Isaiah 44

Everyone who makes a carved image is vain. The things that they delight in will not profit. Their own witnesses neither see nor know, and so they will be disappointed. Wesley: Delectable things—Their idols, in which they take so much pleasure. They—They that make them, are witnesses against themselves, and against their idols, because they know they are the work of their own hands. See not—Have neither sense nor understanding, therefore they have just cause to be ashamed of their folly, in worshipping such senseless things.

Idols are delectable things that do not profit; makers are witnesses against themselves; the images neither see nor know. Either reading: fashioners are nothing; witnesses don’t see, nor know; shame. ANE idol-makers, not the Christ-Servant of 42:1–9.

Formers of a graven image are vanity. Calvin: desirable things (idols and their worship) do not profit; worshippers themselves are witnesses that the idols neither see nor know; conscience is a witness how vain; they shall be ashamed.

Formers are vanity; conscience itself witnesses the vanity; shame follows. Wesley reads it the same way: idols do not profit; makers are witnesses; they neither see nor know; shame.

Who has fashioned a god, or molds an image that is profitable for nothing? Delectable things do not profit; they that make them know they are the work of their own hands; men are of mankind and therefore cannot possibly make a god.

No craftsman can fashion a profitable god; the work of their own hands cannot be God. Who fashions a god; profitable for nothing.

Who is the maker of God? Calvin: madness to frame gods; as soon as stone or wood is polished they ascribe divinity. All images by which God is represented are vain and useless; nothing can be learned from them but falsehood.

Madness to frame a god; polished wood is not divinity; images teach falsehood. Wesley concurs: who fashions a god; profitable for nothing; men cannot make a god.

Behold, all his fellows will be disappointed; and the workmen are mere men. Let them all be gathered together. They will be put to shame together. Wesley: Men—They are of mankind, and therefore cannot possibly make a god. Together—Tho’ all combine together, they shall be filled with fear and confusion, when God shall plead his cause against them.

Craftsmen are mankind, so they cannot make a god; even combined they meet fear and confusion when God pleads his cause. Companions ashamed; craftsmen only human; they assemble and are put to shame together.

All companions ashamed; craftsmen are of men. Calvin: though they all assemble they shall fear and be ashamed together. Conscience sometimes constrains them to tremble.

Companions ashamed; craftsmen of men; assembly ends in fear; conscience makes them tremble. Wesley says as much: craftsmen are men; they combine and are ashamed together.

The blacksmith takes an ax, works in the coals, fashions it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. He is hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water, and is faint. Wesley: Faint—This is mentioned as an evidence of great zeal and industry in carrying on this work; so that they forget or neglect to eat and drink.

Hunger and faintness prove zeal; they forget to eat and drink over the coals.

Long description of tools to shake stupidity. Calvin: Hungry, drinks no water: evidence of zeal; they burn with ardor; lust like a gad-fly. Calvin later illustrates inordinate zeal by Papists and Turks—his illustration, not the verse’s referent; the verse itself is ANE craftsmen at the coals.

Tools listed to shake stupidity; hunger is zeal; ardor burns; lust like a gad-fly. Wesley concurs: faintness as evidence of zeal; they neglect eat and drink.

The carpenter stretches out a line. He marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes. He marks it out with compasses, and shapes it like the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to reside in a house. Wesley: According to—In the same comely shape and proportions which are in a living man. House—In the dwelling-house of him that made it.

The figure copies a living man’s proportions; it dwells in the maker’s house. Carpenter, line, pencil, planes, compass; figure of a man, to reside in a house.

Figure of a man to abide in the house. Calvin: idle, without motion.

The man-figure abides in a house, idle, without motion. Wesley says as much: shaped as a man; dwells in a house.

He cuts down cedars for himself, and takes the cypress and the oak, and strengthens for himself one among the trees of the forest. He plants a cypress tree, and the rain nourishes it. Wesley: Oak—Which afford the best and most durable timber. Strengtheneth—He plants, and with care and diligence improves those trees, that he or his posterity may thence have materials for their images, and those things which belong to them.

Oak is durable timber; he plants and improves so he or his posterity may have materials for images. Both sides agree: cedars, cypress, oak; planted and rain-nourished.

They plant and wait for timber. Calvin: rebellion and obstinacy, not a sudden impulse. Seed of this madness in us unless cleansed by the Spirit.

Planting and waiting is obstinacy, not a sudden impulse; the seed of this madness is in us unless the Spirit cleanses. Wesley concurs: they plant and improve trees for images. The planter is obstinate; God is not learning from the forest.

Then it will be for a man to burn; and he takes some of it and warms himself. Yes, he burns it and bakes bread. Yes, he makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image, and falls down to it. Wesley: Fallen down—Having related the practices of idolaters, he now discovers the folly of them, that he makes his fire and his god of the same materials, distinguished only by the art of man.

Fire and god from the same materials; only man’s art distinguishes them; falling down is the folly. Shared loudly: same wood warms, bakes bread, and is worshiped.

Same wood: fuel, bread, then a god. Calvin: stupidity if they do not consider how bountifully God provided the tree. Horace’s jest (fig-tree/Priapus) may be mentioned as Calvin’s citation, not as the verse’s referent.

