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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• 9And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. 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 neighbor; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.
7So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
(Isa. 41:6‑7)
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Ex. 12:12• 12For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will 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 the Lord. (Ex. 12:12)
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1 Sam. 5:3• 3And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. (1 Sam. 5:3)
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Jer. 48:1‑25• 1Against Moab thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed.
2There shall be no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee.
3A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim, spoiling and great destruction.
4Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.
5For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.
6Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.
7For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together.
8And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the Lord hath spoken.
9Give wings unto Moab, that it may flee and get away: for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein.
10Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.
11Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.
12Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles.
13And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Beth-el their confidence.
14How say ye, We are mighty and strong men for the war?
15Moab is spoiled, and gone up out of her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is the Lord 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, and the beautiful rod!
18Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds.
19O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and espy; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth, and say, What is done?
20Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,
21And judgment is come upon the plain country; upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath,
22And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Beth-diblathaim,
23And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Beth-gamul, and upon Beth-meon,
24And upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.
25The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the Lord.
(Jer. 48:1‑25)
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Jer. 50:2• 2Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces. (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 that which he hath swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.
47Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon: and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.
52Wherefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will do judgment upon her graven images: and through all 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.