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class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="http://biblehub.com/commentaries/">Commentaries</a> > Isaiah 46:5</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../isaiah/46-4.htm" title="Isaiah 46:4">◄</a> Isaiah 46:5 <a href="../isaiah/46-6.htm" title="Isaiah 46:6">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse">To whom will ye liken me, and make <i>me</i> equal, and compare me, that we may be like?</div><div id="jump">Jump to: <a href="/commentaries/barnes/isaiah/46.htm" title="Barnes' Notes">Barnes</a> • <a href="/commentaries/benson/isaiah/46.htm" title="Benson Commentary">Benson</a> • <a href="/commentaries/illustrator/isaiah/46.htm" title="Biblical Illustrator">BI</a> • <a href="/commentaries/calvin/isaiah/46.htm" title="Calvin's Commentaries">Calvin</a> • <a href="/commentaries/cambridge/isaiah/46.htm" title="Cambridge Bible">Cambridge</a> • <a href="/commentaries/clarke/isaiah/46.htm" title="Clarke's Commentary">Clarke</a> • <a href="/commentaries/darby/isaiah/46.htm" title="Darby's Bible Synopsis">Darby</a> • <a href="/commentaries/ellicott/isaiah/46.htm" title="Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers">Ellicott</a> • <a href="/commentaries/expositors/isaiah/46.htm" title="Expositor's Bible">Expositor's</a> • <a href="/commentaries/edt/isaiah/46.htm" title="Expositor's Dictionary">Exp Dct</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gaebelein/isaiah/46.htm" title="Gaebelein's Annotated Bible">Gaebelein</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gsb/isaiah/46.htm" title="Geneva Study Bible">GSB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gill/isaiah/46.htm" title="Gill's Bible Exposition">Gill</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gray/isaiah/46.htm" title="Gray's Concise">Gray</a> • <a href="/commentaries/guzik/isaiah/46.htm" title="Guzik Bible Commentary">Guzik</a> • <a href="/commentaries/haydock/isaiah/46.htm" title="Haydock Catholic Bible Commentary">Haydock</a> • <a href="/commentaries/hastings/isaiah/42-2.htm" title="Hastings Great Texts">Hastings</a> • <a href="/commentaries/homiletics/isaiah/46.htm" title="Pulpit Homiletics">Homiletics</a> • <a href="/commentaries/jfb/isaiah/46.htm" title="Jamieson-Fausset-Brown">JFB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/kad/isaiah/46.htm" title="Keil and Delitzsch OT">KD</a> • <a href="/commentaries/kelly/isaiah/46.htm" title="Kelly Commentary">Kelly</a> • <a href="/commentaries/king-en/isaiah/46.htm" title="Kingcomments Bible Studies">King</a> • <a href="/commentaries/lange/isaiah/46.htm" title="Lange Commentary">Lange</a> • <a href="/commentaries/maclaren/isaiah/46.htm" title="MacLaren Expositions">MacLaren</a> • <a href="/commentaries/mhc/isaiah/46.htm" title="Matthew Henry Concise">MHC</a> • <a href="/commentaries/mhcw/isaiah/46.htm" title="Matthew Henry Full">MHCW</a> • <a href="/commentaries/parker/isaiah/46.htm" title="The People's Bible by Joseph Parker">Parker</a> • <a href="/commentaries/poole/isaiah/46.htm" title="Matthew Poole">Poole</a> • <a href="/commentaries/pulpit/isaiah/46.htm" title="Pulpit Commentary">Pulpit</a> • <a href="/commentaries/sermon/isaiah/46.htm" title="Sermon Bible">Sermon</a> • <a href="/commentaries/sco/isaiah/46.htm" title="Scofield Reference Notes">SCO</a> • <a href="/commentaries/teed/isaiah/46.htm" title="Teed Bible Commentary">Teed</a> • <a href="/commentaries/ttb/isaiah/46.htm" title="Through The Bible">TTB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/wes/isaiah/46.htm" title="Wesley's Notes">WES</a> • <a href="#tsk" title="Treasury of Scripture Knowledge">TSK</a></div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="comtype">EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)</div><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/isaiah/46.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(5) <span class= "bld">To whom will ye liken me?</span>—The argument against idolatry is renewed in nearly its old form (<a href="/context/isaiah/40-18.htm" title="To whom then will you liken God? or what likeness will you compare to him?">Isaiah 40:18-25</a>; <a href="/context/isaiah/44-9.htm" title="They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.">Isaiah 44:9-17</a>). The fate of Bel and Nebo is urged against those who thought that they might worship Jehovah as those deities had been worshipped. Such had been the sin of the calves at Bethel and at Dan. Like it had been the act of Israel when it had carried the ark into battle against the Philistines (<a href="/1_samuel/4-5.htm" title="And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.">1Samuel 4:5</a>).<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/benson/isaiah/46.htm">Benson Commentary</a></div><span class="bld"><a href="/context/isaiah/46-5.htm" title="To whom will you liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?...">Isaiah 46:5-8</a></span>. <span class="ital">To whom will you liken me, </span>&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. <span class="ital">They lavish gold &c., and he maketh it a god </span>— Let us suppose a god made with the greatest cost and art. <span class="ital">They bear him upon the shoulder </span>— From that place where he is made, unto that place where they intend to set him up. <span class="ital">From his place shall he not remove </span>— Or, rather, <span class="ital">he cannot remove. </span>He cannot stir, either hand or foot, to help his people. <span class="ital">Remember this </span>— Consider these things which I now speak, O ye Israelites; <span class="ital">and show yourselves men </span>— Act like reasonable creatures, and be not so brutish as to worship your own works: be so wise and courageous as to withstand all solicitations to idolatry. <span class="ital">Bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors </span>— Think of this again and again, O ye who have been guilty of this foolish sin, and who, therefore, are obliged to take the better heed, lest you should relapse into it again. