KJV King James Version
Behold, the nations [are] as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
VERSE STUDY • KJV
Isaiah 40:15
Behold, the nations [are] as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are considered a speck of dust on the scales; He lifts up the islands like fine dust.
WEB World English Bible
Behold, the nations are like a drop in a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on a balance. Behold, he lifts up the islands like a very little thing.
ASV American Standard Version
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are accounted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
Lo, nations as a drop from a bucket, And as small dust of the balance, have been reckoned, Lo, isles as a small thing He taketh up.
Surrounding context — Isaiah 40
12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or [being] his counseller hath taught him?
14 With whom took he counsel, and [who] instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations [are] as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
16 And Lebanon [is] not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
17 All nations before him [are] as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
הֵ֤ןH2005 · henlook!גּוֹיִם֙H1471 · goynationכְּמַ֣רH4752 · mardropמִדְּלִ֔יH1805 · de.libucketוּכְשַׁ֥חַקH7834 · sha.chaqcloudמֹאזְנַ֖יִםH3976 · mo.zenbalanceנֶחְשָׁ֑בוּH2803 · cha.shavto devise: designהֵ֥ןH2005 · henlook!אִיִּ֖יםH339 · icoastlandכַּדַּ֥קH1851 · daqthinיִטּֽוֹל׃H5190 · na.talto lift
Cross-references
Isaiah 40:22[It is] he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof [are] as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:Jeremiah 10:10But the LORD [is] the true God, he [is] the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.Job 34:14-15If he set his heart upon man, [if] he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;Isaiah 11:11And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.Isaiah 29:5Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones [shall be] as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.Isaiah 41:5The isles saw [it], and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.Genesis 10:5By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.Isaiah 59:18According to [their] deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.Isaiah 66:19And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, [to] Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, [to] Tubal, and Javan, [to] the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.Daniel 11:18After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause [it] to turn upon him.Zephaniah 2:11The LORD [will be] terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and [men] shall worship him, every one from his place, [even] all the isles of the heathen.
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