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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Isaiah 45:9 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'?</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/isaiah/45-9.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/15/23_Isa_45_09.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Isaiah 45:9 - God Calls Cyrus" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker--one clay pot among many. Does the clay ask the potter, 'What are you making?' 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Does the clay say to the potter, &#8216What are you making?&#8217 Does your work say, &#8216The potter has no hands&#8217?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/isaiah/45.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />“What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/isaiah/45.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />“Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/isaiah/45.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />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’?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/isaiah/45.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! <i>Let</i> the potsherd <i>strive</i> 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?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/isaiah/45.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />“Woe to him who strives with his Maker! <i>Let</i> the potsherd <i>strive</i> with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ Or shall your handiwork <i>say,</i> ‘He has no hands’?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/isaiah/45.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />“Woe to <i>the one</i> who quarrels with his Maker— A piece of pottery among the <i>other</i> earthenware pottery pieces! Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making <i>say,</i> ‘He has no hands’?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/isaiah/45.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker— An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, &#8216What are you doing?&#8217 Or the thing you are making say, &#8216He has no hands &#8216?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/isaiah/45.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />“Woe to <i>the one</i> who quarrels with his Maker— An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making <i>say,</i> ‘He has no hands’?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/isaiah/45.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />“Woe to <i>the one</i> who contends with his Maker— An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making <i>say</i>, ‘He has no hands’?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/isaiah/45.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />“Woe (judgment is coming) to him who quarrels with his Maker— A [worthless] piece of broken pottery among other broken pieces [equally worthless]! Shall the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or does the thing say, ‘He has no hands’?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/isaiah/45.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />“Woe to the one who argues with his Maker — one clay pot among many. Does clay say to the one forming it, ‘What are you making? ’ Or does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/isaiah/45.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Woe to the one who argues with his Maker— one clay pot among many. Does clay say to the one forming it, What are you making? Or does your work say, He has no hands? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/isaiah/45.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />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?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/isaiah/45.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />Israel, you have no right to argue with your Creator. You are merely a clay pot shaped by a potter. The clay doesn't ask, "Why did you make me this way? Where are the handles?" <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/isaiah/45.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />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?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/isaiah/45.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />How horrible it will be for the one who quarrels with his maker. He is pottery among other earthenware pots. Does the clay ask the one who shapes it, "What are you making?" Does your work say to you, "There are no handles"?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/isaiah/45.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />Does a clay pot dare argue with its maker, a pot that is like all the others? Does the clay ask the potter what he is doing? Does the pot complain that its maker has no skill? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/isaiah/45.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />"Woe to the one who quarrels with his makers, a mere potsherd with the potsherds of the earth! Woe to the one who says to the one forming him, 'What are you making?' or 'Your work has no human hands?'!