The woodworker extends a measuring line; he marks it out with a stylus; he shapes it with chisels and outlines it with a compass. He fashions it in the likeness of man, like man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine.
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows: "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: 'The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you belongs to His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and may he go up.'"
Significance
Isaiah 44:13 sits within a passage mocking idol-makers — a craftsman carves wood into an idol while burning the rest as fuel. The connection to 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 (Cyrus's decree) is indirect, arising from the broader Isaiah 44 context where God contrasts empty idol-worship with His sovereign use of Cyrus to fulfill His purposes. The passage's theological logic is: while pagans fashion impotent gods from wood (44:9-20), the true God fashions human history, appointing a pagan king by name to execute His will (44:28). The idol-making satire underscores the contrast between false gods who cannot act and the LORD who raises up Cyrus to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple.
Found via
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type
Echo
Connection Method(s)
None
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