◄ Isaiah 46:6 ►
They pour out their bags of gold and weigh out silver on scales; they hire a goldsmith to fashion it into a god, so they can bow down and worship.
Study Bible
They pour out their bags of gold

Idolaters willingly spend their wealth to produce objects of worship. Gold, a visible mark of power and security in the ancient world, becomes an offering to a god that cannot save. Human beings often seek lasting security in what they can possess and control, yet earthly treasure cannot replace trust in the Lord. Jesus likewise warned against laying up treasures on earth rather than seeking the treasure of God’s kingdom (Matthew 6:19–21).

Exo 32:2-4 So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings…
Hos 8:4 They set up kings, but not by Me. They make princes…
Jdg 8:24-27 Then he added, “Let me make a request of you,…

and weigh out silver on scales;

Careful weighing shows deliberate planning and costly devotion. The same scales that should reflect honest dealings before God can be used to measure out silver for rebellion against Him. The Lord values just weights and measures because He is righteous in all His ways (Proverbs 16:11), but no amount of precious metal can give life or authority to an image.

Gen 23:16 Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out……
Jer 32:9-10 So I bought the field in Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel…
Zec 11:12-13 Then I told them, “If it seems right to you,…

they hire a goldsmith to fashion it into a god,

A craftsman receives the metal, shapes it, and produces the very object later treated as divine. The absurdity exposes the emptiness of idolatry: the supposed god depends upon human wealth, skill, and labor for its existence. Isaiah repeatedly contrasts such handmade images with the Lord, who made heaven and earth and formed His people (Isaiah 44:9–20; 45:18).

Isa 40:19-20 To an idol that a craftsman casts and a metalworker…
Jer 10:3-5 For the customs of the peoples are worthless;…
Isa 44:12-17 The blacksmith takes a tool and labors over the coals;…

so they can bow down and worship.

Bowing is an outward act of submission, but worship offered to a crafted image dishonors the Creator. Idols have no voice, sight, strength, or power to deliver those who carry them. The Lord alone deserves worship, for He alone is God and Savior; therefore, He commanded His people to have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3; Psalm 115:4–8).

Exo 20:4-5 You shall not make for yourself an idol…
Deu 5:8-9 You shall not make for yourself an idol…
Psa 97:7 All worshipers of images are put to shame…

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Israelites
The primary audience of Isaiah's prophecy, often rebuked for idolatry and turning away from God.

2. Babylon
The context of Isaiah 46 is set against the backdrop of Babylonian culture, known for its idolatry and the worship of man-made gods.

3. Goldsmiths
Craftsmen who were hired to create idols from precious metals, representing human efforts to create objects of worship.

4. Idols
Man-made objects of worship, often crafted from gold and silver, which the Israelites were tempted to worship instead of the one true God.

5. Isaiah
The prophet who delivered God's message, calling the people back to true worship and away from idolatry.
Teaching Points
The Futility of Idolatry
Idols are lifeless and powerless, unable to save or guide. Worshiping them is a fruitless endeavor.

The Allure of Materialism
The act of pouring out gold and silver for idols reflects a misplaced trust in material wealth and human craftsmanship.

True Worship
God desires worship that is directed towards Him alone, not towards objects or creations of human hands.

Cultural Pressures
Just as the Israelites faced cultural pressures to conform to idol worship, Christians today must resist societal influences that draw them away from God.

Heart Examination
Believers are called to examine their hearts for modern-day idols—anything that takes precedence over God in their lives.
Bible Study Questions
1. What are some modern-day "idols" that people might be tempted to worship, and how can we guard against them?

2. How does the account of the golden calf in Exodus 32 relate to the message in Isaiah 46:6?

3. In what ways can material wealth become an idol in our lives, and how can we ensure that our trust remains in God?

4. How does Paul’s message in Acts 17 challenge us to think about the nature of true worship?

5. Reflect on Psalm 115 and Jeremiah 10. How do these passages reinforce the message of Isaiah 46:6 regarding the futility of idol worship?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 32
The account of the golden calf, where the Israelites create and worship an idol, parallels the actions described in Isaiah 46:6.

Psalm 115
This Psalm contrasts the living God with lifeless idols, emphasizing the futility of idol worship.

Jeremiah 10
Jeremiah also speaks against the practice of idol-making, highlighting the foolishness of worshiping what human hands have made.

Acts 17
Paul’s speech in Athens addresses the futility of idol worship and points to the true God who does not dwell in man-made temples.

