Isaiah 40:25

 Isaiah 40:25

To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

a. NASB 2020:  “To whom then will you compare Me That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One. [NASB20] New American Standard Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation; All Rights Reserved]

b. YLT: And unto whom do ye liken Me, And am I equal? saith the Holy One.   [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: To whom then will you liken Me, that I should be equal to him? says the Holy One.  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. The Milstein Edition, Later Prophets, Isaiah. With Rabbinic Commentary: To who can you liken Me that I should be [his] equal” says the Holy One.   [THE ARTSCROLL SERIES\MILSTEIN EDITION THE LATTER PROPHETS, ISAIAH Ⓒ Copyright 2013 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ltd.]

e. ESV: To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One.  [Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

1. “To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.”

a. [To whom [Strong: 4310 mîy, me; an interrogative pronoun of persons, as H4100 is of things, who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix:—any (man), × he, × him, O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), would to God.]

b. then [Strong: 413 ʼêl, ale; (but used only in the shortened constructive form אֶל ʼel, el); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or among; often in general, to:—about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because (-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, × hath, in (-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to (-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with (-in).]

c. [will ye] liken [me] [Strong: 1819 dâmâh, daw-maw'; a primitive root; to compare; by implication, to resemble, liken, consider:—compare, devise, (be) like(-n), mean, think, use similitudes.]

d. [or shall I be equal [Strong: 7737 shâvâh, shaw-vaw'; a primitive root; properly, to level, i.e. equalize; figuratively, to resemble; by implication, to adjust (i.e. counterbalance, be suitable, compose, place, yield, etc.):—avail, behave, bring forth, compare, countervail, (be, make) equal, lay, be (make, a-) like, make plain, profit, reckon.]

e. saith [Strong: 559 ʼâmar, aw-mar'; a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):—answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, × desire, determine, × expressly, × indeed, × intend, name, × plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), × still, × suppose, talk, tell, term, × that is, × think, use (speech), utter, × verily, × yet.]

f. [the] Holy One [Strong: 6918  qâdôwsh, kaw-doshe'; or קָדֹשׁ qâdôsh; from H6942; sacred (ceremonially or morally); (as noun) God (by eminence), an angel, a saint, a sanctuary:—holy (One), saint.]

1). The Holy One is of course God Almighty. Isaiah alone uses the term 29 times. One of the instances of Isaiah’s use is found in Isaiah 55, that speaks prophetically about the holy influence of Christ Jesus upon his culture and cultures for thousands of years!

a). Isaiah 55:5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

2). Saints, Jesus is the Holy One of Israel! We and millions like us from many nations across thousands of years have run to the one true God, because of Christ Jesus, because He has glorified Him.

a). Mark 1:23-25 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,

124 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.

125 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

3). David prophesied of Him.

a). Psalm 16:8-11 I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

4). Peter and Paul both confirmed jesus was the Holy One by utterances of the Holy Spirit.

a). Acts 3:13-16 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

3:14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

3:15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

3:16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

b). Acts 13:34, 35 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.

13:35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.