One tree is fire, bread, and a god; they do not consider God’s bounty in the tree. Wesley reads it the same way: fire and god from the same materials.

The man burns half of the log. He burns part of it in the fire. With part of it, he eats meat. He roasts a roast and is satisfied. Yes, he warms himself and says, Aha! I am warm. I have seen the fire! From v. 15: he makes his fire and his god of the same materials. Half burned; he eats and is satisfied; Aha, I am warm—he has felt the fire.

Aha I am warm. Calvin: same wood—fuel, bread, then a god. Stupidity if they do not consider how bountifully God provided the tree.

Aha, I am warm, names the same wood that will be prayed to. Common ground with Wesley: half burned; he eats and warms; the fire is felt.

The leftover wood he turns into a god, his engraved image. He bows down to it and worships, and prays to it, and says, Deliver me, for you are my god! Wesley: He eateth—He dresses flesh for his eating. Thin; do not invent unique Wesley sentences. From v. 15: fire and god of the same materials, distinguished only by the art of man; he falls down.

The rest is made a god; he prays Deliver me to what his hands leftover. Shared loudly: residue is a god; falls down; Deliver me, for you are my god.

Residue made a god: Deliver me, for thou art my god. Calvin: same wood as the fire. Stupidity if they do not consider how bountifully God provided the tree.

Leftover wood is prayed to as god; Deliver me names the folly. Common ground with Wesley: rest made a god; falls down; Deliver me.

They don’t know, neither do they consider, for he has shut their eyes, that they can’t see, and their hearts, that they can’t understand. Wesley: Not known—This shews that they have not the understanding of a man. For he—God. Not as if God did make men wicked; he only permits them so to be, and orders, and over-rules their wickedness to his own glorious ends.

They lack a man’s understanding; “for he” is God, who does not make men wicked but permits them so to be, and orders and over-rules their wickedness to his own glorious ends. They know not; eyes shut; hearts cannot understand. Idolaters of this satire, not Judah-as-blind-servant of 42:18–25 except as the same book’s larger polemic. He permits and over-rules; he is not learning from events.

They have not known or understood. Calvin: impossible they fell into this if any spark of reason remained; they have degenerated into beasts. For he hath smeared their eyes. Calvin prefers: God hath blinded them by a righteous judgment (Rom 1:28 reprobate mind); takes away the light of his Spirit; arms Satan with the efficiency of error (2 Thess 2:11). Yet blame lies with men who deserve it and voluntarily shut their eyes. Do not throw on God the blame of this blindness.

No spark of reason left; God smears/shuts their eyes as judicial hardening; reprobate mind (Rom 1:28); 2 Thess 2:11; yet they voluntarily shut their eyes, so blame is theirs. Wesley says as much: they know not; eyes shut; hearts cannot understand. He judicially blinds; he is not discovering whom to harden.

No one thinks, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire. Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals. I have roasted meat and eaten it. Shall I make the rest of it into an abomination? Shall I bow down to a block of wood? They have not the understanding of a man; a deceived heart has turned from the way of truth; he cannot say, Isn’t there a lie in my right hand? So here: no one considers to say, Shall I bow down to a block of wood?

No consideration; half burned, bread baked, rest an abomination if he fell down to a block of wood. Shared loudly: same wood is fire, bread, meat, and an abomination; a block of wood.

It doth not return into their heart. Calvin: they refuse to consider; sloth without excuse; they wish to be deceived; this vice is rebellion not mere first corruption.

It does not return into the heart; they refuse to consider; they wish to be deceived; rebellion, not mere first corruption. Wesley concurs: no one considers; half burned; Shall I bow down to a block of wood?

He feeds on ashes. A deceived heart has turned him aside; and he can’t deliver his soul, nor say, Isn’t there a lie in my right hand? Wesley: Ashes—An unprofitable and pernicious food, and no less unsatisfying and mischievous is the worship of idols. Deceived heart—A mind corrupted and deceived by deep prejudice, gross error, and especially by his own lusts. Turned—From the way of truth. Deliver—From the snares and dangers of idolatry. Is there not—What is this idol which I set at my right-hand, as the true God is said in scripture to be at the right-hand of his people; which I highly honour, for the most honourable place was on the right-hand; to which I look for relief and assistance? What, I say, is this idol? Is it not a lie, which tho’ it pretends to be a god, yet, in truth is nothing but vanity and falsehood?

Ashes are pernicious food; idol-worship is the same; the heart is corrupted by prejudice, error, and lusts; turned from truth; he cannot deliver himself from idolatry’s snares; the right-hand idol is a lie, vanity and falsehood. Shared loudly: feeds on ashes; deluded heart; cannot deliver himself; lie in the right hand.

He feedeth on ashes. Calvin: empty, puffed up with deceptions. Deceived heart disposes him; they surrender to delusions of their own accord. Cannot deliver his soul: they hasten to destruction, harden hearts. Isn’t there a lie in my right hand: examine actions, do not flatter; try everything by the standard God laid down.

Ashes are empty deceptions; the deceived heart disposes him; they surrender of their own accord; they cannot deliver the soul; ask whether the right hand holds a lie; try all by God’s standard. Wesley says as much: feeds on ashes; deluded/deceived heart; cannot deliver; lie in the right hand.