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Isaiah 40:25

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Isaiah 40:25 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “To whom then will ye liken me, that I should be equal [to him]? saith the Holy One.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

To whom then will ye liken me, that I should be equal [to him]? saith the Holy One.
Isaiah 40:25 — American Standard Version

Context — Isaiah 40

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
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?
28Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard? The everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary; there is no searching of his understanding.
← Isaiah 40:24Isaiah 40:26 →
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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
“To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal, saith the Holy One?] Or be upon a level with? since the greatest of men on earth are brought to nothing by him, and are no more: this is repeated from (<234018>Isaiah 40:18) and supported with fresh strength of argument, to show that there is nothing whatever, that is a fit likeness and similitude, by which to represent the Lord.”
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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
“(Compare Isa 40:18).”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“To whom then will ye liken me? - (See Isaiah 40:18) The prophet having thus set forth the majesty and glory of God, asks now with great emphasis, what could be an adequate and proper representation of such a God. And if God was such a Being, how great was the folly of idolatry, and how vain all their confidence in the gods which their own hands had made. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“40:25 The Holy One is a shortened form of “the Holy One of Israel,” a common designation for God in Isaiah (see also 10:17; 43:15; Ps 22:3).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Isa 40:18; Deu 4:15-18, Deu 4:33, Deu 5:8 Isaiah 40:26”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“The thought of Isa 40:18 now recurs like a refrain, a conclusion being appended to the premises by means of ו, as was the case there. "And to whom will ye compare me, to whom I can be equal? saith the Holy One." Not haqqâdōsh, because a poetical or oratorical style omits the article wherever it can be dispensed with. The Holy One asks this, and can ask it, because as such He is also exalted above the whole world ( Job 15:15; Job 25:5). Isaiah 40:26”
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Related study paths

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Sources and verification