The Meaning of Isaiah 40:25 Explained

Isaiah 40:25

KJV: To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

YLT: And unto whom do ye liken Me, And am I equal? saith the Holy One.

Darby: To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

ASV: To whom then will ye liken me, that I should be equal to him ? saith the Holy One.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

To whom then will ye liken  me, or shall I be equal?  saith  the Holy One. 

What does Isaiah 40:25 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This verse restates the question in Isaiah 40:18, but puts it in the mouth of God this time. Not only is God infinitely superior to anyone else-in power, Wisdom of Solomon , dignity, sovereignty, and authority-but, far more significantly, in His holiness. He is unattainable and unassailable in His moral perfections; He is wholly other.

Context Summary

Isaiah 40:18-31 - The Everlasting God The Giver Of Strength
Day changes to night, and as the twilight deepens, the stars come out in their myriads, Isaiah 40:26. To the poetic eye of the watcher, they appear as a vast flock following the shepherd, who calls each by its name. Not one falls out of its place, or is lacking. Will Jehovah do so much for stars and nought for men? Will He not have a name for each? Will He not guard and guide each? If He has sustained the orbs of light in their mighty rounds, will He fail the poor soul that clings to His feet?
They that wait on God change their strength. In their earliest days they rely on the energy and vigor of youth, on their blameless, unstained character, in the consciousness of their glorious manhood; but as years pass, they come to count all these as refuse in comparison with Jesus Christ the Lord, Philippians 3:8. Notice the order in Isaiah 40:31! At first sight we should have expected that it would advance from walking to running, and so to flying. But that order is reversed. It is more difficult to walk than to mount! Every cyclist will tell you that the hardest task is to keep your cycle at walking pace. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 40

1  The promulgation of the Gospel
3  The preaching of John Baptist foretold
9  The preaching of the apostles foretold
12  The prophet, by the omnipotence of God
18  And his incomparableness
26  Comforts the people

What do the individual words in Isaiah 40:25 mean?

Then to whom will you liken Me Or [to whom] shall I be equal says the Holy one
וְאֶל־ מִ֥י תְדַמְּי֖וּנִי ؟ וְאֶשְׁוֶ֑ה יֹאמַ֖ר קָדֽוֹשׁ

וְאֶל־  Then  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
מִ֥י  whom 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
תְדַמְּי֖וּנִי  will  you  liken  Me 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, first person common singular
Root: דָּמָה  
Sense: to be like, resemble.
؟ וְאֶשְׁוֶ֑ה  Or  [to  whom]  shall  I  be  equal 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular
Root: שָׁוָה 
Sense: to agree with, be or become like, level, resemble.
יֹאמַ֖ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
קָדֽוֹשׁ  the  Holy  one 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָדֹושׁ  
Sense: sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart.

What are the major concepts related to Isaiah 40:25?

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