samme som leiren? Skal det som er laget si om sin skaper, “Han laget meg ikke,” eller skapelsen si om sin skaper, “Han mangler forståelse”?
- B1930
- Hvor forvendte I er! - Er pottemakeren å akte som hans ler, så verket kunde si om ham som gjorde det: Han har ikke gjort mig, og det som er laget, si om ham som laget det: Han skjønner det ikke?
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Romans 9:19–21
One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?”
Read in contextIsaiah 64:8
But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.
Read in contextIsaiah 45:9–11
Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker— one clay pot among many. Does the clay ask the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?
Read in contextPsalms 94:8–9
Take notice, O senseless among the people! O fools, when will you be wise?
Read in contextJeremiah 18:1–10
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
Read in contextIsaiah 24:1
Behold, the LORD lays waste the earth and leaves it in ruins. He will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants—
Read in context