Isaiah 44:16
in Isaiah 44He burns half of it in the fire, and he roasts meat on that half. He eats the roast and is satisfied. Indeed, he warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied; yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire.
KJV
He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:
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This verse in Isaiah 44
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
The blacksmith takes a tool
on Isaiah 44:12-17
The blacksmith and the woodworker are described at length, and the smith grows hungry making a god that cannot feed him. The woodworker cuts down cedars. He burns half of it, and from the rest he makes a god and prays to it, Save me, for you are my god.
This site's exposition
he roasts meat on that half
The verse lingers on ordinary comfort. A man eats his roast and warms himself, and his cry is the only speech until he prays to the other half in verse 17. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that one tree supplies the fuel and the god alike.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(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 Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He burneth part thereof in the fire,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
part . . . part--not distinct parts, but the same part of the wood (compare Isa 44:17). eateth--that is, cooks so as to eat (Isa 44:19). I have seen--I feel its power.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
With part “And with part” - Twenty-three MSS., the Septuagint, and Vulgate add the conjunction ו vau, and ועל veal.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
With part thereof he eateth flesh - That is, he prepares flesh to eat, or prepares his food. He roasteth roast - He roasts meat.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| חֶצְיוֹ֙ | chetzyo | half of it | H2677 → | 125 times |
| שָׂרַ֣ף | saraf | he burns | H8313 → | 117 times |
| בְּמוֹ־ | bemov- | in | H1119 → | 9 times |
| אֵ֔שׁ | ʾesh | a fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| חֶצְיוֹ֙ | chetzyo | half of it | H2677 → | 125 times |
| בָּשָׂ֣ר | basar | meat | H1320 → | 270 times |
| יֹאכֵ֔ל | yokhel | he eats | H398 → | 810 times |
| יִצְלֶ֥ה | yitzleh | he roasts | H6740 → | |
| צָלִ֖י | tzali | roasted meat | H6748 → | |
| וְיִשְׂבָּ֑ע | veyisba' | so he may be satisfied | H7646 → | 97 times |
| אַף־ | ʾaf- | also | H637 → | 134 times |
| יָחֹם֙ | yachom | he is warm | H2552 → | 21 times |
| וְיֹאמַ֣ר | veyomar | and he may say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הֶאָ֔ח | heach | aha! | H1889 → | |
| חַמּוֹתִ֖י | chamoti | I am warm | H2552 → | 21 times |
| רָאִ֥יתִי | raiti | I see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֽוּר׃ | ʾur | a fire | H217 → | 6 times |
חֶצְיוֹ֙half of it
chetzyoH2677 →125 times
שָׂרַ֣ףhe burns
sarafH8313 →117 times
בְּמוֹ־in
bemov-H1119 →9 times
אֵ֔שׁa fire
ʾeshH784 →378 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
חֶצְיוֹ֙half of it
chetzyoH2677 →125 times
בָּשָׂ֣רmeat
basarH1320 →270 times
יֹאכֵ֔לhe eats
yokhelH398 →810 times
יִצְלֶ֥הhe roasts
yitzlehH6740 →
צָלִ֖יroasted meat
tzaliH6748 →
וְיִשְׂבָּ֑עso he may be satisfied
veyisba'H7646 →97 times
אַף־also
ʾaf-H637 →134 times
יָחֹם֙he is warm
yachomH2552 →21 times
וְיֹאמַ֣רand he may say
veyomarH559 →5305 times
הֶאָ֔חaha!
heachH1889 →
חַמּוֹתִ֖יI am warm
chamotiH2552 →21 times
רָאִ֥יתִיI see
raitiH7200 →1300 times
אֽוּר׃a fire
ʾurH217 →6 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).
