Verse (Click for Chapter) 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 VersionAnd 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 BibleTo 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 BibleTo 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 1917To 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. Jump to Previous Compare Comparison Forward Image Liken OpinionJump to Next Compare Comparison Forward Image Liken OpinionIsaiah 40 1. The promulgation of the Gospel3. 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 will you liken God? This rhetorical question emphasizes the incomparability of God, a central theme in Isaiah 40. The prophet challenges the people to consider the uniqueness of God, who is beyond human understanding and comparison. This echoes the monotheistic belief that God is singular and supreme, unlike the gods of surrounding nations. In the historical context, Israel was surrounded by polytheistic cultures that created idols to represent their deities. Isaiah's question underscores the futility of such practices. Theologically, this points to the transcendence of God, a concept also found in passages like Exodus 15:11 and Psalm 89:6, which highlight God's unmatched power and holiness. To what image will you compare Him? Persons / Places / Events 1. IsaiahA major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah is the author of the book that bears his name. He prophesied during the reigns of several kings of Judah and is known for his messages of both judgment and hope. 2. God (Yahweh) The central figure in this verse, God is portrayed as incomparable and beyond human understanding or representation. 3. Idols Though not directly mentioned in this verse, the context implies a comparison between God and man-made idols, which were prevalent in the cultures surrounding Israel. 4. Israel The primary audience of Isaiah's prophecies, the nation of Israel often struggled with idolatry and needed constant reminders of God's uniqueness and sovereignty. 5. Ancient Near East The cultural and historical backdrop of Isaiah's ministry, where idol worship was common among the nations surrounding Israel. Teaching Points God's Incomparable NatureGod is beyond human comprehension and cannot be adequately represented by any physical form or image. This calls us to a deeper reverence and awe in our worship. The Futility of Idolatry Idolatry, whether ancient or modern, is futile because it attempts to reduce the infinite God to finite terms. We must guard against modern forms of idolatry, such as materialism or the elevation of personal desires above God. Worship in Spirit and Truth True worship involves recognizing God's unique nature and responding with genuine devotion, free from the constraints of physical representations. Trust in God's Sovereignty Understanding God's incomparability should lead us to trust in His sovereignty and wisdom, especially in times of uncertainty or trial. Reflecting God's Image As humans created in God's image, we are called to reflect His character and attributes in our lives, rather than creating images of 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 whomמִ֖י (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 Links Isaiah 40:18 NIVIsaiah 40:18 NLT Isaiah 40:18 ESV Isaiah 40:18 NASB Isaiah 40:18 KJV Isaiah 40:18 BibleApps.com Isaiah 40:18 Biblia Paralela Isaiah 40:18 Chinese Bible Isaiah 40:18 French Bible Isaiah 40:18 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Isaiah 40:18 To whom then will you liken God? (Isa Isi Is) |