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/isaiah/45.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />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’?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/isaiah/45.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />One who argues with his creator is in grave danger, one who is like a mere shard among the other shards on the ground! The clay should not say to the potter, "What in the world are you doing? Your work lacks skill!" <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/isaiah/45.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />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?'<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/isaiah/45.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />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?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/isaiah/45.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />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?’ <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/isaiah/45.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />Woe [to] him who is striving with his Former "" (A potsherd with potsherds of the ground!) Does clay say to its Framer, What [are] you doing? And your work, He has no hands?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/isaiah/45.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> 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?'<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/isaiah/45.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />Wo to him striving with him forming him! the potsherd with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him forming it, What wilt thou make? and thy work, No hands to it?<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/isaiah/45.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Woe to him that gainsayeth his maker, a sherd of the earthen pots: shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it: What art thou making, and thy work is without hands? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/isaiah/45.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />Woe to him who contradicts his Maker, a mere shard from an earthen vessel! Should the clay say to the potter, “What are you making?” or, “Your work is not made by your hands?”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/isaiah/45.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />Woe to anyone who contends with their Maker; a potsherd among potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to the potter, “What are you doing?” or, “What you are making has no handles”? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/isaiah/45.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />Woe to you who strive with your Maker, earthen vessels with the potter! Does the clay say to the one who fashions it, “What are you making”? or “Your work has no handles”?<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/isaiah/45.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Woe to him who strives with his Maker! An earthen vessel that strives with him who made it from the earth! Does the clay say to the potter, What are you making? Or am I not the work of your hands?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/isaiah/45.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />Woe to the one who sues with his Maker, a clay vessel of a potter of the Earth! Does the clay say to the potter: “What are you doing?”, and “I am not the work of your hands!”<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/isaiah/45.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker, As a potsherd with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him that fashioned it: 'What makest thou?' Or: 'Thy work, it hath no hands'?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/isaiah/45.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />What excellent thing have I prepared as clay of the potter? Will the ploughman plough the earth all say? shall the clay say to the potter, What art thou doing that thou dost not work, nor hast hands? shall the thing formed answer him that formed it?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/isaiah/45-9.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xv9bHT-nr9s?start=10101" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/isaiah/45.htm">God Calls Cyrus</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">8</span>Drip down, O heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open up that salvation may sprout and righteousness spring up with it; I, the LORD, have created it. <span class="reftext">9</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/1945.htm" title="1945: hō·w (Interjection) -- Ah! alas! ha! A prolonged form of how; oh!">Woe</a> <a href="/hebrew/7378.htm" title="7378: rāḇ (V-Qal-Prtcpl-ms) -- Or ruwb; a primitive root; properly, to toss, i.e. Grapple; mostly figuratively, to wrangle, i.e. Hold a controversy; to defend.">to him who quarrels</a> <a href="/hebrew/854.htm" title="854: ’eṯ- (DirObjM) -- With (denoting proximity). Probably from 'anah; properly, nearness, near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc."