Isaiah 40:17
All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Before God, all human nations are utterly insignificant, not just "nothing" but even less than nothing, like mere emptiness. This isn't just a statement about size, but a profound declaration that the entire collective power and pride of humanity has no inherent value or substance when compared to the Creator of all.
This passage appears in the context of God's powerful discourse about His incomparability. Following the vivid imagery of the vastness of creation and the futility of idols, Isaiah shifts to address the absolute insignificance of all human nations when measured against the Creator. The prophet emphasizes that not only are earthly powers insignificant, but they are utterly nonexistent in God's sight.
When you compare the vastness of God's power and presence to anything in our world, what happens to our human-made measures of importance?
Isaiah uses incredibly strong language here to emphasize God's supreme status. He says nations are not just 'nothing' but 'less than nothing' and 'emptiness.' This isn't just hyperbole; it reflects a deep understanding from the original Hebrew.
When Isaiah says this, he's painting a picture of the stark contrast between the Creator of the universe and His creation. Compared to God's infinite being and power, all human endeavors, nations, and their perceived greatness are truly non-existent.
We often measure importance by worldly standards. How does God's view of the world reframe our own understanding of significance?
This verse forces us to confront the radical difference between how we see the world and how God sees it. Our human perspective is built on visibility, power, numbers, and achievement. We see nations as powerful entities with armies, economies, and influence.
But God's perspective is based on His eternal, infinite nature. When He looks at the nations, He sees them in light of His own being.
Understand the original words
goyim · Hebrew Noun
The plural form (goyim) refers to all peoples or ethnic groups outside the covenant community of Israel. In prophetic literature, they are often contrasted with God's sovereignty, highlighting their transience and insignificance compared to the Creator.
tohu · Hebrew Noun
A term signifying that which is formless, chaotic, empty, or futile. Biblically, it describes that which lacks substance or lasting value, often used to characterize the vanity of idols or anything set in opposition to God.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
Under King Hezekiah, Jerusalem miraculously survives a devastating Assyrian siege, reinforcing the belief in Jerusalem's divine protection.
c. 622 BC
Josiah's Religious Reforms
King Josiah initiates a sweeping religious reformation, purging idolatry and centralizing worship in Jerusalem after the discovery of the Book of the Law.
609 BC
Josiah's Death at Megiddo
King Josiah is killed in battle against Pharaoh Necho II of Egypt, a shock that destabilizes Judah and signals the end of its period of reform and relative peace.
597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon deports King Jehoiachin and a significant portion of Jerusalem's elite and skilled workforce, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon.
587 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
This Psalm directly echoes Isaiah's sentiment, calling the idols of the nations worthless and made by human hands, underscoring the absolute superiority and uniqueness of God.
Daniel 4:35Daniel speaks of God's power over all earthly kingdoms, stating that 'all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,' which mirrors Isaiah's assertion about the insignificance of nations before God.
Isaiah 41:24This passage from the same book of Isaiah emphasizes the utter worthlessness of idols and human endeavors compared to God, describing them as 'less than nothing and of nought.'
1 Corinthians 1:28The Apostle Paul speaks about how God chooses 'the weak things of the world to shame the things that are strong,' reflecting the same principle that worldly power and nations are insignificant before God's might.
cambridgeIsaiah 40:17: "All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity."
17 . less than nothing ] Better: of nought ; “belonging to the category of nothingness” (Cheyne). vanity ] The Hebr. is tôhû , a word which means primarily “a waste,” and is applied in Genesis 1:2 to the primeval chaos (A.V. “without form”). See on ch. Isaiah 29:21 , Isaiah 34:11 . Here and in many other cases it is a synonym for nonentity.
jfbIsaiah 40:17: "All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity."
- (Ps 62:9; Da 4:35).less than nothing—Maurer translates, as in Isa 41:24, "of nothing" (partitively; or expressive of the nature of a thing), a mere nothing.vanity—emptiness.
Before God, all human nations are utterly insignificant, not just "nothing" but even less than nothing, like mere emptiness. This isn't just a statement about size, but a profound declaration that the entire collective power and pride of humanity has no inherent value or substance when compared to the Creator of all.
This passage appears in the context of God's powerful discourse about His incomparability. Following the vivid imagery of the vastness of creation and the futility of idols, Isaiah shifts to address the absolute insignificance of all human nations when measured against the Creator. The prophet emphasizes that not only are earthly powers insignificant, but they are utterly nonexistent in God's sight.
This passage appears in the context of God's powerful discourse about His incomparability. Following the vivid imagery of the vastness of creation and the futility of idols, Isaiah shifts to address the absolute insignificance of all human nations when measured against the Creator. The prophet emphasizes that not only are earthly powers insignificant, but they are utterly nonexistent in God's sight.
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Following a prolonged siege, Babylonian forces breach Jerusalem's walls, destroy the Temple and the city, and carry off the remaining population into exile, marking the end of the Davidic kingdom.
c. 550 BC
Rise of Cyrus the Great
Cyrus, king of Persia and Media, begins his successful campaigns, eventually conquering Babylon and paving the way for the return of the Jewish exiles.
"All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness." — Before God, all human nations are utterly insignificant, not just "nothing" but even less than nothing, like mere emptiness. This isn't just a statement about size, but a profound declaration that th…
