Isaiah 31:7 · Bible study
Isaiah 31:7 Commentary: The Meaning of 'For a Sin'
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the debated meaning of חֵטְא in Isaiah 31:7: does it mean sin, guilt, or punishment? Rooted in the day of deliverance from Assyria.
Research Summary
- Meaning: On the day of deliverance, every person will reject their precious idols as an act of repentance.
- Key words: יִמְאָס֗וּן ('they will reject/despise'), אֱלִילֵי ('worthless idols'), חֵטְא ('sin/guilt/punishment').
- Main debate: The exact nuance of חֵטְא: does it denote sin committed, guilt incurred, punishment deserved, or an adverbial sense ('sinfully')?
- Theological theme: Genuine repentance is demonstrated by turning away from the objects of false trust, especially those we have made with our own hands.
- Best use: As a prophetic promise that God's saving intervention always produces practical holiness, motivating believers to examine their own hidden attachments.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
For on that day, every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold that your own hands have sinfully made.
WEB World English Bible 2000
For in that day everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold—sin which your own hands have made for you.
KJV King James Version 1769
For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
For in that day they shall cast away every man his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
For in that day despise doth each His idols of silver, and his idols of gold, That your hands made to you--a sin.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
for in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your sinful hands have made unto you.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For in that day a man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your hands have made for you to sin.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Porque en aquel día arrojará el hombre sus ídolos de plata, y sus ídolos de oro, que para vosotros han hecho vuestras manos pecadoras.
Porque naquele dia cada um rejeitará seus ídolos de prata, e seus ídolos de ouro, que vossas mãos fizeram para vós pecardes.
En ce jour, chacun rejettera ses idoles d’ argent et ses idoles d’ or,
Denn zu der Zeit wird ein jeglicher seine silbernen und goldenen Götzen verwerfen, welche euch eure Hände gemacht hatten zur Sünde.
Want te dien dage zullen zij verwerpen, een ieder zijn zilveren afgoden en zijn gouden afgoden, welke u uw handen tot zonde gemaakt hadden;
Poiché, in quel giorno, ognuno getterà via i suoi idoli d’argento e i suoi idoli d’oro, che le vostre proprie mani han fatti per peccare.
Albowiem dnia onego odrzuci każdy bałwany swe srebrne, i bałwany swe złote, które wam naczyniły ręce wasze na grzech.
В тот день отбросит каждый человек своих серебряных идолов и золотых своих идолов, которых руки ваши сделали вам на грех.
到那 日，各人 必將他金 偶像 銀 偶像，就是 親手 所造、陷自己 在罪中的，都拋棄了。
For in that day they will all give up their images of silver and of gold, the sin which they made for themselves.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 31:7
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Isaiah 31:7 describes a coming day of deliverance when God's people will abandon their idols as the visible fruit of repentance. Barnes and Calvin connect this to the Assyrian crisis: when Yahweh intervenes, trust in man-made gods collapses. The verse echoes Isaiah 2:20 and 30:22, promising that silver and gold idols will be cast away with abhorrence (Gill).
Yet the precise meaning of the closing phrase 'for a sin' (חֵטְא) divides interpreters. Barnes takes it as 'the sin which your own hands have made,' emphasizing the guilt of idol-making. Gill offers three options: the sin of idolatry, punishment for sin, or 'sinful hands' as an epithet. Keil and Delitzsch see the word as a second accusative indicating result, the idols become a means to sin. Lange proposes an adverbial sense: 'sinful-fashion.' So while all see repentance, the nuance of this final phrase remains contested.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Sin of idolatry: The idols themselves constitute sin — the act of making and worshipping them is the transgression (Barnes, JFB, citing 1 Kings 12:30).
- Punishment for sin: The word חֵטְא can also mean 'punishment for sin' — the idols became a snare that led to divine judgment (Gill's second option, alluding to the Assyrian invasion).
- Adverbial accusative: Lange argues that חֵטְא functions like an adverb: 'sinfully' or 'in a sinful way' — emphasizing the manner in which the idols were made.
- Result/resultant sin: Keil and Delitzsch take חֵטְא as a second accusative of result: the idols were made 'for a sin' in the sense that they produced sin (compare Hosea 8:11).
