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Isaiah 46

Isa. 46:1 KJV (With Strong’s)

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Bel
Bel (Hebrew #1078)
Bel, the Baal of the Babylonians
KJV usage: Bel.
Pronounce: bale
Origin: by contraction for 1168
z boweth down
kara` (Hebrew #3766)
to bend the knee; by implication, to sink, to prostrate
KJV usage: bow (down, self), bring down (low), cast down, couch, fall, feeble, kneeling, sink, smite (stoop) down, subdue, X very.
Pronounce: kaw-rah'
Origin: a primitive root
, Nebo
Nbow (Hebrew #5015)
Nebo, the name of a Babylonian deity, also of a mountain in Moab, and of a place in Palestine
KJV usage: Nebo.
Pronounce: neb-o'
Origin: probably of foreign derivation
a stoopeth
qarac (Hebrew #7164)
properly, to protrude; used only as denominative from 7165 (for alliteration with 7167), to hunch, i.e. be hump-backed
KJV usage: stoop.
Pronounce: kaw-ras'
Origin: a primitive root
, their idols
`atsab (Hebrew #6091)
an (idolatrous) image
KJV usage: idol, image.
Pronounce: aw-tsawb'
Origin: from 6087
were upon the beasts
chay (Hebrew #2416)
alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively
KJV usage: + age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, + merry, multitude, + (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.
Pronounce: khah'-ee
Origin: from 2421
b, and upon the cattle
bhemah (Hebrew #929)
properly, a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often collective)
KJV usage: beast, cattle.
Pronounce: be-hay-maw'
Origin: from an unused root (probably meaning to be mute)
: your carriages
nsuw'ah (Hebrew #5385)
feminine. passive participle of 5375; something borne, i.e. a load
KJV usage: carriage.
Pronounce: nes-oo-aw'
Origin: or rather, nsutah {nes-oo-aw'}
were heavy loaden
`amac (Hebrew #6006)
a primitive root; to load, i.e. impose a burden (or figuratively, infliction)
KJV usage: be borne, (heavy) burden (self), lade, load, put.
Pronounce: aw-mas'
Origin: or mamas {aw-mas'}
; they are a burden
massa' (Hebrew #4853)
a burden; specifically, tribute, or (abstractly) porterage; figuratively, an utterance, chiefly a doom, especially singing; mental, desire
KJV usage: burden, carry away, prophecy, X they set, song, tribute.
Pronounce: mas-saw'
Origin: from 5375
to the weary
`ayeph (Hebrew #5889)
languid
KJV usage: faint, thirsty, weary.
Pronounce: aw-yafe'
Origin: from 5888
beast.

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Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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1-2:  The idols of Babylon could not save themselves.
3-4:  God saves his people to the end.
5-11:  Idols are not comparable to God for power,
12-13:  or present salvation.
Bel.Bel, called Belus by the Greek and Roman writers, is the same as Baal; and Nebo is interpreted by Castell and Norberg of Mercury; the two principal idols of Babylon.
When that city was taken by the Persians, these images were carried in triumph.
Isa. 21:9• 9--And behold, there cometh a chariot of men; horsemen by pairs. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground. (Isa. 21:9)
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Isa. 41:6‑7• 6They helped every one his neighbour, and each said to his brother, Take courage.
7And the artizan encouraged the founder, he that smootheth with the hammer him that smiteth on the anvil, saying of the soldering, It is good; and he fasteneth it with nails, that it be not moved.
(Isa. 41:6‑7)
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Ex. 12:12• 12And I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am Jehovah. (Ex. 12:12)
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1 Sam. 5:3• 3And when they of Ashdod arose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. (1 Sam. 5:3)
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Jer. 48:1‑25• 1Concerning Moab. Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled; Kirjathaim is put to shame, it is taken; Misgab is put to shame and dismayed.
2Moab's praise is no more; in Heshbon they have devised evil against her: Come, and let us cut her off from being a nation. Thou also, O Madmen, shalt be cut down; the sword shall pursue thee.
3A voice of crying from Horonaim; wasting and great destruction!
4Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.
5For by the ascent of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the descent of Horonaim is heard the anguish of the cry of destruction.
6Flee, save your lives, and be like a shrub in the wilderness.
7For because thou hast confided in thy works and in thy treasures, thou also shalt be taken, and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, his priests and his princes together.
8And the waster shall come upon every city, that not a city shall escape; and the valley shall perish, and the plateau shall be destroyed: as Jehovah hath said.
9Give wings unto Moab, that she may flee and get away; and the cities thereof shall become a desolation, without inhabitant.
10Cursed be he that doeth the work of Jehovah negligently, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood!
11Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and hath settled on his lees; he hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste hath remained in him, and his scent is not changed.
12Therefore behold, days come, saith Jehovah, that I will send unto him pourers that shall pour him off, and shall empty his vessels, and break in pieces his flagons.
13And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.
14How do ye say, We are mighty, and men of valour for the war?
15Moab is laid waste, and his cities are gone up in smoke, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is Jehovah of hosts.
16The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast.
17All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, the beautiful rod!
18Come down from thy glory and sit in the drought, O inhabitress, daughter of Dibon; the spoiler of Moab is come up against thee, thy strongholds hath he destroyed.
19Stand by the way, and watch, inhabitress of Aroer; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth; say, What is done?
20Moab is put to shame; for he is broken down: howl and cry; tell it in Arnon, that Moab is laid waste.
21And judgment is come upon the country of the plateau; upon Holon, and upon Jahzah, and upon Mephaath;
22and upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Beth-diblathaim;
23and upon Kirjathaim, and upon Beth-gamul, and upon Beth-meon;
24and upon Kerijoth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near.
25The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith Jehovah.
(Jer. 48:1‑25)
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Jer. 50:2• 2Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and lift up a banner; publish, conceal not! Say, Babylon is taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed: her images are put to shame, her idols are dismayed. (Jer. 50:2)
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Jer. 51:44,47,52• 44And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth what he hath swallowed up; and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon is fallen.
47Therefore behold, days are coming when I will punish the graven images of Babylon; and her whole land shall be put to shame, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.
52--Therefore behold, days come, saith Jehovah, that I will punish her graven images; and throughout her land the wounded shall groan.
(Jer. 51:44,47,52)
a burden.
 The opening verses of chapter 46 pick up the theme that runs through these chapters— that of the persistent idolatry of the people. Bel and Nebo were two of the idols of Babylon, and the prophet sees the images representing them placed upon beasts ready for flight, just as at the beginning of the last chapter he had seen Cyrus taking the city. (Isaiah 46 by F.B. Hole)

J. N. Darby Translation

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Belc is bowed down, Neboc bendeth; their idols are upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: the things ye carriedd are laid one, a burden to the weary beast.

JND Translation Notes

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c
Idols of the Babylonians.
d
Images carried in procession, "portable [gods]."
e
Or "borne," as ver. 3, where it is applied by way of contrast to Israel.