Isaiah 45:9

Context

The opening portion of Isaiah 45 (Isaiah 44:24–45:7) is a prophecy that God will raise up Cyrus, king of Persia, to restore Israel. Verses 9–13 form a unit pronouncing "woe" on those who object to this plan. Many commentators identify these objectors as Israelites who were displeased that God would use a foreign king as an instrument of deliverance. God describes himself as the "Maker" and likens human beings to "clay" and a "potsherd": what has been made cannot call its maker to account. The unit closes in verse 13 by repeating the declaration that God will raise up Cyrus.

Opinions differ about the authorship and date of chapters 40–55. Traditionally these chapters have been regarded as prophecies of the prophet Isaiah, while many scholars date them to the end of the Babylonian exile (the period when the people of Judah lived in captivity in Babylon).

Interpretation

• Readings emphasizing divine sovereignty: The Calvinist and Reformed traditions read this verse together with Romans 9:18–23. They hold that Paul takes up this analogy to teach that God's election is not bound by human judgment, and the verse is therefore often cited in expositions of predestination.
• Historical and corporate readings: Interpreters in the Arminian and Wesleyan traditions hold that the verse does not directly address the eternal salvation of individuals. Its subject, they argue, is the historical restoration of Israel through Cyrus. They also appeal to Jeremiah 18:1–10, where the potter changes his purpose according to the people's response.
• Devotional readings: Across denominational lines, the verse is also read as calling the creature to humble trust in the face of suffering or divine leading that is difficult to understand.

Debates and Issues

The controversy centers less on the verse itself than on the way it is used in Romans 9. In the debate over predestination and free will, each side appeals to the context of this passage in support of its position. Romans 9:20–21 is generally regarded as echoing the language of this verse together with Isaiah 29:16 and other passages.

There is also a question of translation. In the final clause, "He hath no hands" (KJV), the Hebrew word for "hand" can also be rendered as the "handle" of a vessel, and some English translations therefore read, "Your work has no handles." Because the sentence is brief and compressed, its wording varies somewhat from one translation to another.

In the Korean Church

In preaching, the verse is often treated together with Jeremiah 18 and Romans 9 under the theme of the "potter and the clay." It is used chiefly to exhort hearers to accept and obey God's providence or to be humble before God.

Related Passages

• Isaiah 29:16
• Isaiah 64:8
• Jeremiah 18:6
• Romans 9:20–21