Isaiah 45 · Verse 9

Isaiah 45:9

Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

Isaiah 45:9, King James Version

Isaiah 45:9 in other translations

BSB	Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker— one clay pot among many. Does the clay ask the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?
WEB	Woe to him who strives with his Maker— a clay pot among the clay pots of the earth! Shall the clay ask him who fashions it, ‘What are you making?’ or your work, ‘He has no hands’?
ASV	Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! a potsherd among the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
YLT	Woe to him who is striving with his Former, (A potsherd with potsherds of the ground!) Doth clay say to its Framer, ‘What dost thou?' And thy work, ‘He hath no hands?'
DARBY	Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let a potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that formeth it, What makest thou? Or thy work, He hath no hands?
BBE	Cursed is he who has an argument with his Maker, the pot which has an argument with the Potter! Will the wet earth say to him who is working with it, What are you doing, that your work has nothing by which it may be gripped?
Webster	Woe to him that contendeth with his Maker! Let the potsherd contend with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

What does Isaiah 45:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

9. Anticipating the objections which the Jews might raise as to why God permitted their captivity, and when He did restore them, why He did so by a foreign prince, Cyrus, not a Jew (Is 40:27, &c.), but mainly and ultimately, the objections about to be raised by the Jews against God's sovereign act in adopting the whole Gentile world as His spiritual Israel (Is 45:8, referring to this catholic diffusion of the Gospel), as if it were an infringement of their nation's privileges; so Paul expressly quotes it (Ro 9:4-8, 11-21). Let ... strive--Not in the Hebrew; rather, in apposition with "him," "A potsherd among the potsherds of the earth!" A creature fragile and worthless as the fragment of an earthen vessel, among others equally so, and yet presuming to strive with his Maker! English Version implies, it is appropriate for man to strive with man, in opposition to 2Ti 2:24 [Gesenius]. thy ... He--shall thy work say of thee, He ... ?

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 9 Wo unto him that striveth with his Maker "To unto him that contendeth with the power that formed him" - The prophet answers or prevents the objections and cavils of the unbelieving Jews, disposed to murmur against God, and to arraign the wisdom and justice of his dispensations in regard to them; in permitting them to be oppressed by their enemies, and in promising them deliverance instead of preventing their captivity. St. Paul has borrowed the image, and has applied it to the like purpose with equal force and elegance: "Nay, but, O man! who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, out of the same lump to make one vessel to honor, and another to dishonor?" Rom 9:20, Rom 9:21. This is spoken says Kimchi, against the king of Babylon, who insulted the Most High, bringing forth the sacred vessels, drinking out of them, and magnifying himself against God. Or thy work, He hath no hands "And to the workman, Thou hast no hands" - The Syriac renders, as if he had read, ולא היתי פעל ידיך velo hayithi pheal yadeycha, "neither am I the work of thy hands;" the Septuagint, as if they had reads ולא פעלת ואין ודים לך velo phaalta veeyn yaadim lecha, "neither hast thou made me; and thou hast no hands." But the fault seems to be in the transposition of the two pronouns; for ופעלך uphoolcha, read ופעלו uphoolo: and for לו lo, read לך lecha. So Houbigant corrects it; reading also ופעלו uphoolo; which last correction seems not altogether necessary. The Septuagint, in MSS. Pachom. and 1. D. 2 have it thus, και το εργον ουκ εχεις χειρας, which favors the reading here proposed.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 45:5-10

There is no God beside Jehovah. There is nothing done without him. He makes peace, put here for all good; and creates evil, not the evil of sin, but the evil of punishment. He is the Author of all that is true, holy, good, or happy; and evil, error, and misery, came into the world by his permission, through the wilful apostacy of his creatures, but are restrained and overruled to his righteous purpose. This doctrine…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 45:5-10 →

Isaiah 45:9 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ה֗וֹיHowoe to!H1945

רָ֚בrav[one who] contendsH7378

אֶת\־'et-withH854

יֹ֣צְר֔וֹyo.tze.Ro[the one who] formed himH3335

חֶ֖רֶשׂChe.resa potsherdH2789

אֶת\־'et-withH854

חַרְשֵׂ֣יchar.Seipotsherds ofH2789

אֲדָמָ֑ה'a.da.Mah[the] groundH127

הֲיֹאמַ֨רha.yo.Mar¿ does it sayH559

חֹ֤מֶרCho.merclayH2563

לְיֹֽצְרוֹ֙le.yo.tze.Roto [the one who] forms itH3335

מַֽה\־mah-what?H4100

תַּעֲשֶׂ֔הta.'a.Sehare you makingH6213

וּפָעָלְךָ֖u.fa.'a.le.Khaand work yourH6467

אֵין\־'ein-notH369

יָדַ֥יִםya.Da.yimhandsH3027

לֽוֹ\׃\ \סlo[belong] to <the> him

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 45:9

Romans 9:20-21
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
Isaiah 64:8
But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
Isaiah 10:15
Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.
Jeremiah 18:6
O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
Isaiah 29:16
Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
Proverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord.
Job 40:8-9
Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
Psalms 2:2-9
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. …
Job 15:24-26
Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle. For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty. He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:
Jeremiah 50:24
I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon, and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the Lord.
1 Corinthians 10:22
Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
Exodus 9:16-17
And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

unto him.
64:8; Ex 9:16,17; Job 15:24-26; 40:8,9; Ps 2:2-9; Pr 21:30
Jer 50:24; 1Co 10:22
Shall the clay.
10:15; 29:16; Jer 18:6; Ro 9:20,21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Isaiah 45:8
Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it.
Isaiah 45:9
Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
Isaiah 45:10
Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?

Read all of Isaiah 45

Isaiah 45:9 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	¡Ay del que pleitea con su Hacedor! ¡el tiesto con los tiestos de la tierra! ¿Dirá el barro al que lo labra: Qué haces; ó tu obra: No tiene manos?
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Malheur à celui qui conteste avec celui qui l’a formé! Qu’un tesson conteste avec des tessons de la terre…! L’argile dira-t-elle à celui qui la forme: Que fais-tu? – et ton œuvre: Il n’a pas de mains?
German Elberfelder 1871	Wehe dem, der mit seinem Bildner rechtet-ein Tongefäß unter irdenen Tongefäßen! Darf wohl der Ton zu seinem Bildner sagen: Was machst du? und dein Werk von dir: Er hat keine Hände?
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Væ qui contradicit fictori suo, testa de samiis terræ! Numquid dicet lutum figulo suo: Quid facis, et opus tuum absque manibus est?