Isaiah 40:18 (DRB)

Passage

To whom then have you likened God? or what image will you make for him?

Nearby Context

Isaiah 40:16 And Libanus shall not be enough to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.

Isaiah 40:17 All nations are before him as if they had no being at all, and are counted to him as nothing, and vanity.

Isaiah 40:18 To whom then have you likened God? or what image will you make for him?

Isaiah 40:19 Hath the workman cast a graven statue? or hath the goldsmith formed it with gold, or the silversmith with plates of silver?

Isaiah 40:20 He hath chosen strong wood, and that will not rot: the skilful workman seeketh how he may set up an idol that may not be moved.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "likened", "image", and "make". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "likened" and "image", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "All nations are before him as if..." into verse 19's "Hath the workman cast a graven statue...", so "likened" and "image" belong inside that flow. In Isaiah context, the local focus is the Holy One of Israel, judgment and restoration, the servant of the LORD, and Zion's hope.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "likened" and "image" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.