Did the Book of Isaiah Misunderstand Paganism?

In Isaiah chapters 40-44 the author attacked idolatry and paganism, even going as far as calling it “nothing” (41:29) and satirically mocking those that worship idols (44:9-20). This was used polemically to argue for the superiority and incompatibility of YHWH in comparison to the pagan gods of the nations around Judah, especially the Babylonian deities. This type of language used in the book has caused many scholars, such as Joseph Blenkinsopp, Roger Whybray, Paul Hanson and Claus Westermann, to argue that the author either misunderstood paganism or deliberately downplayed it to make a polemic argument easier to accept. They argue that the people of the Ancient Near East clearly understood that the idol itself was not the deity but either represented the deity and/or contained the deity in some form. Therefore, the author was either ignorant of this concept or purposefully ignored it. Moreover, passages such as Deuteronomy 32:17 and Psalm 106:37 seem to argue that there was a spiritual component behind the idols that were being worshipped. Many have argued that Israel did not have a clear understanding of demonology that would later be developed during the New Testament era. While there is certainly debate over what exactly these passages meant when they used demonic terminology, that there was some type of supernatural power behind the idols is widely held and is supported in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 10:20). This would seem to contradict the message of Isaiah that there was nothing behind the idols and their pagan gods. Thus, two questions emerge. First, did the author of Isaiah 40-44 misunderstand or purposefully misrepresent paganism? Second, do the passages in Deuteronomy and Psalms contradict the argument being made in Isaiah? This paper will argue that the author of Isaiah, in making his polemic argument against paganism, did not misunderstand or misrepresent ancient paganism and also left room in his argument for supernatural forces that are not equal in power or substance to YHWH to be the focus of paganism, thus allowing for harmony with the texts of Deuteronomy and Psalms.