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Read the Bible

Literal Standard Version

Isaiah 41:29

"Behold, all of them [are] vanity, || Their works [are] nothing, || Their molten images [are] wind and emptiness!"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Idolatry;   The Topic Concordance - Confusion;   Idolatry;   Vanity;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Idolatry;   Wind, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Easton Bible Dictionary - Idol;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Isaiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Election;   Micah, Book of;   Righteousness;   Servant of the Lord;   Vanity;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Confusion;   Nothing;   Vanity;   Wind;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Names of God;   Worship, Idol-;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Look, all of them are a delusion;their works are nonexistent;their images are wind and emptiness.
Hebrew Names Version
Behold, all of them, their works are vanity [and] nothing; their molten images are wind and confusion.
King James Version
Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.
English Standard Version
Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their metal images are empty wind.
New American Standard Bible
"Behold, all of them are false; Their works are nothing, Their cast metal images are wind and emptiness.
New Century Version
Look, all these idols are false. They cannot do anything; they are worth nothing.
Amplified Bible
"In fact, all of these [pagan prophets and priests] are false; Their works are worthless, Their cast images are [merely] wind and emptiness.
World English Bible
Behold, all of them, their works are vanity [and] nothing; their molten images are wind and confusion.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Beholde, they are all vanitie: their worke is of nothing, their images are wind and confusion.
Legacy Standard Bible
Behold, all of them are false;Their works are non‑existent;Their molten images are wind and utter formlessness.
Berean Standard Bible
See, they are all a delusion; their works amount to nothing; their images are as empty as the wind.
Contemporary English Version
They are nothing, and they can do nothing— they are less than a passing breeze.
Complete Jewish Bible
Look at them all! What they do is nothing! Their idols are so much wind and waste.
Darby Translation
Behold, they are all vanity, their works are nought, their molten images are wind and emptiness.
Easy-to-Read Version
Those gods are all less than nothing. They cannot do anything. They are worthless.
George Lamsa Translation
Behold, they are all nothing; their works are vanity; their images are wind and vanity.
Good News Translation
All these gods are useless; they can do nothing at all— these idols are weak and powerless."
Lexham English Bible
Look! All of them are deception; their works are nothing; their images are wind and emptiness.
Literal Translation
Behold, they are all evil; their works are nothing; their images are wind and vanity.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Lo, wicked are they & vayne, with the thinges also that they take in honde: yee wynde are they, and emptynesse, with their ymages together.
American Standard Version
Behold, all of them, their works are vanity and nought; their molten images are wind and confusion.
Bible in Basic English
Truly they are all nothing, their works are nothing and of no value: their metal images are of no more use than wind.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Behold, all of them, their works are vanity and nought; their molten images are wind and confusion.
King James Version (1611)
Behold, they are all vanitie, their works are nothing: their moulten images are winde and confusion.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Lo wicked are they, and vayne, with the thinges also that they take in hand, yea their images are but winde and vayne thinges.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For these are your makers, as ye think, and they that cause you to err in vain.
English Revised Version
Behold, all of them, their works are vanity and nought: their molten images are wind and confusion.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Lo! alle men ben vniust, and her werkis ben wynd and veyn; the symylacris of hem ben wynd, and voide thing.
Update Bible Version
Look, all of them, their works are vanity [and] nothing; their molten images are wind and confusion.
Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, they [are] all vanity, their works [are] nothing: their molten images [are] wind and confusion.
New English Translation
Look, all of them are nothing, their accomplishments are nonexistent; their metal images lack any real substance.
New King James Version
29 Indeed they are all worthless; [fn] Their works are nothing;Their molded images are wind and confusion.
New Living Translation
See, they are all foolish, worthless things. All your idols are as empty as the wind.
New Life Bible
See, all of them are false. Their works are nothing. Their objects of worship are empty wind.
New Revised Standard
No, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their images are empty wind.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Lo! as to all of them, Vanity - nothingness, are their works, Wind and emptiness, their molten images!
Douay-Rheims Bible
Behold they are all in the wrong, and their works are vain: their idols are wind and vanity.
Revised Standard Version
Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their molten images are empty wind.
Young's Literal Translation
`Lo, all of them [are] vanity, Nought [are] their works, Wind and emptiness their molten images!'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Behold, all of them are false; Their works are worthless, Their molten images are wind and emptiness.

