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Selected Verse: Isaiah 46:1 - Strong Concordance

Verse         Translation Text
Isa 46:1 Strong Concordance Bel [01078] boweth down [03766], Nebo [05015] stoopeth [07164], their idols [06091] were upon the beasts [02416], and upon the cattle [0929]: your carriages [05385] were heavy loaden [06006]; they are a burden [04853] to the weary [05889] beast.
  King James Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
BABYLON'S IDOLS COULD NOT SAVE THEMSELVES, MUCH LESS HER. BUT GOD CAN AND WILL SAVE ISRAEL: CYRUS IS HIS INSTRUMENT. (Isa 46:1-13)

Bel--the same as the Phœnician Baal, that is, lord, the chief god of Babylon; to it was dedicated the celebrated tower of Babylon, in the center of one of the two parts into which the city was divided, the palace being in the center of the other. Identical with the sun, worshipped on turrets, housetops, and other high places, so as to be nearer the heavenly hosts (Saba) (Jer 19:13; Jer 32:29; Zep 1:5). GESENIUS identifies Bel with the planet Jupiter, which, with the planet Venus (under the name Astarte or Astaroth), was worshipped in the East as the god of fortune, the most propitious star to be born under (see on Isa 65:11). According to the Apocryphal book, Bel and the Dragon, Bel was cast down by Cyrus.

boweth . . . stoopeth--falleth prostrate (Isa 10:4; Sa1 5:3-4; Psa 20:8).

Nebo--the planet Mercury or Hermes, in astrology. The scribe of heaven, answering to the Egyptian Anubis. The extensive worship of it is shown by the many proper names compounded of it: Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuzar-adan, Nabonassar, &c.

were upon--that is, were a burden (supplied from the following clause) upon. It was customary to transport the gods of the vanquished to the land of the conquerors, who thought thereby the more effectually to keep down the subject people (Sa1 5:1, &c.; Jer 48:7; Jer 49:3; Dan 11:8).

carriages--in the Old English sense of the things carried, the images borne by you: the lading (Act 21:15), "carriages," not the vehicles, but the baggage. Or, the images which used to be carried by you formerly in your solemn processions [MAURER].

were heavy loaden--rather, are put as a load on the beasts of burden [MAURER]. HORSLEY translates, "They who should have been your carriers (as Jehovah is to His people, Isa 46:3-4) are become burdens" (see on Isa 46:4).
 