What is clear: On the day of Yahweh's deliverance, God's people will abandon their idols as a concrete expression of repentance, regardless of the exact nuance of the closing word.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The meaning of 'that day' | All commentators agree it refers to a time of divine intervention and deliverance for Jerusalem. | Some say the primary referent is Sennacherib's defeat in 701 BC (Barnes, Calvin); others see it as a typological preview of the final eschatological day when all idolatry is destroyed. |
| Nature of repentance | All agree that repentance must produce outward, visible change, the casting away of idols. | Calvin stresses that this is the fruit of an already changed heart; Gill and Barnes focus more on the abhorrence of the sin itself. Some traditions emphasize the necessity of physical destruction of objects, others the inward renunciation. |
| Meaning of 'for a sin' (חֵטְא) | The phrase links the idols directly to sinfulness, in contrast to God's purity. | Options: (1) it is the sin of idolatry itself (Barnes, JFB); (2) it is the guilt or punishment incurred (Gill); (3) it is an adverbial accusative meaning 'sinfully made' (Lange); (4) it is a result accusative: the idols became a means to sin (Keil and Delitzsch). |
| The role of human hands | The verse emphasizes that the idols are made by human effort, showing human responsibility. | Some see 'your own hands' as the subject of 'made' (they made idols); others (Gill, Lange) treat 'your sinful hands' as a single phrase modifying 'made', the hands themselves are sinful. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 31 belongs to a series of oracles warning Judah not to rely on Egypt against Assyria (chs. 28, 31). In verses 1, 3 the prophet condemns those who trust in Egyptian horses and chariots instead of Yahweh. Verses 4, 5 shift to promise: God will defend Jerusalem like a lion or hovering birds. Verse 6 then calls for repentance: 'Return to him from whom you have deeply revolted.' Verse 7 gives the reason: when the salvation arrives, everyone will loathe their idols.
The phrase 'in that day' likely refers to the deliverance from Sennacherib's siege in 701 BC (see 2 Kings 19), when Hezekiah carried out religious reforms that included smashing the bronze serpent and purging the temple (2 Kings 18:4). Idols of silver and gold were the most precious objects in pagan worship, often small statuettes kept in homes or shrines. The Hebrew word for idols here, ‘elil, literally means 'worthless' or 'of nought,' contrasting their costly material with their actual emptiness.
The cross-references supplied by commentators reinforce this pattern: Isaiah 2:20 pictures idols thrown to rodents; Isaiah 30:22 commands that the overlaying of silver and gold be defiled as an unclean thing. Isaiah 31:6, 9 frames the abandonment of idols as both a prerequisite for and a result of God's saving intervention.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note some textual variation around the word חֵטְא ('sin'). Adam Clarke reports that the Septuagint omitted the word entirely in some manuscripts, while others supply the Greek equivalent (ἁμαρτίαν or ἁμάρτημα). He also notes that an ancient Hebrew manuscript reads 'to them' (לָהֶם) instead of 'to you' (לָכֶם), with the Septuagint reflecting a third-person pronoun. The standard Masoretic text, followed by modern editions, includes the word and the second-person suffix. No other significant variants are mentioned in the consulted commentaries.
Reception History
Christian interpreters have read this verse primarily as a prophecy of conversion and cleansing. The early church saw in it a promise that the nations would abandon pagan idols when they turned to Christ, a theme echoed by writers such as Justin Martyr. During the Reformation, Calvin and others applied the verse to the renunciation of images and relics, arguing that true repentance means destroying whatever competes with God. In the Puritan tradition, the verse was spiritualized: the 'idols of silver and gold' represented worldly wealth and self-reliance, and the casting away was an inner act of the heart. More recently, the verse has been used in missions to illustrate the radical break with the past that conversion demands, as seen in many testimonies from societies where idol worship was common.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The day of deliverance. God acts to save, He fights for Jerusalem like a lion or a mother bird. Salvation is first His work, not ours.
- The response of repentance. When we see God’s grace, we turn away from what we trusted instead of Him. Calvin notes that Scripture points to fruits of repentance, not just inward feeling.
- The recognition of sin. The idols are sin, literally, 'your own hands have made for you a sin.' Repentance means admitting that our most prized possessions can be instruments of rebellion.
Five-point outline
- God initiates the rescue. He passes over and preserves Jerusalem (v.5), as at the Exodus.
- He calls his people to return. The invitation comes even after deep revolt (v.6).
