Isaiah 40:17 (LSB)

Passage

All the nations are as nothing before Him; They are counted by Him as non‑existent and utterly formless.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 40:15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are counted as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the coastlands like fine dust.

Isaiah 40:16 Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering.

Isaiah 40:17 All the nations are as nothing before Him; They are counted by Him as non‑existent and utterly formless.

Isaiah 40:18 To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?

Isaiah 40:19 As for the graven images, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "nations", "nothing", "before", "counted", "existent", "utterly", and "formless". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "nations" and "nothing", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "Even Lebanon is not enough to burn..." into verse 18's "To whom then will you liken God...", so "nations" and "nothing" 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 "nations" and "nothing" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.