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="mhc" id="mhc"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/mhc/isaiah/46.htm">Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary</a></div>46:5-13 Here the folly of those who made idols, and then prayed to them, is exposed. How does the profuseness of idolaters shame the stubbornness of many who call themselves God's servants, but are for a religion which costs them nothing! The service of sin always costs a great deal. God puts it to them what senseless, helpless things idols are. Let, then, the Jews show themselves men, avoiding such abominations. Many Scripture prophecies, delivered long ago, are not yet fulfilled; but the fulfilling of some is an earnest that the rest will come to pass. Nothing can help more to make us easy, than to be assured that God will do all his pleasure. Even those who know not and mind not God's revealed will, are called and used to fulfil the counsels of his secret will. Heaven and earth shall pass away, sooner than one tittle of the word of God. Obstinate sinners are addressed. Such were far from acceptance, but they were summoned to hearken to the word of the Lord. The salvation of a sinner begins with a humble and contrite heart, that trembles at God's word, with godly sorrow working true repentance, and faith in his mercy, through the obedience unto death of our Divine Surety. Christ, as the Divine righteousness and salvation to his people, would come in the appointed time. His salvation abides in his church for all believers.<a name="bar" id="bar"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/barnes/isaiah/46.htm">Barnes' Notes on the Bible</a></div>To whom will ye liken me - (see the notes at <a href="http://biblehub.com/isaiah/40-18.htm">Isaiah 40:18</a>, <a href="/isaiah/40-25.htm">Isaiah 40:25</a>). 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 <a href="http://biblehub.com/isaiah/46-1.htm">Isaiah 46:1-2</a>. 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! <a name="jfb" id="jfb"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/jfb/isaiah/46.htm">Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary</a></div>5. (Isa 40:18, 25).<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/poole/isaiah/46.htm">Matthew Poole's Commentary</a></div> If you are tempted or inclined at any time to exchange me for an <span class="ital">idol</span>, do me and yourselves this 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; which if you can do, I am content you should prefer him before me; but if not, as will appear by what I am now saying, <span class="bld"><a href="/isaiah/46-6.htm" title="They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he makes it a god: they fall down, yes, they worship.">Isaiah 46:6</a>,7</span>, then it is best for you to adhere to your ancient God and Friend. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="gil" id="gil"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/gill/isaiah/46.htm">Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible</a></div>To whom will ye liken me?.... Was it lawful that any likeness might be made, which yet is forbidden, <a href="/exodus/20-4.htm">Exodus 20:4</a> 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? <p>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. <p>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 <a href="/isaiah/40-18.htm">Isaiah 40:18</a>. 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. <a name="gsb" id="gsb"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/gsb/isaiah/46.htm">Geneva Study Bible</a></div><span class="cverse2">To whom will ye liken me, and make <i>me</i> equal, and <span class="cverse3">{g}</span> compare me, that we may be like?</span><p>(g) The people of God setting their own calamity, and the flourishing estate of the Babylonians, would be tempted to think that their God was not so mighty as the idols of their enemies: therefore he describes the original of all the idols to make them to be abhorred by all men: showing that the most that can be spoken in their commendation, is but to prove them vile.</div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><div class="comtype">EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)</div><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/cambridge/isaiah/46.htm">Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges</a></div><span class="bld">5</span>. Comp. the similar question of <a href="/isaiah/40-18.htm" title="To whom then will you liken God? or what likeness will you compare to him?">Isaiah 40:18</a>, which as here introduces a sarcastic description of the manufacture of idols.