Behold, you are nothing, and your work is less than nothing; an abomination is he who chooses you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "your work is less than nothing" isn't just a poetic way of saying idols are useless; it implies their very creation and any actions attributed to them are worse than empty. The text is so emphatic that it calls anyone who chooses these worthless idols an "abomination," highlighting the profound offense this choice represents to God.
Behold, you are nothing, and your work is less than nothing; an abomination is he who chooses you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse comes as God is presenting His case against the idols and their worshippers. He has challenged the nations to bring forth their gods to prove their power by predicting the future or doing some great deed. The preceding verses describe the futility of idol makers and the ultimate insignificance of the idols themselves compared to the Creator.
What do we place our ultimate trust in? This verse delivers a stark, unambiguous message about the true nature of idols.
The prophet Isaiah uses powerful language to dismantle any notion that idols possess power or value.
It's not just the idols that are condemned, but also those who choose them. What does this choice reveal?
The verse doesn't stop with critiquing the idols; it directly addresses the people who choose to worship them.
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Understand the original words
to'ebah · Hebrew Noun
Something that is detestable, loathsome, or morally repugnant, particularly in the context of idolatry. It signifies that which is fundamentally contrary to God's holy nature and therefore prohibited.
This verse speaks powerfully to the exiles in Babylon, who were surrounded by the grandeur of a foreign civilization and its many gods. The prophet's words serve as a stark reminder that these idols, and the power structures they represent, are ultimately empty and insignificant in the face of the one true God, who is orchestrating world events, including the rise of Cyrus, for His people's deliverance.
c. 598-589 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar deports a significant portion of the Jewish elite, including priests and craftsmen, to Babylon after a revolt. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian Exile.
587-586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, leading to a final, larger deportation of the remaining population to Babylon.
c. 550-540 BC— this verse
Cyrus the Great Rises to Power
Cyrus II of Persia begins his conquests, eventually overthrowing the Median Empire and setting his sights on Babylon. This period sees a growing awareness of Cyrus's rise, which is interpreted as God's hand at work.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Cyrus
Cyrus conquers Babylon, fulfilling prophecies about the downfall of the empire and the liberation of the Jewish exiles.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus Allowing Return
Cyrus issues a decree permitting the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple.
This verse echoes the sentiment of worthlessness, stating that all nations before God are 'less than nothing and worthlessness.' It reinforces the idea that idols, like the nations that worship them, are fundamentally insignificant.
1 Corinthians 8:4Paul directly addresses the Corinthian believers about idols, echoing Isaiah's point by saying that 'an idol has no real existence in the world.' This passage connects the ancient prophet's declaration about idols being 'nothing' to New Testament understanding.
Jeremiah 10:3-5This passage describes idols made by human hands from wood, silver, and gold, highlighting their inability to speak, walk, or do any good or evil. It paints a picture of their utter powerlessness, similar to the 'nothingness' described in Isaiah.
Psalm 115:4-7This Psalm vividly contrasts the living God with idols, describing them as having mouths but not speaking, eyes but not seeing, and hands but not handling. It underscores the futility and 'nothingness' of those who rely on them, mirroring Isaiah's condemnation.
Romans 1:22-23This New Testament passage speaks about people exchanging the truth about God for a lie, worshipping created things rather than the Creator. It shows the human tendency to choose what is ultimately 'nothing' over the true God, a theme directly addressed in Isaiah's pronouncement.
clarkeIsaiah 41:24: "Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you."
Your work of naught "Your operation is less than naught" - For מאפע meepha, read מאפס meephes; so the Chaldee and Vulgate. A manifest error of the text; compare Isaiah 40:17 . The rabbins acknowledge no such error, but say that the former word signifies the same with the latter, by a change of the two letters ס samech and ע ain. - Sal ben Melec in loc.
gillIsaiah 41:24: "Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you."
Behold, ye are of nothing,.... Not as to the matter of them, for they were made of gold, silver, brass, &c. but as to the divinity of them: there was none in them, they were of no worth and value; they could do nothing, either good or evil, either help their friends, or hurt their enemies; yea, they were less than nothing; for the words may be rendered by way of comparison, "behold, ye ar…
The phrase "your work is less than nothing" isn't just a poetic way of saying idols are useless; it implies their very creation and any actions attributed to them are worse than empty. The text is so emphatic that it calls anyone who chooses these worthless idols an "abomination," highlighting the profound offense this choice represents to God.
This verse comes as God is presenting His case against the idols and their worshippers. He has challenged the nations to bring forth their gods to prove their power by predicting the future or doing some great deed. The preceding verses describe the futility of idol makers and the ultimate insignificance of the idols themselves compared to the Creator.
This verse comes as God is presenting His case against the idols and their worshippers. He has challenged the nations to bring forth their gods to prove their power by predicting the future or doing some great deed. The preceding verses describe the futility of idol makers and the ultimate insignificance of the idols themselves compared to the Creator.
"Behold, you are nothing, and your work is less than nothing; an abomination is he who chooses you." — The phrase "your work is less than nothing" isn't just a poetic way of saying idols are useless; it implies their very creation and any actions attributed to them are worse than empty. The text is so…
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Last reviewed October 2026