Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
Then the wood becomes fuel for a person to burn. He takes some of it to warm himself, and he lights it to bake bread. But then he also makes a god from it and worships it; he carves it into an idol and bows down to it.
This verse points out the foolishness of using the same piece of wood for practical needs like fuel and bread-making, then carving part of it into a god to worship.
📚 Historical Context
Isaiah is critiquing the idol-making practices common in ancient Near Eastern cultures, including Babylon where the Israelites would later be exiled. People would literally use the same tree - part for fuel and daily needs, and part to carve gods they would then worship. This was a powerful argument against idolatry that Isaiah's audience would have clearly understood.
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