Isaiah 40:19 (DBY)

Passage

The workman casteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains [for it].

Nearby Context

Isaiah 40:17 All the nations are as nothing before him; they are esteemed by him less than a cipher, and vanity.

Isaiah 40:18 To whom then will ye liken God? and what likeness will ye compare unto him?

Isaiah 40:19 The workman casteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains [for it].

Isaiah 40:20 He that is impoverished, so that he hath no offering, chooseth a tree that doth not rot; he seeketh unto him a skilled workman to prepare a graven image that shall not be moved.

Isaiah 40:21 Do ye not know? Have ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood the foundation of the earth?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "workman", "casteth", "graven", "image", "goldsmith", "spreadeth", and "over". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "workman" and "casteth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "To whom then will ye liken God..." into verse 20's "He that is impoverished so that he...", so "workman" and "casteth" belong inside that flow. In Isaiah context, the local focus is the Holy One of Israel, judgment and restoration, the servant of the LORD, and Zion's hope.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "workman" and "casteth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.