Isaiah 44:11
in Isaiah 44Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Behold, all his fellows shall be put to shame; and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; they shall fear, they shall be put to shame together.
KJV
Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.
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This verse in Isaiah 44
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Behold, all his fellows - All that are joined in making, and in worshipping it, are regarded as the fellows, or the companions (חברין chăbērâyn) of the idol-god (see Hos 4:17 - ‘Ephraim is joined to idols’). They and the idols constitute one company or fellowship, intimately allied to each other. Shall be, ashamed - Shall be confounded when they find that their idols cannot aid them.
This site's exposition
All makers of idols are nothing
on Isaiah 44:9-11
All makers of idols are nothing opens the satire, and the makers become witnesses against their work, Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend. They answer the true witnesses named in verse 8. Verse 11 gathers every workman to stand and answer, and it promises shame for the whole trade.
This site's exposition
Behold, all his companions
Barnes takes the companions to be everyone joined in making the idol, the same word as Hosea 4:17, where Ephraim is joined to idols. Maker, worshiper and idol form one fellowship. They share one end, and shame falls on the whole company when its gods cannot help.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
A commentator
IrenaeusAgainst Heresies (Book III, Chapter 6), Section 3 · Written before 202.
proposed
When, however, the Scripture terms them [gods] which are no gods, it does not, as I have already remarked, declare them as gods in every sense, but with a certain addition and signification, by which they are shown to be no gods at all. As with David: "The gods of the heathen are idols of demons;" and, "Ye shall not follow other gods." For in that he says "the gods of the heathen"—but the heathen are ignorant of the true God—and calls them "other gods," he bars their claim [to be looked upon] as gods at all. But as to what they are in their own person, he speaks concerning them; "for they are," he says, "the idols of demons." And Esaias: "Let them be confounded, all who blaspheme God, and carve useless things; even I am witness, saith God." He removes them from [the category of] gods, but he makes use of the word alone, for this [purpose], that we may know of whom he speaks.
How could he fail to pity them in this also, seeing that they worship them that cannot see. In hearing, they pray to them that cannot hear. Born with life and reason, people, as they are, call gods things that do not move at all but do not even have life. Strangest of all, do they serve as their masters beings whom they themselves keep under their own power?
(Verse 6 and following) This is what the Lord, the king of Israel and his redeemer, the Lord of hosts, says: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides me. Who is like me? Let him call and declare, and lay out the order for me, since I established the ancient people: what is coming and what will happen, let them declare to them. Do not be afraid, nor be troubled: from that time I have made you hear and announced it; you are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me, and a creator whom I do not know? All the idols of the nations are worthless, and the things they love do not profit them. They themselves are witnesses to their own worthlessness, for they do not see or understand, so that they may be put to shame. Who formed a god or cast an idol that is profitable for nothing? Look, all his companions shall be put to shame; the craftsmen are mere men. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together. The blacksmith takes a tool and works it with the coals; he fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He will be hungry and will become weak, he will not drink water, and he will grow weary. The carpenter extends the rule (or the form), he shapes it on the plane, he forms it with angles, and rounds it off with a compass. And he makes an image of a man, like a handsome man dwelling in a house. He cuts down cedars, he takes an oak, and a tree that stood among the woods. He plants a pine, which the rain nourishes, and it becomes fuel for men. He takes from them, and warms himself; he kindles it, and bakes bread. But the rest of it he made into a god and worshipped; he made an idol and bowed down to it. He burned half of it in the fire and cooked meat on it; he roasted a stew and ate it, and then he was satisfied. He warmed himself and said, 'Ah! […]
The Medieval Church1 voice
Second, he foretells the confusion of the workers: behold, all the partakers, of the worship of idols, when they come to judgment, shall stand, as if to be judged; the makers are from men, that is, from the number of men: let them be all …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
