Isa 45:9-10 | NETfull | STEP | One who argues with his creator is in grave danger, one who is like a mere shard among the other shards on the ground! The clay should not say to the potter, “What in the world are you doing? Your work lacks skill!”

Isaiah 45:9-10

The Lord Gives a Warning

9 One who argues with his creator is in grave danger, ^{▼▼ Heb “Woe [to] the one who argues with the one who formed him.”}
one who is like a mere ^{▼▼ The words “one who is like a mere” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and clarification.} shard among the other shards on the ground!
The clay should not say to the potter, ^{▼▼ Heb “Should the clay say to the one who forms it?” The rhetorical question anticipates a reply, “Of course not!”}
“What in the world ^{▼▼ The words “in the world” are supplied in the translation to approximate in English idiom the force of the sarcastic question.} are you doing?
Your work lacks skill!” ^{▼▼ Heb “your work, there are no hands for it,” i.e., “your work looks like something made by a person who has no hands.”}
10 Danger awaits one who says ^{▼▼ Heb “Woe [to] one who says” (NASB and NIV both similar); NCV “How terrible it will be.”} to his father,
“What in the world ^{▼▼ See the note at v. 9. This phrase occurs a second time later in this verse.} are you fathering?”
and to his mother,
“What in the world are you bringing forth?” ^{▼▼ Verses 9–10 may allude to the exiles’ criticism that the Lord does not appear to know what he is doing.}