UncleanThings
Isaiah 30:22 (ESV)
22 Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!”
The Phrase of this discussion is: “You will scatter them as unclean things (H1739).” The translation using “unclean things” leaves one to wonder what they were. The Bible was specific, however most translation committees applied different words for H1739 from “unclean things” or “filthy rags” and more.
In this verse it is telling us that one would get rid of their idols in the same fashion as one would discard the ‘filthy rags’. What these that that were so easily thrown away. Looking at different translations you would see the H1739 was translated into different words.
The Question: Which of the following words listed in the list below provide the accurate understanding to what the rags were? Rags could be cloths used to mop the floor or clean spills from the table. They could even be ‘wash cloths’ for one’s body or their child’s body. There could be multiply uses for ‘cloths’ that would become filthy. (A sideline thought: We would hope our bodies wouldn’t get to that level of dirt.)
When reading Isaiah 30:22 we would get a sense of the context of the meaning between throwing away the idols and of discarding unclean things. Since the idols were now loathsome to the person, then the rags would be something worse than just soiled from use on the floors or table. These clothes would be the kind that one would merely wash them and reuse them. Here the person wanted to throw away the filthy idols and in comparison as one would dispose of their soiled cloths.
Here is a list of some of the words that were used in different Bible Translations for the one Hebrew word identified by Strong’s Hebrew # H1739.
- Unclean things
- Impure thing(s)
- Filthy rag(s)
- Dirty rags
- Menstrual rag
- Menstrual cloth(s)
ESV – Isaiah 30:22 (ESV) “unclean things” H1739
22 Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean (H1739) things. You will say to them, “Be gone!”
Isaiah 30:22 (NASB) – This one uses: Impure H1739 thing and not ”unclean” ‘things’ as above.
22 And you will defile your graven images overlaid with silver, and your molten images plated with gold. You will scatter them as an impure (H1739) thing, and say to them, “Be gone!”
Isaiah 30:22 (NLT) – Here it is “filthy rags” (H1739 Not ‘unclean’ or impure’ and uses ‘rags’ not ‘things’ or ‘thing’
22 Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, “Good riddance!”
Isaiah 30:22 (NKJV) – Here it is “unclean thing” (H1739) – Not “impure thing” – “unclean things” – ‘filthy rags” Note: it is ‘thing’ not ‘things’ even if used ‘unclean’
22 You will also defile the covering of your graven images of silver, And the ornament of your molded images of gold. You will throw them away as an unclean thing; You will say to them, “Get away!”
Isaiah 30:22 (NIRV) – Here it is “Dirty Rags”
22 Then you will get rid of the silver statues of your gods. You won’t have anything to do with the gold statues either. All of them are “unclean.” So you will throw them away like dirty rags. You will say to them, “Get away from us!”
Isaiah 30:22 (NET) – This version translates: “menstrual rag”
You will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away as if they were a menstrual rag, saying to them, “Get out!”
Isaiah 30:22 (HCSB) – This version translates: “menstrual cloths”
22 Then you will defile your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away like menstrual cloths, and call them filth.
Isaiah 30:22 (NIV84) – This version it as: “menstrual cloth” H1739)
22 Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, “Away with you!”
For sake of space I’ll only show the NIV Vs. the ESV Interlinear strip.
The Hebrew Word i.d. as H1739 is highlighted in blue below to show the translation on the top line and the H1739 in line4 with the Sense definition on the bottom.
NIV: “New International Version”
ESV: “English Standard Version”:
Strongs: – H1739. דָּוֶה dâveh, daw-veh´; from 1738; sick (espec. in menstruation):—faint, menstruous cloth, she that is sick, having sickness.[1]
[1] Strong, J. (2009). A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (Vol. 2, p. 30). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.