King James Version

Isaiah 45:9

Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive 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?

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Hebrew

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ה֗וֹיhoyalasהוֹיparticle, interjection — “alas”H1945oh!ah, alas, ho, O, woe.רָ֚בravadversaryרִיבverb, qal, participle, absolute — “adversary”, a verb used as a describing wordH7378properly, to toss, i.e. grapple; mostly figuratively, to wrangle, i.e. hold a controversy; (by implication) to defendadversary, chide, complain, contend, debate, [idiom] ever, [idiom] lay wait, plead, rebuke, strive, [idiom] thoroughly.אֶתetamongאֵתpreposition — “among”H854properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc.against, among, before, by, for, from, in(-to), (out) of, with. Often with another prepositional prefix.יֹ֣צְר֔וֹyotservoformיָצַרverb, qal, participle, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “form”, a verb used as a describing wordH3335to mould into a form; especially as apotter; figuratively, to determine (i.e. form a resolution)[idiom] earthen, fashion, form, frame, make(-r), potter, purpose.חֶ֖רֶשׂcheresearthחֶרֶשׂnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “earth”, the ordinary formH2789a piece of potteryearth(-en), (pot-) sherd, [phrase] stone.אֶתetamongאֵתpreposition — “among”H854properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc.against, among, before, by, for, from, in(-to), (out) of, with. Often with another prepositional prefix.חַרְשֵׂ֣יcharseearthחֶרֶשׂnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “earth”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2789a piece of potteryearth(-en), (pot-) sherd, [phrase] stone.אֲדָמָ֑הadamahcountryאֲדָמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “country”, the ordinary formH127soil (from its general redness)country, earth, ground, husband(-man) (-ry), land.הֲיֹאמַ֨רhayomarsayאָמַרparticle, interrogative, verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “say”, an unfinished actionH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…חֹ֤מֶרchomerclayחֹמֶרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “clay”, the ordinary formH2563properly, a bubbling up, i.e. of water, a wave; of earth, mire or clay (cement); also a heap; hence, a chomer or dry measureclay, heap, homer, mire, motion.לְיֹֽצְרוֹ֙leyotservoto formיָצַרpreposition, verb, qal, participle, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to form”, a verb used as a describing wordH3335to mould into a form; especially as apotter; figuratively, to determine (i.e. form a resolution)[idiom] earthen, fashion, form, frame, make(-r), potter, purpose.מַֽהmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.תַּעֲשֶׂ֔הtaasehdoעָשָׂהverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “do”, an unfinished actionH6213to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationaccomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, f…וּפָעָלְךָ֖ufaalekhaand actפֹּעַלconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and act”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6467an act or work (concretely)act, deed, do, getting, maker, work.אֵיןeynelseאַיִןparticle, negative — “else”H369a non-entity; generally used as a negative particleelse, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן).יָדַ֥יִםyadayimhandיָדnoun, common, both genders, dual, absolute — “hand”, the ordinary formH3027a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, […לֽוֹlvotoלֽוֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to”to

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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'?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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?

Young’s Literal Translation

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?'

World English Bible

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’?

Darby Translation

Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let a potsherd [strive] with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that formeth it, What makest thou? Or thy work, He hath no hands?

Douay-Rheims

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?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

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'?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

What excellent thing have I prepared as clay of the potter? Will the ploughman plough the earth all day? 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?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ποῖον βέλτιον κατεσκεύασα ὡς πηλὸν κεραμέως; μὴ ὁ ἀροτριῶν ἀροτριάσει τὴν γῆν ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν; μὴ ἐρεῖ ὁ πηλὸς τῷ κεραμεῖ, τί ποιεῖς ὅτι οὐκ ἐργάζῃ, οὐδὲ ἔχεις χεῖρας; μὴ ἀποκριθήσεται τὸ πλάσμα πρὸς τὸν πλάσαντα αὐτό;