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4 And even to your old age [02209] I am he; and even to hoar hairs [07872] will I carry [05445] you: I have made [06213], and I will bear [05375]; even I will carry [05445], and will deliver [04422] you.
3 Hearken [08085] unto me, O house [01004] of Jacob [03290], and all the remnant [07611] of the house [01004] of Israel [03478], which are borne [06006] by me from the belly [0990], which are carried [05375] from the womb [07356]:
4 And even to your old age [02209] I am he; and even to hoar hairs [07872] will I carry [05445] you: I have made [06213], and I will bear [05375]; even I will carry [05445], and will deliver [04422] you.
15 And [1161] after [3326] those [5025] days [2250] we took up our carriages [643], and went up [305] to [1519] Jerusalem [2419].
8 And shall also carry [0935] captives [07628] into Egypt [04714] their gods [0430], with their princes [05257], and with their precious [02532] vessels [03627] of silver [03701] and of gold [02091]; and he shall continue [05975] more years [08141] than the king [04428] of the north [06828].
3 Howl [03213], O Heshbon [02809], for Ai [05857] is spoiled [07703]: cry [06817], ye daughters [01323] of Rabbah [07237], gird [02296] you with sackcloth [08242]; lament [05594], and run to and fro [07751] by the hedges [01448]; for their king [04428] shall go [03212] into captivity [01473], and his priests [03548] and his princes [08269] together [03162].
7 For because thou hast trusted [0982] in thy works [04639] and in thy treasures [0214], thou shalt also be taken [03920]: and Chemosh [03645] shall go forth [03318] into captivity [01473] with his priests [03548] and his princes [08269] together [03162].
1 And the Philistines [06430] took [03947] the ark [0727] of God [0430], and brought [0935] it from Ebenezer [072] unto Ashdod [0795].
8 They are brought down [03766] and fallen [05307]: but we are risen [06965], and stand upright [05749].
3 And when they of Ashdod [0796] arose early [07925] on the morrow [04283], behold, Dagon [01712] was fallen [05307] upon his face [06440] to the earth [0776] before [06440] the ark [0727] of the LORD [03068]. And they took [03947] Dagon [01712], and set [07725] him in his place [04725] again [07725].
4 And when they arose early [07925] on the morrow [04283] morning [01242], behold, Dagon [01712] was fallen [05307] upon his face [06440] to the ground [0776] before [06440] the ark [0727] of the LORD [03068]; and the head [07218] of Dagon [01712] and both [08147] the palms [03709] of his hands [03027] were cut off [03772] upon the threshold [04670]; only the stump of Dagon [01712] was left [07604] to him.
4 Without me they shall [01115] bow down [03766] under the prisoners [0616], and they shall fall [05307] under the slain [02026]. For all this his anger [0639] is not turned away [07725], but his hand [03027] is stretched out still [05186].
11 But ye are they that forsake [05800] the LORD [03068], that forget [07913] my holy [06944] mountain [02022], that prepare [06186] a table [07979] for that troop [01409] [01408], and that furnish [04390] the drink offering [04469] unto that number [04507].
5 And them that worship [07812] the host [06635] of heaven [08064] upon the housetops [01406]; and them that worship [07812] and that swear [07650] by the LORD [03068], and that swear [07650] by Malcham [04428];
29 And the Chaldeans [03778], that fight [03898] against this city [05892], shall come [0935] and set [03341] fire [0784] on this city [05892], and burn [08313] it with the houses [01004], upon whose roofs [01406] they have offered incense [06999] unto Baal [01168], and poured out [05258] drink offerings [05262] unto other [0312] gods [0430], to provoke me to anger [03707].
13 And the houses [01004] of Jerusalem [03389], and the houses [01004] of the kings [04428] of Judah [03063], shall be defiled [02931] as the place [04725] of Tophet [08612], because of all the houses [01004] upon whose roofs [01406] they have burned incense [06999] unto all the host [06635] of heaven [08064], and have poured out [05258] drink offerings [05262] unto other [0312] gods [0430].
1 Bel [01078] boweth down [03766], Nebo [05015] stoopeth [07164], their idols [06091] were upon the beasts [02416], and upon the cattle [0929]: your carriages [05385] were heavy loaden [06006]; they are a burden [04853] to the weary [05889] beast.
2 They stoop [07164], they bow down [03766] together [03162]; they could [03201] not deliver [04422] the burden [04853], but themselves [05315] are gone [01980] into captivity [07628].
3 Hearken [08085] unto me, O house [01004] of Jacob [03290], and all the remnant [07611] of the house [01004] of Israel [03478], which are borne [06006] by me from the belly [0990], which are carried [05375] from the womb [07356]:
4 And even to your old age [02209] I am he; and even to hoar hairs [07872] will I carry [05445] you: I have made [06213], and I will bear [05375]; even I will carry [05445], and will deliver [04422] you.
5 To whom will ye liken [01819] me, and make me equal [07737], and compare [04911] me, that we may be like [01819]?
6 They lavish [02107] gold [02091] out of the bag [03599], and weigh [08254] silver [03701] in the balance [07070], and hire [07936] a goldsmith [06884]; and he maketh [06213] it a god [0410]: they fall down [05456], yea, they worship [07812].
7 They bear [05375] him upon the shoulder [03802], they carry [05445] him, and set him in his place [03240], and he standeth [05975]; from his place [04725] shall he not remove [04185]: yea, one shall cry [06817] unto him, yet can he not answer [06030], nor save [03467] him out of his trouble [06869].
8 Remember [02142] this, and shew yourselves men [0377]: bring it again [07725] to mind [03820], O ye transgressors [06586].
9 Remember [02142] the former things [07223] of old [05769]: for I am God [0410], and there is none else; I am God [0430], and there is none [0657] like [03644] me,
