John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 31:7

"For in that day they shall cast away every man his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin." — Isaiah 31:7 (ASV)

For in that day. He continues the subject which he began in the former verse. Yet there is this difference: in the former verse he exhorted to repentance, but now he points out the fruits of repentance, which, we know, is the customary way of teaching in Scripture. For, since repentance is concealed within us and has its root in the heart, it must be made known by the practical result and by works, as a tree shows by its fruits (Matthew 7:17) its inherent goodness; and therefore he points out repentance by works which are the fruit of it.

Shall cast away the idols. When he speaks of idols only, it is by a figure of speech frequently employed in Scripture, in which a part is taken for the whole. For the Prophet undoubtedly intended to speak of the whole of man’s conversion, but, as it would have been tedious to enumerate all the kinds, under one of them he includes all the rest. Now, the beginning of repentance is the change of the heart; and next we must come to outward fruits, that is, to works.

Above all, we must observe the object which the Prophet had in view in discoursing about repentance. It was because the Lord had promised salvation near at hand; and, so that they might be capable of it, he exhorts them to repentance. Hence it should be observed that, when we persevere in being wicked, we resist God by our wickedness and thus restrain his grace from assisting us. Therefore, so that the way may be open for God’s assistance, he demands that we repent.

He calls them The idols of his silver and the idols of his gold, because, as we have formerly seen, those who sincerely repent are affected by deep grief for their sin, so that the traces of their superstitions, which are stamped with the highest dishonor of God, cannot be viewed by them without the greatest horror.

For this reason they abhor them and do not dread the loss of gold or silver to testify to their conversion and their faith; for he who has sincerely renounced superstitions does not spare any expense in order to possess the pure worship of God. This is what the Prophet intended to express by calling them gold and silver rather than wood and stone.

However excellent anything may be, the loss of it is a happy event when we are cleansed from such base and abominable pollutions. Those who retain them, though they profess to be Christians, show that they are still involved in the remains of superstition; and hence it is evident that their hearts are not truly or completely reformed.

In this matter we must listen to none of the excuses which we frequently hear from the lips of hypocrites who cannot absolutely renounce idolatry: “What could I do? How could I live? I am aware that this revenue, this ‘gold,’ is detestable in the sight of God, because it arises from idolatry; but in some way or other my life must be supported.” Away with such foolishness! say I; for where the conversion of the heart is real, that which cannot be retained without insulting or dishonoring God is instantly thrown away.

Which your own hands have made. The Prophet urges them to make a fuller acknowledgment of their sin. For when people are accused, they generally throw the blame on someone else and do not willingly allow it to fall on themselves or acknowledge that they are responsible. Just as the common people willingly accuse the priests, no one is willing to acknowledge his own guilt.

The Prophet therefore directs them to look to their own hands, that they may know that they have committed so great a crime. He reminds them, at the same time, how grossly they have been deceived by their unbelief in making gods for themselves. Hence we should conclude that God rejects everything of our own invention and that he cannot accept as good any worship that has originated with ourselves.

I consider חאט (chēt), sin, to be a noun, as if he had said, “Whenever you see idols, see your guilt; acknowledge the proofs of your treachery and revolt; and if you are truly converted to God, show it practically, that is, by throwing away idols and abandoning superstitions; for this is the true fruit of conversion.”