The striking thing here is that God isn't just asking if you can find someone like Him, but why you would even try to compare Him to anything. It's not about a lack of options, but about the fundamental, unbridgeable gulf between the Creator and anything created, especially lifeless idols.
“To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike? Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales, hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God has just described the helplessness of Babylonian idols, Nebo and Bel, who are being carried off as burdens themselves during the conquest of Babylon. Now, God directly challenges His people, asking them to name anyone or anything comparable to Him, implying that their idols and any other supposed deity are utterly incomparable to His supreme power and faithfulness. This sets the stage for Him to remind them of His unique ability to sustain and deliver them, contrasting His true nature with the impotence of false gods.
We often compare things to understand them better. But what happens when we try to compare God to anything else? Isaiah’s question here is not just rhetorical; it’s a challenge to our understanding of who God is.
The prophet Isaiah, speaking for God, directly confronts the people of Israel who were tempted by the surrounding cultures to worship idols. He asks, "To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike?"
This isn't a humble inquiry; it's a declaration of God's absolute uniqueness. The surrounding commentaries highlight this: idols were made by human hands, out of gold and silver, and then carried by people. They were lifeless, immobile, and utterly incapable of helping themselves, let alone their worshippers.
Isaiah is essentially saying, 'Look at these 'gods' you're tempted by. Can they possibly measure up to the One who made the heavens and the earth?' The comparison is not even close.
Ask a follow-up
After challenging the idea of comparison, God immediately contrasts Himself with the powerless idols. How does He describe His relationship with His people?
The power and nature of idols are starkly contrasted with the active, sustaining presence of the true God. While idols are carried, unable to move or save, God declares, "Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb. And even to your old age I am he, and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you."
This is a profound picture of God's unwavering commitment:
This isn't just about physical carrying; it's about God's faithful provision, guidance, and protection through every circumstance.
Understand the original words
'el · Hebrew Noun
A broad term for deities, frequently used in the Old Testament to refer to the true God of Israel, but here sarcastically applied to man-made idols. It denotes a being or object deserving of worship and possessing power over human destiny.
chawah · Hebrew Verb
To bow down or prostrate oneself before someone or something, signifying submission, reverence, and acknowledgment of the object's superiority or divinity. In an idolatrous context, it is the act of giving divine honor to a created thing.
This verse echoes Isaiah's broader message challenging the people of Judah, especially those in exile in Babylon, to recognize the unique power and sovereignty of Yahweh in contrast to the impotent idols of Babylon. The historical context of Babylon's rise and fall, and the eventual return of the exiles, underscores the prophetic critique of idolatry and misplaced trust.
c. 740 BC— this verse
Isaiah's Prophetic Ministry
Isaiah delivers his prophecies during a tumultuous period in Judah, warning of impending judgment and offering future hope.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar deports a group of Judean exiles, including Daniel, to Babylon, marking the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Destruction of the Temple
Babylonian forces under Nebuchadnezzar destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, leading to a widespread exile of the remaining population.
c. 550-539 BC
Rise of the Persian Empire
Cyrus the Great unites the Medes and Persians, creating a vast empire that will soon conquer Babylon.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, ushering in a new era and fulfilling prophecies concerning the city's downfall.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple, marking the end of the Babylonian Captivity.
This passage poses a very similar rhetorical question, immediately preceding a detailed description of idol manufacturing, highlighting the immense difference between the Creator and created objects.
Deuteronomy 32:39This song emphasizes God's uniqueness and power over life and death, echoing the assertion that there is no one like Him, just as Isaiah 46:5 declares. It underscores that God alone has the power to truly deliver.
Psalm 115:4-8This psalm directly contrasts the living God with lifeless idols made of silver and gold, vividly illustrating the point Isaiah is making about the utter inability of idols to act or save.
Romans 1:22-23This New Testament passage describes people exchanging the truth about God for falsehoods and worshipping created things, directly illustrating the human tendency towards idolatry that Isaiah is confronting.
bensonIsaiah 46:5: "To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?"
Isaiah 46:5-8 . To whom will you liken me, &c. — If you be tempted at any time to exchange me for an idol, do me and yourselves the right seriously to consider, whether you can find another god, who will be more able and more ready to do you good than I have been. They lavish gold &c., and he maketh it a god — Let us suppose a god made with the greatest cost and art. They bear him upon the shoulder…
pulpitIsaiah 46:5: "To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?"
Verse 5. - To whom will ye liken me? (comp. Isaiah 40:18.) Am I to be likened to the idols of Babylon? Will you make images of me? Bethink you what the very nature of an idol is how contrary to my nature! My idol would be no more capable of helping itself or others than the images of Nebo or Bel-Merodach.
The striking thing here is that God isn't just asking if you can find someone like Him, but why you would even try to compare Him to anything. It's not about a lack of options, but about the fundamental, unbridgeable gulf between the Creator and anything created, especially lifeless idols.
God has just described the helplessness of Babylonian idols, Nebo and Bel, who are being carried off as burdens themselves during the conquest of Babylon. Now, God directly challenges His people, asking them to name anyone or anything comparable to Him, implying that their idols and any other supposed deity are utterly incomparable to His supreme power and faithfulness. This sets the stage for Him to remind them of His unique ability to sustain and deliver them, contrasting His true nature with the impotence of false gods.
God has just described the helplessness of Babylonian idols, Nebo and Bel, who are being carried off as burdens themselves during the conquest of Babylon. Now, God directly challenges His people, asking them to name anyone or anything comparable to Him, implying that their idols and any other supposed deity are utterly incomparable to His supreme power and faithfulness. This sets the stage for Him to remind them of His unique ability to sustain and deliver them, contrasting His true nature with the impotence of false gods.
"“To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike? Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales, hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; then th…" — The striking thing here is that God isn't just asking if you can find someone like Him, but why you would even try to compare Him to anything. It's not about a lack of options, but about the fund…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
