Isaiah 40:18 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 40:18 mean?

Isaiah 40:18 asks its hearers to consider whether anything can truly be placed alongside God as his equal or made to look like him. The two questions expect the answer that no person or image is an adequate match for God.

Isaiah speaks to people addressed in the passage as Zion and Jerusalem. After describing the nations as small before God in verse 17, the prophet turns from their size to the question of whether any likeness can represent him.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 40:18

• “liken” — דָּמָה (damah): This word can mean to make a comparison or consider things alike. Here it introduces a question about finding someone or something that matches God.
• “likeness” — דְּמוּת (demut): This word can mean a form or resemblance. In this setting, it prepares the reader for the description of a crafted image in the verses that follow.

Why Isaiah 40:18 matters

• The questions connect God’s greatness with the problem of making an image. Verses 19–20 describe a worker making an image and covering it with gold or choosing wood that will not rot.
• The verse challenges the idea that a costly or carefully made object can provide a fitting likeness of God. The question “what likeness will ye compare unto him?” comes before the description of the materials and skill used to make an image.
• The verse addresses more than a comparison between God and the nations. Its first question asks “to whom,” while its second asks “what likeness,” widening the question to include a visible representation.