KJV ORIGINAL
He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
He cuts down cedar trees and takes cypress and oak trees, which he has carefully grown strong for himself among the forest trees. He plants an ash tree, and the rain helps it grow.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse describes someone carefully selecting and growing trees from the forest for his own purposes.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of Isaiah's criticism of idol worship, where he describes the irony of people using the same wood to make cooking fires and carved idols. In ancient times, people would carefully cultivate certain trees in forests, strengthening them over years to harvest quality wood for various purposes including religious objects.
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