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Isaiah 40:24

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Isaiah 40:24 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Yea, they have not been planted; yea, they have not been sown; yea, their stock hath not taken root in the earth: moreover he bloweth upon them, and they wither, and the whirlwind taketh them away as stubble.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Yea, they have not been planted; yea, they have not been sown; yea, their stock hath not taken root in the earth: moreover he bloweth upon them, and they wither, and the whirlwind taketh them away as stubble.
Isaiah 40:24 — American Standard Version

Context — Isaiah 40

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
21Have ye not known? have yet not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22[It is] he that sitteth above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;
23that bringeth princes to nothing; that maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
24Yea, they have not been planted; yea, they have not been sown; yea, their stock hath not taken root in the earth: moreover he bloweth upon them, and they wither, and the whirlwind taketh them away as stubble.
25To whom then will ye liken me, that I should be equal [to him]? saith the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes on high, and see who hath created these, that bringeth out their host by number; he calleth them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and for that he is strong in power, not one is lacking.
27Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from Jehovah, and the justice [due] to me is passed away from my God?
← Isaiah 40:23Isaiah 40:25 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Yea, they shall not be planted, &c.] As trees are, like the cedars in Lebanon, though they may seem to be such; but be like the grass of the field, and herbs of the earth: or, “even they shall be”, as if they were “not plantedf779”, they shall not grow and flourish; or they shall be plucked up, and be no more; this is said of the princes and judges of the earth; nay, they shall not be sown; as seed is, which springing up, brings forth fruit, but so it shall not be with them; or they shall be as if they had not been sown, no fruit being brought forth by them: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth; so as to continue and abide, but they shall soon vanish and disappear, as the most…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“they--the "princes and judges" (Isa 40:23) who oppose God's purposes and God's people. Often compared to tall trees (Psa 37:35; Dan 4:10). not . . . sown--the seed, that is, race shall become extinct (Nah 1:14). stock--not even shall any shoots spring up from the stump when the tree has been cut down: no descendants whatever (Job 14:7; see on Isa 11:1). and . . . also--so the Septuagint. But MAURER translates, "They are hardly (literally, 'not yet', as in Kg2 20:4) planted (&c.) when He (God) blows upon them." blow--The image is from the hot east wind (simoon) that "withers" vegetation. whirlwind . . . stubble-- (Psa 83:13), where, "like a wheel," refers to the rotatory action of the…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Yea, they shall not be planted - The kings and rulers - especially they who oppose God in the execution of his purposes. The idea in this verse is, that their name and family should become extinct in the same way as a tree does from which no shoot starts up. Although they were great and mighty, like the tree that sends out far-spreading branches, and strikes its roots deep, yet God would so utterly destroy them that they should have no posterity, and their family become extinct. Princes and kings are often compared to lofty and majestic trees of the forest (compare Psalms 37:35; Daniel 4:7 ff) Vitringa supposes that wicked rulers are particularly intended here, and that the idea is, that the…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Sown - They shall take no root, for planting and sowing are in order to taking root. They shall not continue and flourish, as they have vainly imagined, but shall be rooted up and perish. Isaiah 40:26”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“they shall not be planted: Isa 14:21, Isa 14:22, Isa 17:11; Kg1 21:21, Kg1 21:22; Kg2 10:11; Job 15:30-33, Job 18:16-19; Jer 22:30; Nah 1:14 he shall also: Isa 40:7, Isa 11:4, Isa 30:33, Isa 37:7; Sa2 22:16; Job 4:9; Hag 1:9 and the: Isa 17:13, Isa 41:16; Job 21:18; Psa 58:9; Pro 1:27; Jer 23:19; Hos 13:3, Hos 13:15; Zac 7:14, Zac 9:14 Isaiah 40:25”
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Related study paths

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Sources and verification