For in that day everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights a profound truth: idols aren't just objects, but represent "sin which your own hands have made." This means our misplaced trust and sinful creations become the very things we'll eventually discard in shame when we turn back to God.
For in that day everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse appears within a broader prophecy where Isaiah is warning Judah against seeking help from Egypt rather than trusting in the Lord. The prophet highlights the futility of relying on human power and foreign alliances, emphasizing that God alone is their true defender. The immediate context, therefore, sets up a stark contrast: those who cling to worldly alliances and idolatrous practices will ultimately be ashamed and discard their false hopes when God intervenes.
You've poured your resources, time, and hope into something… and it's failed you. Isaiah calls out the ultimate betrayal: trusting things we've made ourselves.
This verse hits hard because it describes a universal human tendency.
Created Things, Not Creator
The Sin of Self-Reliance
Ask a follow-up
When the crisis hits, and your 'gods' can’t save you, what’s the immediate, gut reaction? Isaiah points to a dramatic act of abandonment.
The 'in that day' Isaiah speaks of is a day of reckoning, a day when the illusion shatters.
The Day of Disillusionment
A Glimpse of True Faith
Understand the original words
eliyl · Hebrew Noun
Physical representations of false gods or objects of worship that rival the LORD. Biblically, they are considered non-entities that lead people into spiritual adultery and away from the Creator.
chata' · Hebrew Adverb
To miss the mark or violate the law of God; it characterizes actions that are contrary to God’s holy standards and nature.
This verse speaks to a moment of profound crisis and turning point, likely around the time of the Assyrian invasion of 701 BC. It contrasts misplaced trust in humanly crafted idols and alliances (like with Egypt) with the true deliverance that comes from turning back to God.
Late 8th Century BC
Assyrian Empire Dominance
The Assyrian Empire, under rulers like Tiglath-Pileser III and Sargon II, was the dominant superpower, expanding its territory and influence across the ancient Near East. Judah often found itself caught between Assyria and its rival, Egypt.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Sennacherib's Invasion of Judah
Assyrian king Sennacherib campaigned against the Levant, including Judah. He besieged Jerusalem, leading to a great deliverance for the city, though many other Judean cities were conquered. This event is a major context for Isaiah's prophecies.
Post-701 BC
Continued Assyrian Influence
Despite the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem, Assyria remained a formidable power. Judah continued to navigate the complex political landscape, often facing internal debates about whether to rely on Assyria, Egypt, or God alone.
626-609 BC
Decline of Assyria and Rise of Babylon
The Neo-Babylonian Empire began to challenge and ultimately overthrow the Assyrian Empire, shifting the geopolitical balance of power in the region.
586 BC
Babylonian Exile
The Babylonian Empire conquered Jerusalem and exiled much of the population, marking a catastrophic end to the southern kingdom of Judah and a period of profound national reflection.
This passage also speaks of casting away idols, highlighting the prophetic theme of renouncing false gods, but here it's due to fear, whereas Isaiah 31:7 presents it as a result of repentance and deliverance.
Jeremiah 10:14This verse directly confronts the foolishness of making idols, emphasizing that they are the work of human hands and possess no power, reinforcing the idea in Isaiah 31:7 that such creations are ultimately empty and sinful.
Hosea 14:8This passage, like Isaiah 31:7, describes a future turning away from idols and an embrace of God, showing the positive outcome of renouncing false worship and turning to the Lord for sustenance and security.
1 Corinthians 6:11This New Testament passage lists 'idolaters' among those who will not inherit the kingdom of God, reflecting the deep sinfulness of idolatry that Isaiah condemns and illustrating the transformative power of God in changing hearts away from such practices.
cambridgeIsaiah 31:7: "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."
7 . Comp. Isaiah 30:22 , Isaiah 17:8 , Isaiah 2:8 and esp. Isaiah 2:20 .
barnesIsaiah 31:7: "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."
For in that day - That is, in the invasion of Sennacherib, and the events that shalt be consequent thereon. Every man shall cast away his idols - (see the note at Isaiah 30:22; compare the note at Isaiah 2:20). For a sin - Or rather, the sin which your own hands have made. The sense is, that the making of those idols had been a sin, or sin itsel…
The verse highlights a profound truth: idols aren't just objects, but represent "sin which your own hands have made." This means our misplaced trust and sinful creations become the very things we'll eventually discard in shame when we turn back to God.
This verse appears within a broader prophecy where Isaiah is warning Judah against seeking help from Egypt rather than trusting in the Lord. The prophet highlights the futility of relying on human power and foreign alliances, emphasizing that God alone is their true defender. The immediate context, therefore, sets up a stark contrast: those who cling to worldly alliances and idolatrous practices will ultimately be ashamed and discard their false hopes when God intervenes.
This verse appears within a broader prophecy where Isaiah is warning Judah against seeking help from Egypt rather than trusting in the Lord. The prophet highlights the futility of relying on human power and foreign alliances, emphasizing that God alone is their true defender. The immediate context, therefore, sets up a stark contrast: those who cling to worldly alliances and idolatrous practices will ultimately be ashamed and discard their false hopes when God intervenes.
"For in that day everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you." — The verse highlights a profound truth: idols aren't just objects, but represent "sin which your own hands have made." This means our misplaced trust and sinful creations become the very things we'll…
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Last reviewed October 2026