Contextual Overview

21Bring your cause near, says YHWH, || Bring your mighty ones near, says the King of Jacob. 22They bring [them] near, and declare to us that which happens, || Declare the first things—what they [are], || And we set our heart, and know their latter end, || Or cause us to hear the coming things. 23Declare the things that are coming hereafter, || And we know that you [are] gods, || Indeed, you may do good or do evil, || And we look around and see [it] together. 24Behold, you [are] of nothing, and your work of nothing, || An abomination—it fixes on you. 25I have stirred up [one] from the north, || And he comes, || From the rising of the sun he calls in My Name, || And he comes in [on] prefects as [on] clay, || And as a potter treads down mire. 26Who has declared from the first, and we know? And formerly, and we say, "Righteous?" Indeed, there is none declaring, || Indeed, there is none proclaiming, || Indeed, there is none hearing your sayings. 27First to Zion, || Behold, behold them, || And to Jerusalem I give one proclaiming tidings, 28And I see that there is no man, || Indeed, of these that there is no counselor, || And I ask them, and they return word: 29"Behold, all of them [are] vanity, || Their works [are] nothing, || Their molten images [are] wind and emptiness!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they are all: Isaiah 41:24, Isaiah 44:9-20, Psalms 115:4-8, Psalms 135:15-18, Jeremiah 10:2-16, Habakkuk 2:18

wind: Jeremiah 5:13

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 16:13 - vanities Psalms 97:7 - Confounded Isaiah 41:11 - as nothing Jeremiah 10:8 - brutish Jeremiah 10:15 - vanity Jeremiah 14:22 - Are Jeremiah 18:15 - burned 1 Corinthians 3:7 - General 1 Corinthians 10:19 - that the

Cross-References

Genesis 41:26
the seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years, the dream is one;
Genesis 41:46
And Joseph [is] a son of thirty years in his standing before Pharaoh king of Egypt, and Joseph goes out from the presence of Pharaoh, and passes over through all the land of Egypt;
Genesis 41:47
and the land makes in the seven years of plenty by handfuls.
Genesis 41:49
and Joseph gathers grain as sand of the sea, multiplying exceedingly, until he has ceased to number, for there is no number.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Behold, they are all vanity,.... Both the idols and the worshippers of them; in vain they claim the title of deity, to which they have no right; and in vain do men worship them, since they receive no benefit by them:

their works are nothing; they can do nothing, neither good nor evil; nothing is to be hoped or feared from them, and the worship given them is of no avail; nothing is got by it; it is all useless and insignificant, yea, pernicious and harmful:

their molten images are wind and confusion: though they are made of cast metal, yet setting aside the costly matter of which they are made, they are of no more solidity, efficacy, and use, than the wind; and are like the chaos of the first earth, mere "tohu" and "bohu", one of which words is here used, without form and void, having no form of deity on them; and therefore men are directed to turn themselves from them, and behold a most glorious Person, worthy of worship and praise, described in the beginning of the next chapter, "behold my servant", &c.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Behold, they are all vanity - They are unable to predict future events; they are unable to defend their friends, or to injure their enemies. This is the conclusion of the trial or debate (notes, Isaiah 41:1), and that conclusion is, that they were utterly destitute of strength, and that they were entirely unworthy of confidence and regard.

Their molten images - (See the note at Isaiah 40:19).

Are wind - Have no solidity or power. The doctrine of the whole chapter is, that confidence should be reposed in God, and in him alone. He is the friend of his people, and he is able to protect them. He will deliver them from the hand of all their enemies; and he will be always their God, protector, and guide. The idols of the pagan have no power; and it is folly, as well as sin, to trust in them, or to suppose that they can aid their friend.

It may be added, also, that it is equally vain to trust in any being for salvation but God. He only is able to protect and defend us; and it is a source of unspeakable consolation now, as it was in times past, that he is the friend of his people; and that, in times of deepest darkness and distress, he can raise up deliverers, as he did Cyrus, and will in his own way and time rescue his people from all their calamities.


 
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