King James Bible
"The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains."
This describes the initial crafting of an idol through metalworking, where raw materials are melted and shaped into a religious figure. The emphasis on human manufacture highlights the absurdity of worshiping something made by human hands, a key theme in Isaiah's critique of idolatry. The idol receives an overlay of gold to create an appearance of value and divinity. This decorative process reveals how idols derive their perceived worth from expensive materials rather than any inherent power, masking their hollow nature with superficial splendor. Silver chains likely served to secure the idol in place or as ornamental additions. The detail underscores both the idol's inability to stand on its own and the irony that what people worship as powerful requires human-made restraints to remain upright.