Isaiah 40:15
What does Isaiah 40:15 mean?
A plain-English look at Isaiah 40:15 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Isaiah 40:15 means
Shifting from God's wisdom to His power over nations, this verse declares their utter insignificance before Him. Nations are compared to a mere "drop of a bucket," "small dust of the balance," and "very little thing" when He picks up islands. This imagery powerfully minimizes human empires, armies, and achievements, demonstrating that they hold virtually no weight or consequence in God's eternal purposes. It highlights His absolute sovereignty over all earthly powers.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are accounted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are accounted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949See, the nations are to him like a drop hanging from a bucket, and like the small dust in the scales: he takes up the islands like small dust.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862Lo, nations as a drop from a bucket, And as small dust of the balance, have been reckoned, Lo, isles as a small thing He taketh up.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Behold the Gentiles are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the smallest grain of a balance: behold the islands are as a little dust.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Behold, the nations are esteemed as a drop of the bucket, and as the fine dust on the scales; behold, he taketh up the isles as an atom.
Context
After establishing God's incomparable wisdom and independence, this verse shifts to illustrate His immense power by contrasting it with the insignificance of all human nations. It moves from abstract attributes to concrete examples of God's sovereignty over earthly powers. This dramatic reduction of human might prepares the reader for the subsequent demonstration of the inadequacy of even the grandest earthly offerings to God.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Isaiah 11:11
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, that shall remain, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
- Isaiah 59:18
According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, wrath to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense.
- Jeremiah 10:10
But Jehovah is the true God; he is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth trembleth, and the nations are not able to abide his indignation.
- Genesis 10:5
Of these were the isles of the nations divided in their lands, every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
- Isaiah 40:22
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;
- Isaiah 66:19
And I will set a sign among them, and I will send such as escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.
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