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="pul" id="pul"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/isaiah/46.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 5.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">To whom will ye liken me?</span> (comp. <a href="/isaiah/40-18.htm">Isaiah 40:18</a>.) 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. Isaiah 46:5<a name="kad" id="kad"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/kad/isaiah/46.htm">Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament</a></div>From this approaching reduction of the gods of Babylon to their original nothingness, several admonitions are now derived. The first admonition is addressed to all Israel. "Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel: ye, lifted up from the womb; ye, carried from the mother's lap! And till old age it is I, and to grey hair I shall bear you on my shoulder: I have done it, and I shall carry; and I put upon my shoulder, and deliver. To whom can ye compare me, and liken, and place side by side, that we should be equal?" The house of Jacob is Judah here, as in <a href="/obadiah/1-18.htm">Obadiah 1:18</a> (see Caspari on the passage), <a href="http://biblehub.com/nahum/2-3.htm">Nahum 2:3</a>, and the house of Israel the same as the house of Joseph in Obadiah; whereas in <a href="/amos/3-13.htm">Amos 3:13</a>; <a href="/amos/6-8.htm">Amos 6:8</a>; <a href="http://biblehub.com/amos/7-2.htm">Amos 7:2</a>, Jacob stands for Israel, in distinction from Judah. The Assyrian exile was earlier than the Babylonian, and had already naturalized the greater part of the exiles in a heathen land, and robbed them of their natural character, so that there was only a remnant left by whom there was any hope that the prophet's message would be received. What the exiles of both houses were to hear was the question in <a href="http://biblehub.com/isaiah/46-5.htm">Isaiah 46:5</a>, which called upon them to consider the incomparable nature of their God, as deduced from what Jehovah could say of Himself in relation to all Israel, and what He does say from העמסים onwards. Babylon carried its idols, but all in vain: they were carried forth, without being able to save themselves; but Jehovah carried His people, and saved them. The expressions, "from the womb, and from the mother's lap," point back to the time when the nation which had been in process of formation from the time of Abraham onwards came out of Egypt, and was born, as it were, into the light of the world. From this time forward it had lain upon Jehovah like a willingly adopted burden, and He had carried it as a nurse carries a suckling (<a href="/numbers/11-12.htm">Numbers 11:12</a>), and an eagle its young (<a href="/deuteronomy/32-11.htm">Deuteronomy 32:11</a>). In <a href="/isaiah/46-4.htm">Isaiah 46:4</a> the attributes of the people are carried on in direct (not relative) self-assertions on the part of Jehovah. The senectus and canities are obviously those of the people - not, however, as though it was already in a state of dotage (as Hitzig maintains, appealing erroneously to <a href="/isaiah/47-6.htm">Isaiah 47:6</a>), but as denoting the future and latest periods of its history. Even till then Jehovah is He, i.e., the Absolute, and always the same (see <a href="/isaiah/41-4.htm">Isaiah 41:4</a>). As He has acted in the past, so will He act at all times - supporting and saving His people. Hence He could properly ask, Whom could you place by the side of me, so that we should be equal? (Vav consec. as in <a href="/isaiah/40-25.htm">Isaiah 40:25</a>). <div class="vheading2">Links</div><a href="/interlinear/isaiah/46-5.htm">Isaiah 46:5 Interlinear</a><br /><a href="/texts/isaiah/46-5.htm">Isaiah 46:5 Parallel Texts</a><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/niv/isaiah/46-5.htm">Isaiah 46:5 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/isaiah/46-5.htm">Isaiah 46:5 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/isaiah/46-5.htm">Isaiah 46:5 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/isaiah/46-5.htm">Isaiah 46:5 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/isaiah/46-5.htm">Isaiah 46:5 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="http://bibleapps.com/isaiah/46-5.htm">Isaiah 46:5 Bible Apps</a><br /><a href="/isaiah/46-5.htm">Isaiah 46:5 Parallel</a><br /><a href="http://bibliaparalela.com/isaiah/46-5.htm">Isaiah 46:5 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="http://holybible.com.cn/isaiah/46-5.htm">Isaiah 46:5 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="http://saintebible.com/isaiah/46-5.htm">Isaiah 46:5 French Bible</a><br /><a href="http://bibeltext.com/isaiah/46-5.htm">Isaiah 46:5 German Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a><br /></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td align="center"><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script><br /><br /> </div> <div id="left"><a href="../isaiah/46-4.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Isaiah 46:4"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Isaiah 46:4" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../isaiah/46-6.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Isaiah 46:6"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Isaiah 46:6" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div> <div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>