- Repentance takes concrete form. Idols of silver and gold, the most valued items, are cast away with loathing (v.7).
- The sinfulness of the hands. The phrase 'for a sin' or 'sinful hands' highlights that the act of making these idols was itself rebellion.
- The enemy is defeated. The Assyrian falls not by human sword but by divine intervention (vv.8, 9).
Illustration hooks
- A person who once bragged about his wealth and career success finds Christ, and quietly sells the luxury car that was a symbol of his self-sufficiency, using the money to help the poor. The object itself wasn’t evil, but the trust placed in it was.
- A church that had relied on a popular but biblically shallow program decides to cancel it, even though it brought in numbers, because they realize it had become a means of pride. Like tearing down the golden calf, the act is painful but freeing.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I know if something has become an idol in my heart? What are the modern equivalents of silver and gold idols?
- Why does God sometimes require me to physically remove or destroy something I value, rather than just changing my heart attitude toward it?
- What does genuine repentance look like when I’ve been trying to save myself, by my efforts, my plans, my relationships, instead of trusting God?
Leading a Discussion
Isaiah 31:7 appears in the middle of a rescue story. Israel wanted to trust Egypt; God promised to save Jerusalem himself. This verse shows what happens when God’s grace breaks in: people stop defending their sin and start throwing it away. Use these questions to explore how genuine repentance looks different from mere regret.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What does the verse say about the timing of this event? Look at the phrase 'in that day' and the verses before and after.
- Observation: What kinds of idols are mentioned, and what materials are they made from? Why might the prophet specify silver and gold?
- Interpretation: The verse calls the idols 'sin which your own hands have made for you.' What does that phrase suggest about the relationship between human effort and sin?
- Interpretation: Commentators disagree on whether חֵטְא (chet) means sin, guilt, punishment, or 'sinful.' How does each option shape the meaning of the verse?
- Interpretation: How does this verse connect to the call to 'return' in verse 6? Is the casting away of idols the cause of salvation or the result of it?
- Application: What 'idols' might you be asked to cast away, not necessarily physical statues, but things you trust in too much?
- Application: Repentance here is described as a public, practical act. What one step could you take this week to make a hidden sin visible and renounce it intentionally?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 7:25 | You shall burn the engraved images of their gods with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it for yourself, lest you be snared in it; for it is an abomination to Yahweh your God. |
| I Kings 12:28 | So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and behold your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” |
| I Kings 12:30 | This thing became a sin, for the people went even as far as Dan to worship before the one there. |
| Isaiah 2:20 | In that day, men shall cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which have been made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats, |
| Isaiah 30:22 | You shall defile the overlaying of your engraved images of silver, and the plating of your molten images of gold. You shall cast them away as an unclean thing. You shall tell it, “Go away!” |
| Ezekiel 36:25 | I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. |
| Hosea 8:11 | Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they became for him altars for sinning. |
| Hosea 14:8 | Ephraim, what have I to do any more with idols? I answer, and will take care of him. I am like a green cypress tree; from me your fruit is found.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes the Hebrew word for "sin" here is grammatically awkward. He observes that the Septuagint omitted it, and a scholar proposed reading it as an epithet, "your sinful hands." Manuscript variations further complicate the pronoun, showing this is a difficult textual point.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes observes that the idols the people would cast away in Sennacherib’s invasion were not just objects;
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible draws a specific connection between this verse and several passages in Isaiah, particularly Isaiah 2:20. Its focus is on showing how the same theme appears across different books of Scripture, pointing the reader to those parallels for deeper understanding.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that these idols are entirely human-made, cast from silver and gold by the people's own hands. It then sharpens the point by calling the idol itself a sin, not just the act of worshiping it. The sin is the very object they have created.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that in that day, people will cast away their idols with contempt and abhorrence, not casually. He stresses that these idols are the work of their own sinful hands, made for the very sin of idolatry, which leads to deserved punishment.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlights that a future day will bring clear-eyed recognition of idolatry's full horror. People will detest the very idols their own hands made, seeing them not as neutral objects but as the instruments of their sin and the cause of their repentance.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry stresses that deliverance from Assyria depended on Jerusalem turning back to God first. The people had revolted deeply, yet their identity as God's children still made repentance possible. Reformation inside the city had to come before rescue from the enemy outside.