Isaiah 40:18
New International Version
With whom, then, will you compare God? To what image will you liken him?

New Living Translation
To whom can you compare God? What image can you find to resemble him?

English Standard Version
To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?

Berean Standard Bible
To whom will you liken God? To what image will you compare Him?

King James Bible
To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

New King James Version
To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him?

New American Standard Bible
To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?

NASB 1995
To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?

NASB 1977
To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?

Legacy Standard Bible
To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?

Amplified Bible
To whom then will you liken God? Or with what likeness will you compare Him?

Christian Standard Bible
With whom will you compare God? What likeness will you set up for comparison with him?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Who will you compare God with? What likeness will you compare Him to?

American Standard Version
To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

Contemporary English Version
Who compares with God? Is anything like him?

English Revised Version
To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
To whom, then, can you compare God? To what statue can you compare him?

Good News Translation
To whom can God be compared? How can you describe what he is like?

International Standard Version
"To whom, then, will you compare me, the One who is God? Or to what image will you liken me?

Majority Standard Bible
To whom will you liken God? To what image will you compare Him?

NET Bible
To whom can you compare God? To what image can you liken him?

New Heart English Bible
To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to him?

Webster's Bible Translation
To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare to him?

World English Bible
To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to him?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And to whom do you liken God, "" And what likeness do you compare to Him?

Young's Literal Translation
And unto whom do ye liken God, And what likeness do ye compare to Him?

Smith's Literal Translation
And to whom will ye liken God? what likeness will ye compare to him?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
To whom then have you likened God? or what image will you make for him?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, to whom would you liken God? Or with what image would you replace him?

New American Bible
To whom can you liken God? With what likeness can you confront him?

New Revised Standard Version
To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
To whom then will you liken God? Or to what likeness will you compare him?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
To whom have you compared God and to what likeness have you likened him?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto Him?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
To whom have ye compared the Lord? and with what likeness have ye compared him?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Here is Your God!
17All the nations are as nothing before Him; He regards them as nothingness and emptiness. 18To whom will you liken God? To what image will you compare Him? 19To an idol that a craftsman casts and a metalworker overlays with gold and fits with silver chains?…

Cross References
Exodus 20:4
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.

Deuteronomy 4:15-19
So since you saw no form of any kind on the day the LORD spoke to you out of the fire at Horeb, be careful / that you do not act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves of any form or shape, whether in the likeness of a male or female, / of any beast that is on the earth or bird that flies in the air, ...

Acts 17:29
Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.

Romans 1:22-23
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, / and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Psalm 115:4-8
Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; ...

Jeremiah 10:6-7
There is none like You, O LORD. You are great, and Your name is mighty in power. / Who would not fear You, O King of nations? This is Your due. For among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You.

Jeremiah 10:14-16
Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them. / They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish. / The Portion of Jacob is not like these, for He is the Maker of all things, and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance—the LORD of Hosts is His name.

1 Corinthians 8:4-6
So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one. / For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many so-called gods and lords), / yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.

Psalm 135:15-18
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouths. ...

Isaiah 44:9-20
All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame. / Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing? / Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame. ...

Isaiah 46:5-7
To whom will you liken Me or count Me equal? To whom will you compare Me, that we should be alike? / They pour out their bags of gold and weigh out silver on scales; they hire a goldsmith to fashion it into a god, so they can bow down and worship. / They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles.

1 Kings 8:27
But will God indeed dwell upon the earth? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built.

Acts 17:24-25
The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. / Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.

Colossians 1:15-17
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. / For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. / He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Revelation 4:11
“Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things; by Your will they exist and were created.”


Treasury of Scripture

To whom then will you liken God? or what likeness will you compare to him?

Isaiah 40:25
To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

Isaiah 46:5,9
To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? …

Exodus 8:10
And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God.

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Compare Comparison Forward Image Liken Opinion
Isaiah 40
1. The promulgation of the Gospel
3. The preaching of John Baptist foretold
9. The preaching of the apostles foretold
12. The prophet, by the omnipotence of God
18. And his incomparableness
26. Comforts the people.














