Isaiah 40:20 (DRB)

Passage

He hath chosen strong wood, and that will not rot: the skilful workman seeketh how he may set up an idol that may not be moved.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 40:18 To whom then have you likened God? or what image will you make for him?

Isaiah 40:19 Hath the workman cast a graven statue? or hath the goldsmith formed it with gold, or the silversmith with plates of silver?

Isaiah 40:20 He hath chosen strong wood, and that will not rot: the skilful workman seeketh how he may set up an idol that may not be moved.

Isaiah 40:21 Do you not know? hath it not been heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have you not understood the foundations of the earth?

Isaiah 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the globe of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as locusts: he that stretcheth out the heavens as nothing, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hath", "chosen", "strong", "wood", "skilful", "workman", "seeketh", and "idol". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hath" and "chosen", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "Hath the workman cast a graven statue..." into verse 21's "Do you not know hath it not...", so "hath" and "chosen" 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 "hath" and "chosen" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.