“When war
Or calamity
Comes upon them,
The priests consult together
As to where
They can
Hide themselves
With their gods.
How then can anyone
Fail to see
That these are not gods?
They cannot save themselves
From war
Or calamity.
They are made of wood,
Overlaid
With gold
Or silver.
It will afterward
Be known
That they are false.
It will be manifest
To all the nations,
To all the kings,
That they are not gods
But the work of human hands.
There is no work
Of God
In them.
Who then can fail
To know
That they are not gods?”
What happens when war or calamity comes to these priests and their idol gods? The priests consult together on where they can hide themselves with their gods. All can see that these are not gods. They cannot save themselves from either war or calamity, since they are made of wood, overlaid with gold or silver. Afterwards, everyone will know that these were false gods. It is will be clear to all the nations and all the kings that they are not gods. As they were the work of human hands, there is no work of God in them. This author asked the question, who would not recognize that these idols are not gods?
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 