></a> <a href="/hebrew/3335.htm" title="3335: yō·ṣə·rōw (V-Qal-Prtcpl-msc:: 3ms) -- Probably identical with yatsar;); to mould into a form; especially as a potter; figuratively, to determine (i.e. Form a resolution).">with his Maker—</a> <a href="/hebrew/2789.htm" title="2789: ḥe·reś (N-ms) -- Earthenware, earthen vessel, sherd, potsherd. A collateral form mediating between cherec and cheresh; a piece of pottery.">one clay pot</a> <a href="/hebrew/854.htm" title="854: ’eṯ- (DirObjM) -- With (denoting proximity). Probably from 'anah; properly, nearness, near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc."></a> <a href="/hebrew/2789.htm" title="2789: ḥar·śê (N-mpc) -- Earthenware, earthen vessel, sherd, potsherd. A collateral form mediating between cherec and cheresh; a piece of pottery.">among many.</a> <a href="/hebrew/127.htm" title="127: ’ă·ḏā·māh (N-fs) -- Ground, land. From 'adam; soil."></a> <a href="/hebrew/2563.htm" title="2563: ḥō·mer (N-ms) -- From chamar; properly, a bubbling up, i.e. Of water, a wave; of earth, mire or clay; also a heap; hence, a chomer or dry measure.">Does the clay</a> <a href="/hebrew/559.htm" title="559: hă·yō·mar (V-Qal-Imperf-3ms) -- To utter, say. A primitive root; to say.">ask</a> <a href="/hebrew/3335.htm" title="3335: lə·yō·ṣə·rōw (Prep-l:: V-Qal-Prtcpl-msc:: 3ms) -- Probably identical with yatsar;); to mould into a form; especially as a potter; figuratively, to determine (i.e. Form a resolution).">the potter,</a> <a href="/hebrew/4100.htm" title="4100: mah- (Interrog) -- What? how? anything. ">‘What</a> <a href="/hebrew/6213.htm" title="6213: ta·‘ă·śeh (V-Qal-Imperf-2ms) -- To do, make. A primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application.">are you making?’</a> <a href="/hebrew/6467.htm" title="6467: ū·p̄ā·‘ā·lə·ḵā (Conj-w:: N-msc:: 2ms) -- Doing, deed, work. From pa'al; an act or work.">Does your work say,</a> <a href="/hebrew/369.htm" title="369: ’ên- (Adv) -- As if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative particle.">‘He has no</a> <a href="/hebrew/3027.htm" title="3027: yā·ḏa·yim (N-fd) -- Hand (indicating power, means, direction, etc.)">hands’?</a> <a href="/hebrew/lōw (Prep:: 3ms) -- "></a> </span><span class="reftext">10</span>Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What have you begotten?’ or to his mother, ‘What have you brought forth?’ ”…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/9-20.htm">Romans 9:20-21</a></span><br />But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?” / Does not the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special occasions and another for common use?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/18-6.htm">Jeremiah 18:6</a></span><br />“O house of Israel, declares the LORD, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay? Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/9-12.htm">Job 9:12</a></span><br />If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/40-2.htm">Job 40:2</a></span><br />“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who argues with God give an answer.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/33-13.htm">Job 33:13</a></span><br />Why do you complain to Him that He answers nothing a man asks?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/29-16.htm">Isaiah 29:16</a></span><br />You have turned things upside down, as if the potter were regarded as clay. Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pottery say of the potter, “He has no understanding”?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/64-8.htm">Isaiah 64:8</a></span><br />But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/10-22.htm">1 Corinthians 10:22</a></span><br />Are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/daniel/4-35.htm">Daniel 4:35</a></span><br />All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/lamentations/3-37.htm">Lamentations 3:37-38</a></span><br />Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it? / Do not both adversity and good come from the mouth of the Most High?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ecclesiastes/6-10.htm">Ecclesiastes 6:10</a></span><br />Whatever exists was named long ago, and it is known what man is; but he cannot contend with one stronger than he.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/15-25.htm">Job 15:25-26</a></span><br />For he has stretched out his hand against God and has vaunted himself against the Almighty, / rushing headlong at Him with a thick, studded shield.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/40-8.htm">Job 40:8</a></span><br />Would you really annul My justice? Would you condemn Me to justify yourself?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/20-15.htm">Matthew 20:15</a></span><br />Do I not have the right to do as I please with what is mine? Or are you envious because I am generous?’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/11-34.htm">Romans 11:34</a></span><br />“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?”</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">Woe to him that strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashions it, What make you? or your work, He has no hands?