Isaiah 46:5

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

To whom can ye liken me or make me equal? Or compare me, and we be like?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Who will you compare me or make me equal to?Who will you measure me with,so that we should be like each other?

Hebrew Names Version
To whom will you liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?

King James Version
To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?

English Standard Version
"To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike?

New American Standard Bible
"To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal, and compare Me, That we would be alike?

New Century Version
"Can you compare me to anyone? No one is equal to me or like me.

Amplified Bible
"To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal and compare Me, That we may be alike?

World English Bible
To whom will you liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?

Geneva Bible (1587)
To whom will ye make me like or make me equall, or copare me, yt I should be like him?

Legacy Standard Bible
"To whom would you liken MeAnd make Me equal and compare Me,That we would be alike?

Berean Standard Bible
To whom will you liken Me or count Me equal? To whom will you compare Me, that we should be alike?

Contemporary English Version
Can anyone compare with me? Is anyone my equal?

Complete Jewish Bible
To whom will you liken me and equate me? With whom will you compare me, as if we were similar?"

Darby Translation
To whom will ye liken me and make me equal, or compare me, that we may be like?

Easy-to-Read Version
"Can you compare me to anyone? No one is equal to me. You cannot understand everything about me. There is nothing like me.

George Lamsa Translation
To whom will you liken me and make me equal and compare me, that we may be alike?

Good News Translation
"To whom will you compare me?" says the Lord . "Is there anyone else like me?

Lexham English Bible
To whom will you liken me, and count as equal, and compare with me, as though we were alike?

Literal Translation
To whom will you compare and make Me equal; yea, compare Me, that we may be alike?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whom will ye make me like, in fashion or ymage, that I maye be like him?

American Standard Version
To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?

Bible in Basic English
Who in your eyes is my equal? or what comparison will you make with me?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
To whom will ye liken Me, and make Me equal, and compare Me, that we may be like?

King James Version (1611)
To whom wil ye liken me, and make me equall, and compare me, that we may be like?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
whom wyll ye make me lyke, or to whom wyll ye make me equall or compare me, that I shoulde be like him?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
To whom have ye compared me? see, consider, ye that go astray.

English Revised Version
To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
To whom han ye licned me, and maad euene, and han comparisound me, and han maad lijk?

Update Bible Version
To whom will you liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?

Webster's Bible Translation
To whom will ye liken me, and make [me] equal, and compare me, that we may be like?

New English Translation
To whom can you compare and liken me? Tell me whom you think I resemble, so we can be compared!

New King James Version
"To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal And compare Me, that we should be alike?

New Living Translation
"To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?

New Life Bible
"To whom will you compare Me? With whom will you make Me the same and compare Me, that we should be alike?

New Revised Standard
To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, as though we were alike?

Douay-Rheims Bible
To whom have you likened me, and made me equal, and compared me, and made me like?

Revised Standard Version
"To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike?

Young's Literal Translation
To whom do ye liken Me, and make equal? And compare Me, that we may be like?

THE MESSAGE
"So to whom will you compare me, the Incomparable? Can you picture me without reducing me? People with a lot of money hire craftsmen to make them gods. The artisan delivers the god, and they kneel and worship it! They carry it around in holy parades, then take it home and put it on a shelf. And there it sits, day in and day out, a dependable god, always right where you put it. Say anything you want to it, it never talks back. Of course, it never does anything either!

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal and compare Me, That we would be alike?

