Isaiah 17:8

And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect [that] which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images.

And he shall not look {H8159} to the altars {H4196}, the work {H4639} of his hands {H3027}, neither shall respect {H7200} that which his fingers {H676} have made {H6213}, either the groves {H842}, or the images {H2553}.

He will pay no heed to the altars made with his own hands, he will not turn toward what his fingers made, the sacred poles and standing-stones for sun-worship.

They will not look to the altars they have fashioned with their hands or to the Asherahs and incense altars they have made with their fingers.

And they shall not look to the altars, the work of their hands; neither shall they have respect to that which their fingers have made, either the Asherim, or the sun-images.

Commentary

Isaiah 17:8 describes a pivotal moment of spiritual awakening that follows divine judgment. It speaks of a future time when the people, specifically those of Ephraim (the northern kingdom of Israel), will abandon their long-held idolatrous practices and turn away from false worship.

Context

Isaiah chapter 17 is a prophetic oracle primarily directed against Damascus, the capital of Syria, and Ephraim, representing the kingdom of Israel. The prophet Isaiah foretells a severe judgment that will desolate these nations due to their political alliances and, more importantly, their deep-seated idolatry and lack of faith in the true God. This judgment is depicted as a time of great distress and reduction, leading to a spiritual purification. Verse 8 directly builds upon the preceding verse, Isaiah 17:7, which states, "At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel." Thus, the abandonment of idols in verse 8 is a direct consequence of this turning towards God under the pressure of divine discipline.

Key Themes

  • Abandonment of Idolatry: The core message is the forsaking of false gods and man-made religious objects. The phrase "the work of his hands" emphasizes that these idols are human creations, devoid of divine power or life.
  • Divine Judgment as a Catalyst for Repentance: God uses hardship and judgment to bring His people to a place of repentance and true worship. The desolation described in earlier verses serves to strip away false securities and reliance on anything other than the Lord.
  • Futility of Man-Made Religion: The verse highlights the emptiness and worthlessness of worshipping anything created by human hands. Such practices offer no real salvation or protection, especially in times of crisis. This contrasts sharply with reliance on the sovereign God of Israel.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV uses specific terms that shed light on the nature of ancient Near Eastern idolatry:

  • "Altars" (Hebrew: mizbechot): These were often used for pagan sacrifices, not just to the Lord. The issue here is their association with false deities.
  • "Groves" (Hebrew: asherim): This term refers to sacred poles or trees dedicated to Asherah, a prominent Canaanite fertility goddess. Worship involving these "groves" was a significant source of spiritual corruption in Israel, explicitly forbidden by God (see Deuteronomy 16:21).
  • "Images" (Hebrew: chammanim): These were likely sun-images or incense altars, another form of pagan idol associated with astral worship or other deities.

The emphasis on "the work of his hands" and "which his fingers have made" underscores the human origin and therefore the inherent powerlessness of these objects, contrasting with the omnipotent Creator.

Practical Application

While ancient Israel struggled with physical idols, the principle of Isaiah 17:8 remains profoundly relevant today. Modern idolatry often takes more subtle forms, such as placing ultimate trust or devotion in wealth, career, relationships, power, or even self. This verse challenges us to:

  • Examine Our Allegiances: What "altars" do we unknowingly build or "images" do we respect in our lives? Anything that takes precedence over God in our hearts can become an idol.
  • Trust in God Alone: When difficulties arise, do we turn to our own efforts, man-made solutions, or false securities, or do we truly wait upon God alone for our salvation?
  • Recognize God's Redemptive Purpose in Hardship: Sometimes, challenging circumstances are God's way of stripping away our false dependencies and drawing us back to a genuine, unadulterated relationship with Him. Just as the judgment caused Israel to abandon their idols, so too can trials refine our faith.

Ultimately, Isaiah 17:8 is a powerful reminder that true worship and security are found only in the Lord, not in the fleeting creations of human hands or the deceptive promises of the world.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Isaiah 30:22

    Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.

  • Isaiah 27:9

    By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this [is] all the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up.

  • Isaiah 2:8

    Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:

  • Micah 5:13

    Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands.

  • Micah 5:14

    And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.

  • Hosea 10:1

    ¶ Israel [is] an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images.

  • Hosea 10:2

    Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images.
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