</p><p class="hdg">unto him</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/64-8.htm">Isaiah 64:8</a></b></br> But now, O LORD, thou <i>art</i> our father; we <i>are</i> the clay, and thou our potter; and we all <i>are</i> the work of thy hand.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/exodus/9-16.htm">Exodus 9:16,17</a></b></br> And in very deed for this <i>cause</i> have I raised thee up, for to shew <i>in</i> thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/15-24.htm">Job 15:24-26</a></b></br> Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle… </p><p class="hdg">shall the clay</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/10-15.htm">Isaiah 10:15</a></b></br> Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? <i>or</i> shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake <i>itself</i> against them that lift it up, <i>or</i> as if the staff should lift up <i>itself, as if it were</i> no wood.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/29-16.htm">Isaiah 29:16</a></b></br> 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?</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/18-6.htm">Jeremiah 18:6</a></b></br> O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay <i>is</i> in the potter's hand, so <i>are</i> ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/isaiah/41-21.htm">Argument</a> <a href="/isaiah/41-25.htm">Clay</a> <a href="/isaiah/41-12.htm">Contend</a> <a href="/proverbs/29-9.htm">Contendeth</a> <a href="/isaiah/10-1.htm">Cursed</a> <a href="/isaiah/45-8.htm">Earth</a> <a href="/proverbs/26-23.htm">Earthen</a> <a href="/proverbs/26-23.htm">Earthenware</a> <a href="/isaiah/44-10.htm">Fashioned</a> <a href="/isaiah/44-12.htm">Fashioneth</a> <a href="/isaiah/44-12.htm">Fashions</a> <a href="/isaiah/44-2.htm">Former</a> <a href="/psalms/94-9.htm">Formeth</a> <a href="/2_samuel/23-6.htm">Gripped</a> <a href="/isaiah/41-2.htm">Hands</a> <a href="/isaiah/45-7.htm">Maker</a> <a href="/isaiah/41-15.htm">Makest</a> <a href="/isaiah/45-7.htm">Making</a> <a href="/isaiah/29-16.htm">Pot</a> <a href="/psalms/81-6.htm">Pots</a> <a href="/proverbs/26-23.htm">Potsherd</a> <a href="/job/41-30.htm">Potsherds</a> <a href="/isaiah/41-25.htm">Potter</a> <a href="/proverbs/22-10.htm">Quarrels</a> <a href="/isaiah/41-11.htm">Strive</a> <a href="/1_corinthians/9-25.htm">Strives</a> <a href="/isaiah/44-20.htm">Striveth</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/6-9.htm">Striving</a> <a href="/isaiah/22-24.htm">Vessels</a> <a href="/isaiah/41-25.htm">Wet</a> <a href="/job/35-3.htm">What</a> <a href="/isaiah/30-1.htm">Wo</a> <a href="/isaiah/45-7.htm">Woe</a> <a href="/isaiah/43-13.htm">Work</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/mark/9-34.htm">Argument</a> <a href="/isaiah/64-8.htm">Clay</a> <a href="/isaiah/49-25.htm">Contend</a> <a href="/isaiah/49-25.htm">Contendeth</a> <a href="/isaiah/45-10.htm">Cursed</a> <a href="/isaiah/45-12.htm">Earth</a> <a href="/jeremiah/19-1.htm">Earthen</a> <a href="/jeremiah/19-1.htm">Earthenware</a> <a href="/isaiah/45-18.htm">Fashioned</a> <a href="/habakkuk/2-18.htm">Fashioneth</a> <a href="/ezekiel/42-11.htm">Fashions</a> <a href="/isaiah/45-11.htm">Former</a> <a href="/jeremiah/33-2.htm">Formeth</a> <a href="/jeremiah/6-24.htm">Gripped</a> <a href="/isaiah/45-11.htm">Hands</a> <a href="/isaiah/45-11.htm">Maker</a> <a href="/jeremiah/22-23.htm">Makest</a> <a href="/isaiah/46-10.htm">Making</a> <a href="/jeremiah/1-13.htm">Pot</a> <a href="/isaiah/65-4.htm">Pots</a> <a href="/jeremiah/19-2.htm">Potsherd</a> <a href="/job/41-30.htm">Potsherds</a> <a href="/isaiah/64-8.htm">Potter</a> <a href="/1_corinthians/1-11.htm">Quarrels</a> <a href="/isaiah/49-25.htm">Strive</a> <a href="/isaiah/64-7.htm">Strives</a> <a href="/isaiah/49-25.htm">Striveth</a> <a href="/hosea/4-4.htm">Striving</a> <a href="/isaiah/52-11.htm">Vessels</a> <a href="/lamentations/1-2.htm">Wet</a> <a href="/isaiah/45-10.htm">What</a> <a href="/isaiah/45-10.htm">Wo</a> <a href="/isaiah/45-10.htm">Woe</a> <a href="/isaiah/45-11.htm">Work</a><div class="vheading2">Isaiah 45</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/isaiah/45-1.htm">God calls Cyrus for his church's sake</a></span><br><span class="reftext">5. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/isaiah/45-5.htm">By his omnipotence he challenges obedience</a></span><br><span class="reftext">20. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/isaiah/45-20.htm">He convinces the idols of vanity by his saving power</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading"><a href="/study/isaiah/45.htm">Berean Study Bible</a></div><b>Woe to him</b><br />The word "woe" in Hebrew is "הוֹי" (hoy), often used as an expression of lament or impending judgment. It serves as a warning, indicating the seriousness of the situation. In the biblical context, "woe" is a divine pronouncement of distress upon those who oppose God's will. This sets the tone for the verse, emphasizing the gravity of contending with the Creator.<p><b>who quarrels with his Maker</b><br />The term "quarrels" comes from the Hebrew root "רִיב" (riv), meaning to strive or contend. This phrase highlights the futility and audacity of disputing with God, the "Maker" or "יֹצְרוֹ" (yotsero), which signifies the One who forms or creates. The imagery here is of a created being challenging the authority and wisdom of the Creator, a theme that resonates throughout Scripture, reminding believers of the importance of humility and submission to God's sovereign will.