To whom
The phrase "to whom" invites the reader to consider the uniqueness and incomparability of God. In the Hebrew text, the word used is "mi," which is an interrogative pronoun. This question sets the stage for a rhetorical exploration of God's unparalleled nature. It challenges the audience to reflect on the futility of comparing the Creator to any created being or object. Historically, this question would resonate deeply with the Israelites, who were surrounded by nations worshiping a pantheon of gods, each with their own images and idols.

will you liken
The verb "liken" comes from the Hebrew root "damah," which means to compare or resemble. This word emphasizes the futility of attempting to find an equivalent to God. In the ancient Near Eastern context, gods were often depicted in physical forms, but the God of Israel transcends such representations. The use of "liken" underscores the theological assertion that God is beyond human comprehension and cannot be reduced to any form or likeness.

God
The term "God" here is translated from the Hebrew "El," a common Semitic term for deity. However, in the context of Isaiah, it refers specifically to Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. This name carries with it the weight of God's eternal power, holiness, and faithfulness. The Israelites would understand this as a reminder of God's sovereignty and the futility of idol worship, which was prevalent in their time.

To what image
The phrase "to what image" challenges the reader to consider the absurdity of representing the divine with a physical form. The Hebrew word for "image" is "temunah," which can mean likeness or representation. In the ancient world, images were often used in worship to make the divine more tangible. However, this phrase highlights the inadequacy of any image to capture the essence of the Almighty. It serves as a call to worship God in spirit and truth, rather than through man-made representations.

will you compare
The verb "compare" is derived from the Hebrew "tavnit," which means to set alongside or to liken. This word reinforces the idea that no comparison can do justice to God's majesty. It invites believers to recognize the limitations of human understanding and the danger of reducing God to something finite. Historically, this would remind the Israelites of the first and second commandments, which prohibit the making of idols and the worship of other gods.

Him
The pronoun "Him" refers back to God, emphasizing His personal nature. Unlike the impersonal forces or distant deities of other religions, the God of Israel is personal and relational. This personal pronoun invites believers into a relationship with God, who is both transcendent and immanent. It serves as a reminder that while God is beyond comparison, He is also near to those who seek Him.

(18) To whom then will ye liken God . . .--The thought of the infinity of God leads, as in St. Paul's reasoning (Acts 17:24-29), to the great primary argument against the folly of idolatry. It is characteristic, partly of the two men individually, partly of the systems under which they lived, that while the tone of Isaiah is sarcastic and declamatory, that of St Paul is pitying, and as with indulgent allowance for the "times of ignorance." We must remember, of course, that the Apostle speaks to those who had known nothing better than the worship of their fathers, the prophet to those who were tempted to fall into the worship of the heathen from a purer faith.

Verse 18. is more the complement of what precedes than the introduction to what follows (comp. ver. 25). If God be all that has been said of him in vers. 12-17, must he not be wholly unique and incomparable? Then, out of this, the thought arises of the strange, the poor, the mean "likenesses" of God, which men have in their folly set up in various times and places. It has been said that Israel in captivity did not need to be warned against idolatry, of the inclination to which the Captivity is supposed at once to have cured them (Urwick, 'Servant of Jehovah,' p. 15). But there is no evidence of this. Rather, considering the few that returned, and the many that remained behind (Joseph., 'Ant Jud.,' 11:1), we may conclude that a large number adopted the customs, religion, and general mode of life of their masters.'

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
To whom
מִ֖י (mî)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

will you liken
תְּדַמְּי֣וּן (tə·ḏam·mə·yūn)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 1819: To compare, to resemble, liken, consider

God?
אֵ֑ל (’êl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 410: Strength -- as adjective, mighty, the Almighty

To what
וּמַה־ (ū·mah-)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

image
דְּמ֖וּת (də·mūṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1823: Resemblance, model, shape, like

will you compare Him?
תַּ֥עַרְכוּ (ta·‘ar·ḵū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 6186: To set in a, row, arrange, put in order


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 40:18 To whom then will you liken God? (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 40:17
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