Contextual Overview

⁵ To whom can ye liken me or make me equal? Or compare me, and we be like? ⁶ They who pour gold out of a purse, And who weigh silver in a balance, - Who hire a goldsmith that he may make it into a GOD, They adore, yea they bow down; ⁷ They carry him about on the shoulder They bear the burden of him - and set him in his place that he may stand, - Out of his place, will he not move, - Though one even make outcry unto him, he will not answer, Out of ones trouble, he will not save him. ⁸ Remember ye this and shew yourselves men, - Bring it back, ye transgressors, to your minds; ⁹ Remember ye the things named in advance from age-past times, - For, I, am, The Mighty One, and there is none else, The Adorable and there is none like me! ¹⁰ Declaring from the beginning, the latter end, And from olden time, that which had never been done, - Saying My purpose shall stand, and All my pleasure, will I perform; ¹¹ Calling, From the East, a Bird of Prey, From a far country, the Man I intended, - Yea I have spoken I will also bring it to pass, I have planned, I will also do it. ¹² Hearken unto me, Ye valiant of heart, - Who are far away from righteousness: ¹³ I have brought near my righteousness. It shall not be far away, And my deliverance, shall not linger, - But I will give In Zion, deliverance, To Israel, my glory.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Isaiah 40:18, Isaiah 40:25, Exodus 15:11, Psalms 86:8, Psalms 89:6, Psalms 89:8, Psalms 113:5, Jeremiah 10:6, Jeremiah 10:7, Jeremiah 10:16, Philippians 2:6, Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 1:3

Reciprocal: Exodus 20:4 - General Numbers 12:8 - similitude 2 Kings 22:17 - the works Psalms 77:13 - who Isaiah 37:12 - the gods Isaiah 46:9 - and there is none like Zechariah 10:2 - the idols Acts 17:29 - graven Acts 19:26 - that they Ephesians 4:18 - the understanding Revelation 9:20 - and idols

Cross-References

Genesis 45:19
Thou, therefore command them, This, do ye, - Take you out of the land of Egypt, waggons for your little ones and for your wives, so shall ye bring your father and come in.

Genesis 45:21
And the sons of Israel did so, and Joseph gave them waggons, at the bidding of Pharaoh, - and gave them provisions for the way:

Genesis 45:27
So they spake unto him all the words of Joseph which he had spoken unto them h then saw he the waggons, which Joseph had sent to carry him, - and the spirit of Jacob their father revived.

Genesis 46:17
And, the sons of Asher, - Imnah and Ishvah and Ishvi and Beriah, and Serah their sister, - and the sons of Beriah, Heber and Malchiel.

Genesis 46:18
These, are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, - so she bare these to Jacob, - sixteen souls.

Exodus 10:24
Then Pharaoh called out unto Moses and said - Go serve Yahweh, only, your flocks and your herds, shall be left, - even your little ones shall go with you.

Exodus 10:26
Moreover also, our own cattle, shall go with us - there shall not be left behind, a hoof, for thereof, must we take, to serve Yahweh our God, - even we ourselves, cannot know wherewith we must serve Yahweh, until we have come in thither.

Acts 7:15
And Jacob went down into Egypt. And he died, he, and our fathers;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

To whom will ye liken me?.... Was it lawful that any likeness might be made, which yet is forbidden, Exodus 20:4 what likeness could be thought of? is there any creature in heaven or earth, among all the angels or sons of men, to whom God can be likened, who has done such works of power, and acts of grace, as to care and provide not only for the house of Israel, from the beginning of their state to the close of it, but for all his creatures from the beginning of life to the end thereof, yea, from the beginning of the world to the end of it, and has shown such special grace and goodness to his chosen people, in such a kind and tender manner?

And make me equal; or any equal to him in power and goodness, since all are but worms, dust, and ashes, as the small dust of the balance, yea, as nothing in comparison of him.

And compare me, that we may be like? which is impossible to be done; for what comparison or likeness can there be between the Creator and a creature, between an infinite, immense, and eternal Being, possessed of all perfections, and a finite, frail, imperfect one? see Isaiah 40:18. To pretend to frame a likeness of such a Being, is to act the absurd and stupid part the Heathens do, described in the following verses.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

To whom will ye liken me - (see the notes at Isaiah 40:18, Isaiah 40:25). The design of this and the following verses is to show the folly of idolatry, and the vanity of trusting in idols. This is a subject that the prophet often dwells on. The argument here is derived from the fact that the idols of Babylon were unable to defend the city, and were themselves carried away in triumph Isaiah 46:1-2. If so, how vain was it to rely on them! how foolish to suppose that the living and true God could resemble such weak and defenseless blocks!