<p><b>one clay pot among many</b><br />The metaphor of a "clay pot" or "חֶרֶשׂ" (cheres) is significant in biblical literature, symbolizing human frailty and the Creator's authority over His creation. The phrase "among many" underscores the commonality and insignificance of the individual pot in comparison to the multitude, emphasizing the Creator's power and the creature's dependency. This imagery is rooted in the ancient Near Eastern practice of pottery, where the potter had absolute control over the clay, shaping it according to his purpose.<p><b>Does the clay ask the potter, ‘What are you making?&#8217</b><br />This rhetorical question draws from the Hebrew word "חֹמֶר" (chomer) for "clay" and "יֹצֵר" (yotser) for "potter," illustrating the absurdity of the created questioning the Creator. It reflects the biblical theme of God's sovereignty and wisdom, as seen in other scriptures like <a href="/jeremiah/18-6.htm">Jeremiah 18:6</a>, where God is depicted as the potter with authority over the clay. The question challenges believers to trust in God's divine plan, even when it is not fully understood.<p><b>Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?</b><br />The phrase "your work" refers to the creation itself, and "He has no hands" is a metaphorical expression questioning the Creator's ability or skill. In Hebrew, "יָדַיִם" (yadayim) means "hands," symbolizing power and capability. This part of the verse underscores the absurdity of the creation doubting the Creator's competence. It serves as a reminder of God's omnipotence and the folly of human pride, encouraging believers to acknowledge God's perfect design and purpose in all things.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/isaiah/45.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(9) <span class= "bld">Woe unto him that striveth . . .</span>--The sequence of thought is not at first apparent. Were those who strove, the heathen nations who resisted Cyrus, or Israelites who desired some other deliverer, say a prince of the house of David? The latter seems more probable. In either case men were guilty of the folly of criticising the Almighty.<p><span class= "bld">Let the potsherd strive . . .</span>--The sentence, as the italics show, is abrupt, but is better taken without inserting the verbs, and in apposition with the pronoun--<span class= "ital">Woe unto him </span><span class= "bld">. . .</span> <span class= "ital">a potsherd among the potsherds; </span>a frail mortal like all his fellows.<p><span class= "bld">Shall the clay say . . .</span>--The potsherd suggests the potter, not without an allusive reference to the history of man's creation in <a href="/genesis/2-7.htm" title="And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.">Genesis 2:7</a>. As in <a href="/context/jeremiah/18-1.htm" title="The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,">Jeremiah 18:1-10</a>; <a href="/context/romans/9-20.htm" title="No but, O man, who are you that reply against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why have you made me thus?">Romans 9:20-21</a>, the thought pressed is that of absolute sovereignty, the belief in the wisdom and equity of that sovereignty being kept in the background, as a reserve force. The two clauses represent different aspects of presumption--the first questions, the other arrogantly condemns. The potter's vessel says that the potter "has no hands," is without creative power or skill.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/isaiah/45.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verses 9-13.</span> - ISRAEL WARNED NOT TO CALL IN QUESTION GOD'S MODES OF ACTION. Apparently, Isaiah anticipates that the Israelites will be discontented and murmur at their deliverer being a heathen king, and not one of their own body. He therefore warns them against presuming to criticize the arrangements of the All-Wise, reminding them of his unapproachable greatness (ver. 12), and once more assuring them that the appointment of Cyrus is from him (ver. 13). <span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 9.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!</span> Let the potsherd strive, etc.; rather, <span class="accented">woe unto him that striveth with his Maker</span>, <span class="accented">a potsherd among potsherds of the ground</span>: All men are equally made of "the dust of the ground" (<a href="/genesis/2-7.htm">Genesis 2:7</a>). Israel has no prerogative in this respect. He, too, is "a potsherd among potsherds" - day moulded by the potter; no more entitled to lift up his voice against his Maker than the vessel to rebel against the man who shapes it (comp. <a href="/isaiah/29-16.htm">Isaiah 29:16</a>; and see the comment furnished by St. Paul in the Epistle to the <a href="/romans/9-20.htm">Romans 9:20-24</a>). What would a man think if the clay that he was fashioning objected to being moulded in a particular form, or if a work that he had made exclaimed, "He is a poor bungler - he hath no hands"? Yet this is what a man does who finds fault with the arrangements of the Almighty. