Author and Authorship Date:

• Author: Isaiah.
• When Authored: Approximately 8th century BC (circa 740–700 BC); Addressing the future exile in Babylon (6th century BC).
• Audience: Israel, House of Jacob, House of Israel House of Judah
  • Particularly the descendants of Jacob, which refers to the nation of Judah (the southern kingdom) and possibly the remnants of the northern kingdom (Israel) after its fall to Assyria (722 BC).

Setting and Main Storyline:

• Setting: The passage is set in the context of Judah’s exile and Babylon’s prominence.
• Main Storyline: God contrasts His power and sovereignty with the impotence of Babylonian idols (Bel and Nebo), declaring that He alone carries and saves Israel, while idols burden their worshipers and will fall. God promises deliverance for His people.

Where and When:

• Biblical Location:

  • Babylon (center of idolatry and exile)
  • Israel /Judah (God’s people, referenced as Jacob)

• Modern Location:

  • Babylon: Near modern-day Hillah, Babil Governorate, Iraq
  • Israel/Judah: Modern-day Israel and parts of the West Bank

Isaiah 46 Isa-46

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The Babylonians

• ^[1]Bel
  • ^[2]bows down.
  • Nebo //Babylonian god// stoops.
  • Their //Babylonians// ^[3]idols are
    • ^[4]carried
      • by animals,
      • and on the livestock.
      • The things that you //Babylonians// carried around are
        • heavy loads,
        • a burden for the weary. Matt-11:30
  • They stoop and ^[5]they bow down
    • together. //the Babylonians and their gods//
    • They could not deliver
      • the burden,
        • but they //the Babylonian gods// have
          • gone into captivity.

The House of Jacob and House of Israel

• "Listen to me, House of Jacob, and all the remnant of the House of Israel //#3,//
  • that have been carried from their birth,
  • that have been carried from the womb.
  • Even to old age
    • I am he,
    • and even to gray hairs
      • I will carry you.
      • I have made,
      • and I will bear.
        • Yes, ^[6]I will carry,
        • and ^[7]will deliver.
  • "To whom will you compare me, and consider my equal, and compare me, as if we were the same?
    • Some pour out gold from the bag,
    • and weigh silver in the balance.
    • They hire a goldsmith,
      • and he makes it a god.
      • They fall down--
        • yes, they worship.
    • They bear it //the idol, god//
      • on their shoulder.
      • They carry it,
      • and set it in its place,
      • and it stands there.
        • It cannot move from its place.
      • Yes, one may cry to it,
        • yet it can not answer.
        • It cannot save him
          • out of his trouble.
    • "Remember this, and ^[8]show yourselves men.
      • Bring it to mind again,
        • you transgressors.
    • Remember the former things of old:
      • for I am God,
        • and there is no other.
      • I am God,
        • and there is none like me.
      • I declare the end from the beginning,
        • and from ancient times things that are not yet done.
      • I say:
        • ^[9]My counsel will stand,
        • and I will do all that I please.
      • I call a ravenous bird from the east,
        • the man of my counsel from a far country.
      • Yes, I have spoken.
        • ^[10]I will also bring it to pass.
        • I have planned.
        • I will also do it.
      • Listen to me,
        • you ^[11]stubborn-hearted,
          • who are far from righteousness! Unrighteous
        • ^[12]I bring my righteousness near. Righteous
          • It is not far off,
          • and my salvation will not wait.
            • I will grant salvation to Zion,
              • my glory to Israel //House of Israel//.

Repeated Words

• God (6)
• Lord (5)

Connections

• Deuteronomy 4:28-31 Deut-04#v28 – Warns against idolatry, contrasts false gods with the true God who shows mercy, similar to God’s superiority over Bel and Nebo (Isa. 46:1-7).
• Psalm 115:4-8 Ps-115:4Ps-115#v5Ps-115#v6Ps-115#v7-8– Describes the powerlessness of idols, echoing the futility of Babylon’s gods in Isaiah 46:1-2.
• Isaiah 40:18-20 Isa-40:18Isa-40#v19-20 – Compares God’s unmatched power to worthless idols, reinforcing His sovereignty as in Isaiah 46:5-9.
• Jeremiah 10:3-5 – Ridicules idols as powerless and unable to move, similar to the burden of idols in Isaiah 46:1-2.
• Hosea 13:2-4 – Condemns idolatry and affirms God as Israel’s only savior, aligning with God’s role in Isaiah 46:4, 13.
• Zephaniah 3:17 – Depicts God as a saving and sustaining presence for His people, like His promise to carry Israel in Isaiah 46:4.
• Psalm 96:4-5 YHWH is exalted above all other gods, which are described as "idols" (or "nothing" in some translations), implying they lack real power or existence compared to YHWH, who created the heavens.
• Exodus 12:12 During the Passover, YHWH’s judgment on Egypt’s firstborn is also described as a judgment against Egypt’s gods, showing His supremacy over their pantheon (e.g., gods like Ra, Osiris, or Anubis, though not named in the text)
• 1 Kings 18:25-39 This narrative directly pits YHWH against Baal, demonstrating YHWH’s power and Baal’s impotence

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