“Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.”
The contrast continued: 'For the practices of the nations are worthless; someone cuts a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter.' This verse describes the manufacture of idols: wood is cut from a forest, shaped by a craftsman, adorned with precious metals, and secured with nails and fasteners. The detailed description emphasizes the artificiality and human manufacture of idols. The word 'worthless' (hevel, vapor, emptiness) indicates the idols' fundamental invalidity. Theologically, this verse emphasizes that idols are human constructs lacking any inherent power or reality.
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