Isaiah 40 17

Isaiah 40:17 kjv

All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.

Isaiah 40:17 nkjv

All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.

Isaiah 40:17 niv

Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing.

Isaiah 40:17 esv

All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

Isaiah 40:17 nlt

The nations of the world are worth nothing to him.
In his eyes they count for less than nothing ?
mere emptiness and froth.

Isaiah 40 verses

Isaiah 40 17 Meaning

Isaiah 40:17 profoundly declares the absolute insignificance of all human nations before the infinite power and majesty of God. They are likened to nothingness, deemed by Him as even less than nothing, and ultimately, without form or true purpose, mere emptiness. This serves as a colossal contrast, elevating God's unmatched sovereignty above all earthly powers.

Isaiah 40 17 Context

Isaiah chapter 40 marks a significant shift in the book of Isaiah, moving from prophecies of judgment (chapters 1-39) to messages of comfort and restoration for God's exiled people (chapters 40-66). The preceding verses (40:1-11) declare "Comfort, comfort My people," promising their release and the glorious appearance of God. Isaiah 40:12-31 forms a grand declaration of Yahweh's unparalleled majesty, power, and wisdom as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, explicitly contrasting Him with creation, human beings, and idols. This specific verse, 40:17, serves to underscore God's utter transcendence by dramatically minimizing the might and significance of all human nations. This message was vital for a people suffering in Babylonian exile, feeling abandoned and overwhelmed by a powerful pagan empire. It reassures them that the colossal worldly powers they faced were, from God's eternal perspective, utterly negligible, offering hope that their sovereign God was fully capable of fulfilling His promises of salvation and restoration. It simultaneously serves as a direct polemic against the idolatry and self-exaltation prevalent in the surrounding nations.

Isaiah 40 17 Word analysis

• All the nations (כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם kol-haggoyim):

  • kol means "all" or "every," emphasizing a universal scope.
  • goyim (plural of goy, גּוֹי) refers to nations. In this prophetic context, it primarily designates the powerful, often pagan, empires (like Babylon) that opposed Israel and self-exalted.

• before Him (נֶגְדּוֹ negdo):

  • neged means "in front of," "in the sight of," or "in comparison with." It signifies God's direct perspective, assessment, and presence, against which all other entities are measured.

• are as nothing (כְּאַיִן ke'ayin):

  • ke means "as" or "like."
  • 'ayin (אַיִן) denotes "nothing" or "non-existence." This is the first level of diminishing their worth, portraying them as entirely insubstantial.

• they are counted by Him (נֶחְשְׁבוּ לוֹ neḥshvu lo):

  • neḥshvu is the passive form of ḥashav (חָשַׁב), meaning "to count," "to reckon," or "to esteem." It highlights that God performs this deliberate evaluation.
  • lo means "to Him" or "by Him," confirming God as the sole judge and determiner of their actual value.

• as less than nothing (מֵאֶפֶס me'efes):

  • me is a preposition meaning "from" or "out of," here implying a comparison and a further reduction, "less than."
  • 'efes (אֶפֶס) signifies "nothing," "zero," or "utter end." It intensifies 'ayin, moving beyond mere absence to complete nullity, an even more profound state of worthlessness.

• and meaningless (וָתֹהוּ va'tohu):

  • va means "and."
  • tohu (תֹהוּ) is a powerful term meaning "formless," "empty," "chaos," or "a wasteland." Notably used in Gen 1:2 ("without form and void"), it suggests a complete lack of intrinsic order, substance, purpose, or ultimate reality, rendering them utterly void and without inherent meaning apart from the Creator.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "All the nations before Him are as nothing": This initial statement immediately establishes the overwhelming disparity between God and human power. It's a stark re-evaluation of national grandeur, showing it vanishes in God's presence.
  • "they are counted by Him as less than nothing and meaningless": This second phrase escalates the declaration using a cumulative effect of Hebrew terms. It is not mere repetition but an intensification, reducing their value from "nothing" (ke'ayin) to something worse than pure absence (me'efes) and, finally, to an ultimate state of intrinsic emptiness and chaos (va'tohu). This powerful crescendo aims to utterly dismantle any perception of enduring power or significance residing in human empires or their deities, emphatically asserting God's absolute sovereignty and capacity to act.

Isaiah 40 17 Bonus section

The rhetorical force of Isaiah 40:17 is particularly potent because it directly precedes the famous challenge, "To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness will you compare to Him?" (Isa 40:18), followed by a satirical critique of idol making. By utterly annihilating the perceived might of nations, Isaiah prepares the audience to understand why there is nothing in creation—be it a mighty empire or a handcrafted idol—that can truly compare to Yahweh. The repeated use of negation or reduction terms (ayin, efes, tohu) in the "Book of Comfort" section is a deliberate literary device, reinforcing the emptiness of anything that rivals God's glory and power, thereby emphasizing His unique capacity to save. This truth serves not only as comfort but also as a call to reorient trust away from all transient worldly powers and towards the everlasting, incomparable God. The verse is a foundational statement of God's "otherness"—His infinite distinction from all created things and all human enterprises.

Isaiah 40 17 Commentary

Isaiah 40:17 provides profound comfort through a radical declaration of God's unmatched transcendence and sovereignty. It confronts human-centric perspectives that view powerful nations as formidable, portraying them instead as utterly devoid of substance, value, or reality when set against the infinite Creator. The use of escalating terms—from "nothing" (ke'ayin), to "less than nothing" (me'efes), to "meaningless" or "chaos" (va'tohu)—underscores a deliberate divine evaluation, not a casual dismissal. The nations, with all their pomp and power, are stripped bare, revealed as utterly insignificant, lacking true form or purpose apart from the One who creates and sustains all things. This serves to instill absolute confidence in God's ability to fulfill His promises, particularly His promise of restoration for His exiled people, and simultaneously dismantle any awe or fear directed towards earthly empires or their false gods. For believers, it means finding security not in worldly strength but in the incomparable majesty of God, knowing that He controls all.

• Practical Example: When faced with daunting societal issues, remembering that the most formidable human systems are "as nothing" before God allows believers to trust in His ultimate plan and power for change.
• Practical Example: Evaluating one's own achievements or failures in light of this verse can cultivate humility, as even significant human accomplishments are "meaningless" unless aligned with God's eternal purposes.