If the previous verse has a woodworking tool in view, then this verse speaks about a woodcarver who uses the tool to make a wooden image. If the previous verse has a blacksmith making a metal image in view, then this verse gives another example of an idol maker, one who is a carver making a wooden image.
The carpenter stretches a line, he marks it out with a pencil: Carpenter is literally “craftsman of trees” (see verse 11 concerning the Hebrew word for “craftsman”). This expression is better rendered “sculptor” (Bible en français courant) or “woodcarver” (Contemporary English Version, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), because a carpenter is not associated normally with the carving of statues. Stretches a line means he measures with a string the piece of wood he is going to carve. Good News Translation expresses this clearly with “measures the wood.” For the Hebrew word rendered line, see the comments on 28.17.
He marks it out with a pencil means the carver draws lines on the piece of wood to indicate where he will carve it. The Hebrew word rendered pencil refers more likely to a stylus or to a piece of soft red stone, similar to chalk. Good News Translation and Bible en français courant have “chalk.” The specific meaning of the Hebrew term here is uncertain, so the context helps to determine its sense. Translators are free to choose a tool that is used to mark lines on rough wood. For some languages the natural tool will be a piece of charcoal.
He fashions it with planes means the carver shapes the wood with carving tools. The Hebrew word rendered planes is better translated “chisel/chisels” (New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant) or “scraping tools” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Planes is too modern a term.
And marks it with a compass: The compass is another tool for marking wood before carving it. It draws circles on the wood. Good News Translation combines this clause with the previous one, saying “carves it out with his tools.”
The tools mentioned in the first half of this verse are specific to woodworking, so translators may use terms for tools that are used normally in that type of work. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch provides a helpful model with “The woodcarver measures a block of wood, draws the outline of a human figure on it, and carves the figure out of the wood with a carving tool. After that he makes its surface smooth.”
He shapes it into the figure of a man: The carver shapes the wood into something that resembles a human. The Hebrew verb rendered shapes is the same one translated fashions. Man is better rendered “human” or “human being” (New Jerusalem Bible), especially since there were idols of both male and female gods.
With the beauty of a man indicates that the carving has a beautiful human shape. It is not just a lump of wood, but a fine piece of artwork. Good News Translation says “a handsome human figure.”
To dwell in a house: The goal of the carver is to produce an attractive idol that can be placed in someone’s house. New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh render house as “shrine.” This is clearly a possible meaning of the common Hebrew noun here, but the idol could be a statue of a household god, so house or “home” is appropriate here.
Translation examples for this verse are:
• The woodcarver measures a piece of wood with a string, marks it with a stylus and a compass, and carves it with a chisel, shaping it into a human form that is attractive. He makes it to place it in a house.
• A woodcarver measures a block of wood, marks it with tools, and then shapes/carves it, so that it looks like a fine human being. He makes it to be put in a home.
Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .