The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.
The carpenter - Hebrew, The workman in wood. After the smith's work in preparing the instruments comes the carpenter's work in forming the idol.
Stretcheth out (his) rule - Hebrew, quav; rather, line (Grotius).
He marketh it out with a line - rather, a pencil (Horsley); literally, red ochre, which he uses to mark on the wood the outline of the figure (Lowth). Or best, the stylus or graver, with which the incision of the outline is made; Hebrew, basered (H8279): cf. the kindred root, saarat (H8295), to make incisions (Gesenius).
He fitteth it with planes - rather, chisels or carving tools, because a plane would not correspond to carving: bamaqªtsu`owt (H4741), from qaatsa` (H7106), to cause to scrape, to cut off.
He marketh it out with the compass - from a Hebrew root, chuwg (H2328), to make a circle. By it symmetry of form is secured.
According to the beauty of a man - irony. The highest idea the pagan could form of a god was one of a form like their own. Jerome says, 'The more handsome the statue the more august the god was thought.' The incarnation of the Son of God condescends to this anthropomorphic feeling so natural to man, but in such a way as to raise man's thoughts up to the infinite God who "is a spirit."
That it may remain in the house - the only thing it was good for: it could not hear nor save (cf. Wis 13:15).