1 Corinthians 10
Paul warns against idolatry, urging believers to flee from it and to worship God alone.
Sermons
The Religion of Jehovah Contrasted with IdolatryE. Johnson Isaiah 46:1-13
People
Isaiah, Jacob
Places
Babylon, Cush, Zion
Topics
Bag, Bags, Balance, Bow, Down-yes, Faces, Fall, Gold, Goldsmith, Gold-worker, Hire, Indeed, Lavish, Makes, Maketh, Payment, Pour, Purse, Scale, Scales, Silver, Thereto, Weigh, Worship, Yea, Yes
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Isaiah 46:6

     4333   gold
     4345   metalworkers
     4363   silver
     5272   craftsmen
     5337   hiring
     5531   skill

Isaiah 46:5-6

     8771   idolatry, objections

Isaiah 46:5-7

     5132   biting

Isaiah 46:6-7

     7324   calf worship

Library
A Righteousness Near and a Swift Salvation
'Hearken unto Me, ye stout-hearted, that are far from righteousness: I bring near My righteousness; it shall not be far off, and My salvation shall not tarry.'--ISAIAH xlvi. 12,13. God has promised that He will dwell with him that is humble and of a contrite heart. Jesus has shed the oil of His benediction on the poor in spirit. It is the men who form the exact antithesis to these characters who are addressed here. The 'stout-hearted' are those who, being untouched in conscience and ignorant of …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The God of the Aged
THOSE will be peculiar circumstances under which I shall stand up to address the people next Tuesday; circumstances which perhaps seldom occur,--possibly may never have occurred before. It might have been more in order that the aged minister should himself address the people; but nevertheless, as it is his own choice, so it must be; and I shall draw my consolation from the third verse, where it is declared, that though God be the God of the close of our life, yet he is also the God of its beginning. …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 2: 1856

Whether the Seven Petitions of the Lord's Prayer are Fittingly Assigned?
Objection 1: It would seem that the seven petitions of the Lord's Prayer are not fittingly assigned. It is useless to ask for that to be hallowed which is always holy. But the name of God is always holy, according to Lk. 1:49, "Holy is His name." Again, His kingdom is everlasting, according to Ps. 144:13, "Thy kingdom is a kingdom of all ages." Again, God's will is always fulfilled, according to Isa 46:10, "All My will shall be done." Therefore it is useless to ask for "the name of God to be hallowed," …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Of Internal Acts
Of Internal Acts Acts are distinguished into External and Internal. External acts are those which bear relation to some sensible object, and are either morally good or evil, merely according to the nature of the principle from which they proceed. I intend here to speak only of Internal acts, those energies of the soul, by which it turns internally to some objects, and averts from others. If during my application to God I should form a will to change the nature of my act, I thereby withdraw myself …
Madame Guyon—A Short and Easy Method of Prayer

Of Inward Silence
Of Inward Silence "The Lord is in His Holy Temple, let all the earth keep silence before him" (Hab. ii. 20). Inward silence is absolutely indispensable, because the Word is essential and eternal, and necessarily requires dispositions in the soul in some degree correspondent to His nature, as a capacity for the reception of Himself. Hearing is a sense formed to receive sounds, and is rather passive than active, admitting, but not communicating sensation; and if we would hear, we must lend the ear …
Madame Guyon—A Short and Easy Method of Prayer

Of Rest in the Presence of God --Its Fruits --Inward Silence --God Commands it --Outward Silence.
The soul, being brought to this place, needs no other preparation than that of repose: for the presence of God during the day, which is the great result of prayer, or rather prayer itself, begins to be intuitive and almost continual. The soul is conscious of a deep inward happiness, and feels that God is in it more truly than it is in itself. It has only one thing to do in order to find God, which is to retire within itself. As soon as the eyes are closed, it finds itself in prayer. It is astonished …
Jeanne Marie Bouvières—A Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual Torrents

