Isaiah 40:18 kjv
To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
Isaiah 40:18 nkjv
To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him?
Isaiah 40:18 niv
With whom, then, will you compare God? To what image will you liken him?
Isaiah 40:18 esv
To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?
Isaiah 40:18 nlt
To whom can you compare God?
What image can you find to resemble him?
Isaiah 40 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 40:18 | "To whom then will you liken God...?" | Direct question of God's uniqueness |
| Psalm 18:31 | "For who is God, but the LORD?" | Echoes the question of God's supremacy |
| Deuteronomy 4:15 | "Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves... you saw no manner of likeness on the day the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire." | Prohibition against idols and likenesses |
| Deuteronomy 6:4 | "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:" | Emphasis on the oneness of God |
| 1 Samuel 2:2 | "There is none holy like the LORD..." | God's unparalleled holiness |
| Psalm 86:8 | "Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord..." | Statement of God's unique position |
| Isaiah 45:5 | "I am the LORD, and there is no other..." | Clear declaration of God's sole existence |
| Isaiah 46:9 | "...for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me," | Repetition of God's distinctiveness |
| Jeremiah 10:6 | "Forasmuch as there is none like you, O LORD..." | Acknowledgment of God's incomparability |
| Jeremiah 10:14 | "Every man is brutish and without knowledge..." | Contrasts God's nature with human folly |
| Acts 17:29 | "...we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device." | New Testament parallel on idolatry |
| Romans 1:23 | "...and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things." | Explanation of human idolatry |
| Revelation 4:11 | "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." | God's worthiness as Creator |
| Exodus 20:4-5 | "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them nor serve them..." | The second commandment against idols |
| Isaiah 44:10 | "Who is he that forms a god or molds an idol that will be profitable for nothing?" | Rhetorical question against idol makers |
| Psalm 115:4-7 | "Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; ears they have, but they do not hear; noses they have, but they do not smell; they have hands, but they do not feel; feet they have, but they do not walk; they do not make a sound with their throat." | Detailed description of idol's inertness |
| Isaiah 40:21-23 | Focuses on God as the sovereign Creator, contrasted with human endeavors. | Expands on God's unmatched power |
| Matthew 6:24 | "No one can serve two masters..." | Choice between God and worldly pursuits/idols |
| 1 Corinthians 8:4 | "Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one." | Reaffirmation of monotheism against idolatry |
| Mark 12:29 | "Jesus answered him, 'The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:'" | Jesus quotes the Shema |
| Philippians 2:6 | "Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it equal grasping to be on par with God," | Christ's divine equality |
| Isaiah 14:14 | "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” | Lucifer's desire for divine likeness |
Isaiah 40 verses
Isaiah 40 18 Meaning
The verse challenges the notion that God is like any created image or idol. It emphasizes God's incomparability, highlighting that no human-made representation can capture His true nature or power. Therefore, any attempt to equate God with an idol is futile and misguided.
Isaiah 40 18 Context
This verse is found in the Book of Isaiah, a prophetic book in the Old Testament. Isaiah 40 is part of the section known as "Second Isaiah," which offers comfort and hope to the exiled Israelites in Babylon. The chapter speaks of God's immeasurable power, His role as Creator, and His ability to deliver His people. It contrasts the eternal God with the temporary power of earthly nations and their idols. The audience, who had turned to idolatry and faced judgment, is being reminded of the true nature of God they had abandoned. The surrounding verses emphasize God's unique attributes as Creator and Sustainer, implicitly denouncing the pagan deities worshipped by the Babylonians, which were often depicted through physical representations.
Isaiah 40 18 Word Analysis
- "To whom": (Hebrew: לְמִי - lĕmî) This interrogative pronoun introduces a question seeking an equivalent or comparison.
- "then": (Hebrew: אָז - 'az) Indicates a consequence or a point of discussion, flowing from the preceding statements about God's nature.
- "will you liken": (Hebrew: תַּשְׁווּ - tash·wū) From the root שׁוה (shāwah), meaning "to be like," "to equal," or "to compare." It poses the act of finding a suitable comparison for God.
- "God": (Hebrew: אֱלֹהִים - 'ĕlō·hîm) The plural form for God, often used to express majesty and comprehensiveness, referring to the one true God.
- "Or": (Hebrew: אוֹ - 'ō) A conjunction offering an alternative in the question.
- "what likeness": (Hebrew: מַה־דְּמוּת - mah-dĕ·mūth) "What" (mah) combined with "likeness" or "image" (dĕmūth), reinforcing the concept of similarity or form.
- "will you": (Hebrew: תָּשִׁיתוּ - tā·shī·tū) From the root שׁית (shyth), meaning "to set," "to put," or "to cause to be," implying "will you set forth" or "will you find."
- "have": (Hebrew: לָכֶם - lā·kêm) A plural masculine pronoun meaning "to you" or "for you," indicating who is being addressed in this act of comparison.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "To whom then will you liken God?": This is a rhetorical question designed to highlight the impossibility of finding any comparison for God. The structure expects a negative answer or an acknowledgment of God's unique status.
- "Or what likeness will you have?": This second part of the question further presses the point, suggesting that no imaginable representation or form could adequately represent God. The "likeness" strongly implies a carved image or idol, a common practice in ancient Near Eastern religions.
Isaiah 40 18 Bonus Section
The Hebrew word translated as "liken" (tash·wū) is potent. It's not just about finding a resemblance, but about finding an equal in stature, power, or being. The text implies that if you try to find an idol to compare God to, you'll find none, and even if you could fashion a perfect image of something, it would still fall infinitely short. Scholars note the parallelism between the two halves of the verse, reinforcing the central theme of God's unparalleled nature. The message of God's incomparability echoes throughout Scripture, shaping the very essence of monotheistic faith and the prohibition against idolatry, a cornerstone of the Mosaic Law.
Isaiah 40 18 Commentary
Isaiah confronts the people with the utter futility of seeking to compare the incomparable God. In a world filled with countless deities represented by crafted idols—images made of gold, silver, stone, or wood—God's message is clear: He is beyond all such representations. Human hands can create objects, but they cannot capture the essence, power, or being of the eternal God. The idols worshipped by surrounding nations were powerless and inanimate, a stark contrast to the living, active God of Israel. This verse serves as a foundational statement of divine transcendence and uniqueness, rebuking idolatry and calling people to recognize the Creator as distinct from His creation. It underscores that any attempt to reduce God to a manageable, human-conceived image is fundamentally flawed and disrespectful to His true nature.
Practical usage: This truth reminds believers that their worship and understanding of God should not be confined to man-made structures or images. True worship involves acknowledging God's sovereignty, holiness, and unique character, recognizing that He cannot be contained or replicated in any physical form. It calls for a spiritual connection rather than a material one.