10 Declaring [05046] the end [0319] from the beginning [07225], and from ancient times [06924] the things that are not yet done [06213], saying [0559], My counsel [06098] shall stand [06965], and I will do [06213] all my pleasure [02656]:
11 Calling [07121] a ravenous bird [05861] from the east [04217], the man [0376] that executeth my counsel [06098] from a far [04801] country [0776]: yea, I have spoken [01696] it, I will also bring [0935] it to pass; I have purposed [03335] it, I will also do [06213] it.
12 Hearken [08085] unto me, ye stouthearted [047] [03820], that are far from [07350] righteousness [06666]:
13 I bring near [07126] my righteousness [06666]; it shall not be far off [07368], and my salvation [08668] shall not tarry [0309]: and I will place [05414] salvation [08668] in Zion [06726] for Israel [03478] my glory [08597].
3 Because [06440] of their wickedness [07451] which they have committed [06213] to provoke me to anger [03707], in that they went [03212] to burn incense [06999], and to serve [05647] other [0312] gods [0430], whom they knew [03045] not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers [01].
7 For because thou hast trusted [0982] in thy works [04639] and in thy treasures [0214], thou shalt also be taken [03920]: and Chemosh [03645] shall go forth [03318] into captivity [01473] with his priests [03548] and his princes [08269] together [03162].
7 And when the men [0582] of Ashdod [0795] saw [07200] that it was so, they said [0559], The ark [0727] of the God [0430] of Israel [03478] shall not abide [03427] with us: for his hand [03027] is sore [07185] upon us, and upon Dagon [01712] our god [0430].
2 When the Philistines [06430] took [03947] the ark [0727] of God [0430], they brought [0935] it into the house [01004] of Dagon [01712], and set [03322] it by [0681] Dagon [01712].
3 And when they of Ashdod [0796] arose early [07925] on the morrow [04283], behold, Dagon [01712] was fallen [05307] upon his face [06440] to the earth [0776] before [06440] the ark [0727] of the LORD [03068]. And they took [03947] Dagon [01712], and set [07725] him in his place [04725] again [07725].
8 And he shall not look [08159] to the altars [04196], the work [04639] of his hands [03027], neither shall respect [07200] that which his fingers [0676] have made [06213], either the groves [0842], or the images [02553].
9 In that day [03117] shall his strong [04581] cities [05892] be as a forsaken [05800] bough [02793], and an uppermost branch [0534], which they left [05800] because [06440] of the children [01121] of Israel [03478]: and there shall be desolation [08077].
44 And I will punish [06485] Bel [01078] in Babylon [0894], and I will bring forth [03318] out of his mouth [06310] that which he hath swallowed up [01105]: and the nations [01471] shall not flow together [05102] any more unto him: yea, the wall [02346] of Babylon [0894] shall fall [05307].
2 Declare [05046] ye among the nations [01471], and publish [08085], and set up [05375] a standard [05251]; publish [08085], and conceal [03582] not: say [0559], Babylon [0894] is taken [03920], Bel [01078] is confounded [03001], Merodach [04781] is broken in pieces [02865]; her idols [06091] are confounded [03001], her images [01544] are broken in pieces [02865].
3 Howl [03213], O Heshbon [02809], for Ai [05857] is spoiled [07703]: cry [06817], ye daughters [01323] of Rabbah [07237], gird [02296] you with sackcloth [08242]; lament [05594], and run to and fro [07751] by the hedges [01448]; for their king [04428] shall go [03212] into captivity [01473], and his priests [03548] and his princes [08269] together [03162].
7 For because thou hast trusted [0982] in thy works [04639] and in thy treasures [0214], thou shalt also be taken [03920]: and Chemosh [03645] shall go forth [03318] into captivity [01473] with his priests [03548] and his princes [08269] together [03162].
5 The inhabitants [07934] of Samaria [08111] shall fear [01481] because of the calves [05697] of Bethaven [01007]: for the people [05971] thereof shall mourn [056] over it, and the priests [03649] thereof that rejoiced [01523] on it, for the glory [03519] thereof, because it is departed [01540] from it.
2 They stoop [07164], they bow down [03766] together [03162]; they could [03201] not deliver [04422] the burden [04853], but themselves [05315] are gone [01980] into captivity [07628].
1 Bel [01078] boweth down [03766], Nebo [05015] stoopeth [07164], their idols [06091] were upon the beasts [02416], and upon the cattle [0929]: your carriages [05385] were heavy loaden [06006]; they are a burden [04853] to the weary [05889] beast.
2 They stoop [07164], they bow down [03766] together [03162]; they could [03201] not deliver [04422] the burden [04853], but themselves [05315] are gone [01980] into captivity [07628].
2 They stoop [07164], they bow down [03766] together [03162]; they could [03201] not deliver [04422] the burden [04853], but themselves [05315] are gone [01980] into captivity [07628].
1 Bel [01078] boweth down [03766], Nebo [05015] stoopeth [07164], their idols [06091] were upon the beasts [02416], and upon the cattle [0929]: your carriages [05385] were heavy loaden [06006]; they are a burden [04853] to the weary [05889] beast.
5 They are upright [04749] as the palm tree [08560], but speak [01696] not: they must needs [05375] be borne [05375], because they cannot go [06805]. Be not afraid [03372] of them; for they cannot do evil [07489], neither also is it in them to do good [03190].
26 But ye have borne [05375] the tabernacle [05522] of your Moloch [04428] and Chiun [03594] your images [06754], the star [03556] of your god [0430], which ye made [06213] to yourselves.
20 Assemble [06908] yourselves and come [0935]; draw near [05066] together [03162], ye that are escaped [06412] of the nations [01471]: they have no knowledge [03045] that set up [05375] the wood [06086] of their graven image [06459], and pray [06419] unto a god [0410] that cannot save [03467].