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/isaiah/45-9.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">Woe</span><br /><span class="heb">ה֗וֹי</span> <span class="translit">(hō·w)</span><br /><span class="parse">Interjection<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1945.htm">Strong's 1945: </a> </span><span class="str2">Ah! alas! ha!</span><br /><br /><span class="word">to him who quarrels</span><br /><span class="heb">רָ֚ב</span> <span class="translit">(rāḇ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7378.htm">Strong's 7378: </a> </span><span class="str2">To toss, grapple, to wrangle, controversy, to defend</span><br /><br /><span class="word">with his Maker—</span><br /><span class="heb">יֹ֣צְר֔וֹ</span> <span class="translit">(yō·ṣə·rōw)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3335.htm">Strong's 3335: </a> </span><span class="str2">To mould into a, form, as a, potter, to determine</span><br /><br /><span class="word">one clay pot</span><br /><span class="heb">חֶ֖רֶשׂ</span> <span class="translit">(ḥe·reś)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2789.htm">Strong's 2789: </a> </span><span class="str2">Earthenware, earthen vessel, sherd, potsherd</span><br /><br /><span class="word">among many.</span><br /><span class="heb">חַרְשֵׂ֣י</span> <span class="translit">(ḥar·śê)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2789.htm">Strong's 2789: </a> </span><span class="str2">Earthenware, earthen vessel, sherd, potsherd</span><br /><br /><span class="word">Does the clay</span><br /><span class="heb">חֹ֤מֶר</span> <span class="translit">(ḥō·mer)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2563.htm">Strong's 2563: </a> </span><span class="str2">A bubbling up, of water, a wave, of earth, mire, clay, a heap, a chomer, dry measure</span><br /><br /><span class="word">ask</span><br /><span class="heb">הֲיֹאמַ֨ר</span> <span class="translit">(hă·yō·mar)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_559.htm">Strong's 559: </a> </span><span class="str2">To utter, say</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the potter,</span><br /><span class="heb">לְיֹֽצְרוֹ֙</span> <span class="translit">(lə·yō·ṣə·rōw)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3335.htm">Strong's 3335: </a> </span><span class="str2">To mould into a, form, as a, potter, to determine</span><br /><br /><span class="word">‘What</span><br /><span class="heb">מַֽה־</span> <span class="translit">(mah-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Interrogative<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4100.htm">Strong's 4100: </a> </span><span class="str2">What?, what!, indefinitely what</span><br /><br /><span class="word">are you making?’</span><br /><span class="heb">תַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה</span> <span class="translit">(ta·‘ă·śeh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6213.htm">Strong's 6213: </a> </span><span class="str2">To do, make</span><br /><br /><span class="word">Does your work say,</span><br /><span class="heb">וּפָעָלְךָ֖</span> <span class="translit">(ū·p̄ā·‘ā·lə·ḵā)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6467.htm">Strong's 6467: </a> </span><span class="str2">Doing, deed, work</span><br /><br /><span class="word">‘He has no</span><br /><span class="heb">אֵין־</span> <span class="translit">(’ên-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_369.htm">Strong's 369: </a> </span><span class="str2">A non-entity, a negative particle</span><br /><br /><span class="word">hands’?</span><br /><span class="heb">יָדַ֥יִם</span> <span class="translit">(yā·ḏa·yim)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - fd<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3027.htm">Strong's 3027: </a> </span><span class="str2">A hand</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/isaiah/45-9.htm">Isaiah 45:9 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/isaiah/45-9.htm">Isaiah 45:9 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/isaiah/45-9.htm">Isaiah 45:9 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/isaiah/45-9.htm">Isaiah 45:9 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/isaiah/45-9.htm">Isaiah 45:9 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/isaiah/45-9.htm">Isaiah 45:9 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/isaiah/45-9.htm">Isaiah 45:9 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/isaiah/45-9.htm">Isaiah 45:9 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/isaiah/45-9.htm">Isaiah 45:9 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/isaiah/45-9.htm">Isaiah 45:9 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/isaiah/45-9.htm">OT Prophets: Isaiah 45:9 Woe to him who strives with his (Isa Isi Is)</a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/isaiah/45-8.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Isaiah 45:8"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Isaiah 45:8" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/isaiah/45-10.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Isaiah 45:10"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Isaiah 45:10" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>