We appeal to themselves whether it be not a silly sottish thing to expect any good from gods of their own making: They are their own witnesses, witnesses against themselves, if they would but give their own consciences leave to deal faithfully with them, that they are blind and ignorant in doing thus.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Ho 4:17). they are of men--They are mortal men themselves; what better, then, can the idol be than its maker? gathered together . . . stand up--as in a court of justice, to try the issue between God and them (see on Isa 41:1; Isa 41:21). yet--wrongly inserted in English Version. The issue of the trial shall be, "they shall fear," &c.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
His fellows - חבריו chaberaiv: but עבדיו abadaiv, his servants or worshippers, is the reading of one of De Rossi’s MSS., and of the Chaldee. And the workmen, they are of men “Even the workmen themselves shall blush” - I do not know that any one has ever yet interpreted these words to any tolerably good sense: וחרשים המה מאדם vecharashim hemmah meadam. The Vulgate and our translators, have rendered them very fairly, as they are written and pointed in the text: Fabri enim sunt ex hominibus. “And the workmen they are of men.” Out of which the commentators have not been able to extract any thing worthy of the prophet. I have given another explanation of the place; agreeable enough to the context, if it can be deduced from the words themselves. I presume that אדם adam, rubuit, may signify erubuit, to be red through shame, as well as from any other cause; though I cannot produce any example of it in that particular sense; and the word in the text I would point מאדם meoddam; or if any one should object to the irregularity of the number, I would read מאדמים meoddamim. But I rather think that the irregularity of the construction has been the cause of the obscurity, and has given occasion to the mistaken punctuation. The singular is sometimes put for the plural. See Psa 68:31; and the participle for the future tense, see Isa 40:11. - L.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Behold, all his colleagues of that fashioner and molder of graven images, who join him to worship his creation and his molten image, shall be ashamed.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הֵ֤ן | hen | there! | H2005 → | 316 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| חֲבֵרָיו֙ | chaverav | companions his | H2270 → | |
| יֵבֹ֔שׁוּ | yevoshu | they will be ashamed | H954 → | 127 times |
| וְחָרָשִׁ֥ים | vecharashim | and craftsmen | H2796 → | 37 times |
| הֵ֖מָּה | hemah | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| מֵֽאָדָ֑ם | meadam | [are] from humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| יִֽתְקַבְּצ֤וּ | yitkabetzu | let them gather together | H6908 → | 127 times |
| כֻלָּם֙ | khulam | all of them | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יַֽעֲמֹ֔דוּ | yaamodu | let them stand up | H5975 → | 521 times |
| יִפְחֲד֖וּ | yifchadu | let them be in dread | H6342 → | 25 times |
| יֵבֹ֥שׁוּ | yevoshu | let them be ashamed | H954 → | 127 times |
| יָֽחַד׃ | yachad | altogether | H3162 → | 141 times |
הֵ֤ןthere!
henH2005 →316 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
חֲבֵרָיו֙companions his
chaveravH2270 →
יֵבֹ֔שׁוּthey will be ashamed
yevoshuH954 →127 times
וְחָרָשִׁ֥יםand craftsmen
vecharashimH2796 →37 times
הֵ֖מָּהthey
hemahH1992 →553 times
מֵֽאָדָ֑ם[are] from humankind
meadamH120 →551 times
יִֽתְקַבְּצ֤וּlet them gather together
yitkabetzuH6908 →127 times
כֻלָּם֙all of them
khulamH3605 →5413 times
יַֽעֲמֹ֔דוּlet them stand up
yaamoduH5975 →521 times
יִפְחֲד֖וּlet them be in dread
yifchaduH6342 →25 times
יֵבֹ֥שׁוּlet them be ashamed
yevoshuH954 →127 times
יָֽחַד׃altogether
yachadH3162 →141 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 97:7All worshipers of images are put to shame— those who boast in idols. Worship Him, all you gods!
it leads to
- Isaiah 42:17
But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 10:14
Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them.
- Hebrews 1:6
And again, when God brings His firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all God’s angels worship Him.”
- Isaiah 42:17
Through
Isaiah 42:17But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.
it leads to
- Psalms 97:7
All worshipers of images are put to shame— those who boast in idols. Worship Him, all you gods!
- Isaiah 1:29
Surely you will be ashamed of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be embarrassed by the gardens that you have chosen.
- Psalms 97:7
Through
Isaiah 1:29Surely you will be ashamed of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be embarrassed by the gardens that you have chosen.
it leads to
- Isaiah 65:3
to a people who continually provoke Me to My face, sacrificing in the gardens and burning incense on altars of brick,
- Isaiah 57:5
who burn with lust among the oaks, under every luxuriant tree, who slaughter your children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?
- Isaiah 65:3
Through
Isaiah 45:16They will all be put to shame and humiliated; the makers of idols will depart together in disgrace.
it leads to
- Isaiah 44:9
All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame.
- Isaiah 44:9
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah

This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Athanasius of Alexandria, Against the Heathen 13:4; Irenaeus, Against Heresies (Book III, Chapter 6), Section 3; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.
