Isaiah 46:5 kjv
To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?
Isaiah 46:5 nkjv
"To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal And compare Me, that we should be alike?
Isaiah 46:5 niv
"With whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?
Isaiah 46:5 esv
"To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike?
Isaiah 46:5 nlt
"To whom will you compare me?
Who is my equal?
Isaiah 46 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 40:18 | "To whom then will you liken God?" | Direct Parallel |
| Isa 40:25 | "“To whom then will you liken Me, that I should be comparable?” says the Holy One." | Direct Parallel |
| Deut 6:4 | "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one." | Oneness of God |
| Ps 86:8 | "There is none like You among the gods, O Lord;" | Incomparability |
| Ps 96:4-5 | "For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols..." | Superiority over Idols |
| Jer 10:6-7 | "There is none like You, O Lord; You are great, and Your name is great in might. Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?" | Supremacy and Fear |
| Acts 17:24 | "The God who made the world and everything in it, since he is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made by hands..." | Creator, incomparable to creation |
| Rom 1:22-23 | "Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things." | Idolatry compared to true God |
| Col 1:15 | "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." | Divine Image |
| Heb 1:3 | "He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature..." | Divine Nature |
| Rev 4:11 | "“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”" | Worthiness and Creator |
| Ps 113:5-6 | "Who is like the Lord our God, who sits enthroned on high, who looks down on the heavens and the earth?" | God's Vantage Point |
| Isa 44:24 | "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: 'I am the Lord, who made all things...'" | God as Creator |
| Isa 43:10-11 | "“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me." | No other God before or after |
| Ps 147:5 | "Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure." | Divine Greatness & Knowledge |
| Ex 15:11 | "Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" | God's Majestic Holiness |
| Jer 32:17 | "“Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you." | God's Power |
| John 10:30 | "I and the Father are one." | Divine Unity |
| Matt 19:17 | "...‘Why do you ask me about what is good? There is one good. But if you want to enter life, keep the commandments.’" | One Goodness = God |
| Mark 10:18 | "“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “No one is good except God alone." | One Goodness = God |
| Isa 55:8-9 | "“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." | Divine Transcendence |
Isaiah 46 verses
Isaiah 46 5 Meaning
To whom will you liken God? Or compare Me, says the Holy One. You will not compare God to anything that is made, for God is unique and incomparable. This verse emphatically states the absolute supremacy and distinctiveness of the Lord God Almighty. No created being or idol can be compared to Him in power, glory, wisdom, or essence.
Isaiah 46 5 Context
Isaiah 46 is part of the section where Isaiah addresses the people of Israel and Judah, particularly during a time when they were tempted by or relying upon pagan deities and astrological signs for security. The preceding verses in chapter 46 detail the defeat and burden of Babylonian idols, Bel and Nebuchadnezzar, contrasted with God's enduring power and care for His people. God, through Isaiah, contrasts His people's reliance on impotent idols with His own unchangeable nature as their eternal covenant God and Deliverer. This verse serves as a climactic assertion of God's uniqueness, reinforcing the futility of idolatry and calling His people to trust only in Him.
Isaiah 46 5 Word Analysis
"To": Implies addressing or speaking.
"whom": Interrogative pronoun, asking about a person or thing.
"will": Indicates future tense.
"you": Refers to the audience of Isaiah, or by extension, humanity.
"liken": To make equal, compare, liken to, assimilate to. The Hebrew word is "mashal" (מָשַׁל), meaning to resemble, compare, make like.
"Me": God Himself speaking in the first person.
"or": Conjunction indicating an alternative.
"compare": To measure, set beside, contrast. The Hebrew word is "sur" (סוּר), related to turning aside, departing, but in this context, it means to set beside for comparison or equality.
"saying": Introduces the declaration or quote.
"the Holy": "Qadosh" (קָדוֹשׁ), meaning holy, sacred, set apart. Emphasizes God's unique and supreme attribute of holiness, setting Him infinitely apart from all creation and even from concepts of holiness in pagan religions.
"One": Signifies uniqueness, singularity, indivisibility. Refers to the LORD (Yahweh), emphasizing His oneness as the one true God.
Group analysis:
- "To whom will you liken Me, or compare Me": This is a rhetorical question challenging any attempt to find an equal to God. It highlights the absolute transcendence and inimitable nature of the divine being.
- "says the Holy One": This phrase elevates the challenge. It is not just any utterance, but the pronouncement of God in His supreme holiness. This holiness means He is fundamentally different, set apart, and morally perfect, making comparison to anything impure or created impossible.
Isaiah 46 5 Bonus Section
The concept of God's incomparability is echoed throughout Scripture. It counters anthropomorphism, the tendency to describe God in human terms, by asserting that while God interacts with humanity, His true being remains beyond human comprehension or imitation. This uniqueness also underscores God's exclusivity in worship; no other deity or power deserves the ultimate devotion that belongs to the Creator alone. The entire thrust of Isaiah 40-48 emphasizes the LORD as the unique God who redeems, not as gods who are helpless or captured. The idols of Babylon, though objects of reverence, are depicted as carried burdens (Isa 46:1), highlighting their powerlessness and dependence on human effort, unlike the eternal, self-sustaining God.
Isaiah 46 5 Commentary
The verse is a profound declaration of God's incomparable nature. It's not merely that God is superior, but that no comparison is even valid because He stands entirely in a category of His own. The reference to "the Holy One" underscores that His holiness, His set-apartness, is the very essence of His incomparability. Human attempts to represent God with images or concepts drawn from creation invariably fall short because creation itself is fundamentally different in kind and essence from the Creator. This truth is a cornerstone of monotheism and a stark contrast to polytheistic and idolatrous systems. For believers, this assures them that their God is sovereign, self-existent, and above all other powers, providing a unique foundation for faith and trust.