"And this is his Commandment," &C.
1 John iii. 23.--"And this is his commandment," &c. There are different tempers of mind among men, some more smooth and pliable, others more refractory and froward. Some may be persuaded by love, who cannot be constrained by fear. With some a request will more prevail than a command. Others again are of a harsher disposition. Love and condescension doth rather embolden them, and therefore they must be restrained with the bridle of authority. It would seem that the Lord hath some regard to this in …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"Come unto Me, all Ye that Labour, and are Wearied," &C.
Matth. xi. 28.--"Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are wearied," &c. It is the great misery of Christians in this life, that they have such poor, narrow, and limited spirits, that are not fit to receive the truth of the gospel in its full comprehension; from whence manifold misapprehensions in judgment, and stumbling in practice proceed. The beauty and life of things consist in their entire union with one another, and in the conjunction of all their parts. Therefore it would not be a fit way …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Epistle v. To Theoctista, Sister of the Emperor.
To Theoctista, Sister of the Emperor. Gregory to Theoctista, &c. With how great devotion my mind prostrates itself before your Venerableness I cannot fully express in words; nor yet do I labour to give utterance to it, since, even though I were silent, you read in your heart your own sense of my devotion. I wonder, however, that you withdrew your countenance, till of late bestowed on me, from this my recent engagement in the pastoral office; wherein, under colour of episcopacy, I have been brought …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

The First Commandment
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.' Exod 20: 3. Why is the commandment in the second person singular, Thou? Why does not God say, You shall have no other gods? Because the commandment concerns every one, and God would have each one take it as spoken to him by name. Though we are forward to take privileges to ourselves, yet we are apt to shift off duties from ourselves to others; therefore the commandment is in the second person, Thou and Thou, that every one may know that it is spoken to him, …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Power of God
The next attribute is God's power. Job 9:19. If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong.' In this chapter is a magnificent description of God's power. Lo, he is strong.' The Hebrew word for strong signifies a conquering, prevailing strength. He is strong.' The superlative degree is intended here; viz., He is most strong. He is called El-shaddai, God almighty. Gen 17:7. His almightiness lies in this, that he can do whatever is feasible. Divines distinguish between authority and power. God has both. …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Iranian Conquest
Drawn by Boudier, from the engraving in Coste and Flandin. The vignette, drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a statuette in terra-cotta, found in Southern Russia, represents a young Scythian. The Iranian religions--Cyrus in Lydia and at Babylon: Cambyses in Egypt --Darius and the organisation of the empire. The Median empire is the least known of all those which held sway for a time over the destinies of a portion of Western Asia. The reason of this is not to be ascribed to the shortness of its duration: …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9

Barzillai
BY REV. GEORGE MILLIGAN, M.A., D.D. "There is nothing," says Socrates to Cephalus in the Republic, "I like better than conversing with aged men. For I regard them as travellers who have gone a journey which I too may have to go, and of whom it is right to learn the character of the way, whether it is rugged or difficult, or smooth and easy" (p. 328 E.). It is to such an aged traveller that we are introduced in the person of Barzillai the Gileadite. And though he is one of the lesser-known characters …
George Milligan—Men of the Bible; Some Lesser-Known

Purposes of God.
In discussing this subject I shall endeavor to show, I. What I understand by the purposes of God. Purposes, in this discussion, I shall use as synonymous with design, intention. The purposes of God must be ultimate and proximate. That is, God has and must have an ultimate end. He must purpose to accomplish something by his works and providence, which he regards as a good in itself, or as valuable to himself, and to being in general. This I call his ultimate end. That God has such an end or purpose, …
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

The Unchangeableness of God
The next attribute is God's unchangeableness. I am Jehovah, I change not.' Mal 3:3. I. God is unchangeable in his nature. II. In his decree. I. Unchangeable in his nature. 1. There is no eclipse of his brightness. 2. No period put to his being. [1] No eclipse of his brightness. His essence shines with a fixed lustre. With whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.' James 1:17. Thou art the same.' Psa 102:27. All created things are full of vicissitudes. Princes and emperors are subject to …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Shepherd of Our Souls.
"I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."--John x. 11. Our Lord here appropriates to Himself the title under which He had been foretold by the Prophets. "David My servant shall be king over them," says Almighty God by the mouth of Ezekiel: "and they all shall have one Shepherd." And in the book of Zechariah, "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts; smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered." …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

Isaiah
CHAPTERS I-XXXIX Isaiah is the most regal of the prophets. His words and thoughts are those of a man whose eyes had seen the King, vi. 5. The times in which he lived were big with political problems, which he met as a statesman who saw the large meaning of events, and as a prophet who read a divine purpose in history. Unlike his younger contemporary Micah, he was, in all probability, an aristocrat; and during his long ministry (740-701 B.C., possibly, but not probably later) he bore testimony, as …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Isaiah 46:6 NIV
Isaiah 46:6 NLT
Isaiah 46:6 ESV
Isaiah 46:6 NASB
Isaiah 46:6 KJV

Isaiah 46:6 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Isaiah 46:5
Top of Page
Top of Page