Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Isaiah 42:17 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 17. 17They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The prophetic poem or speech in Isaiah states or reports “They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to…” at Isaiah 42:17 as a specific part of “The Long-Silent Warrior Cries Out and Leads the Blind.”
Read It With
- Isaiah 42:13–17
Read Isaiah 42:17 with 42:13–17. By itself, “They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to…” can be detached from the speaker, addressee, historical horizon, poetic movement, or outcome that gives it force. The complete unit establishes: Divine battle and labor imagery overturn terrain while people unable to see are led by unfamiliar ways and idol trust is shamed.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within the same chapter, this unit advances from “The Creator Commissions Light, Liberation, and New Praise” into “The Long-Silent Warrior Cries Out and Leads the Blind.” Its non-interchangeable movement is: Divine battle and labor imagery overturn terrain while people unable to see are led by unfamiliar ways and idol trust is shamed. This verse's placement is specific: The prophetic poem or speech in Isaiah states or reports “They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to…” at Isaiah 42:17 as a specific part of “The Long-Silent Warrior Cries Out and Leads the Blind.”
What Remains True
Comfort tells the truth about exhaustion and displacement while promising that oppressive power is not ultimate. In Isaiah 42:17, that bounded truth is carried through this verse's role: The prophetic poem or speech in Isaiah states or reports “They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to…” at Isaiah 42:17 as a specific part of “The Long-Silent Warrior Cries Out and Leads the Blind.”
How It Can Shape Life
- Accompany displaced and weary people with concrete safety, truthful hope, and patient repair rather than prediction or pressure. This response follows Isaiah 42:13–17's specific concern, “The Long-Silent Warrior Cries Out and Leads the Blind.” This verse directs that response through its exact role: The prophetic poem or speech in Isaiah states or reports “They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to…” at Isaiah 42:17 as a specific part of “The Long-Silent Warrior Cries Out and Leads the Blind.”
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Isaiah 42:13–17 — The Long-Silent Warrior Cries Out and Leads the BlindSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Isaiah 42:13–17, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Isaiah
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology at the exact unit, without treating morphology as apparatus, lexicon, composition history, or interpretation.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Isa.xml, OSIS 42:13–17 with Hebrew/KJV versification difference checked
Open the fixed Hebrew Isaiah file ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible Notes: Isaiah
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2016; current official PDF
Supports: Verse-level controls for Hebrew, syntax, poetry, older KJV language, chronology, names, textual issues, and material translation alternatives.
Exact location: Official NET Isaiah PDF, translator, study, and textual notes attached to Isaiah 42:13–17 in the complete 205-page book PDF
Open the official NET Isaiah PDF ↗