Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. New Living Translation No, for all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand. English Standard Version Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. 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. King James Bible 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. New King James Version Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing. New American Standard Bible Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. NASB 1995 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. NASB 1977 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. Legacy Standard Bible Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are counted as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the coastlands like fine dust. Amplified Bible In fact, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Now look, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. Christian Standard Bible Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are considered as a speck of dust on the scales; he lifts up the islands like fine dust. Holman Christian Standard Bible Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are considered as a speck of dust in the scales; He lifts up the islands like fine dust. 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. Contemporary English Version To the LORD, all nations are merely a drop in a bucket or dust on balance scales; all of the islands are but a handful of sand. English Revised 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. GOD'S WORD® Translation The nations are like a drop in a bucket and are considered to be like dust on a scale. The weight of the islands is like fine dust. Good News Translation To the LORD the nations are nothing, no more than a drop of water; the distant islands are as light as dust. International Standard Version "Look! The nations are like a drop in a bucket, and are reckoned as dust on the scales. Look! He even lifts up the islands like powder! Majority 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. NET Bible Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales. He lifts the coastlands as if they were dust. New Heart English Bible Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on a balance. Look, he lifts up the islands like a very little thing. Webster's Bible Translation 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. 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. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionBehold, nations [are] as a drop from a bucket, "" And have been reckoned as small dust of the balance, "" Behold, He takes up islands as a small thing. 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. Smith's Literal Translation Behold, the nations as a drop from a bucket; they were reckoned as the fine dust of the scales: behold, he will cast down the isles as small dust. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleBehold the Gentiles are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the smallest grain of a balance: behold the islands are as a little dust. Catholic Public Domain Version Behold, the nations are like a drop of water in a bucket, and they are considered as the smallest grain on a balance. Behold, the islands are like a little dust. New American Bible See, the nations count as a drop in the bucket, as a wisp of cloud on the scales; the coastlands weigh no more than a speck. New Revised Standard Version Even the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as dust on the scales; see, he takes up the isles like fine dust. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleBehold, the nations are like a drop out of a bucket, and are counted as the dipping of the balance; behold, the isles shall be cast away like fine dust. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Behold, the nations shall be cast off like a drop from a pot and like the tipping of a balance, and the islands like the dust OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, And are counted as the small dust of the balance; Behold the isles are as a mote in weight. Brenton Septuagint Translation since all the nations are counted as a drop from a bucket, and as the turning of a balance, and shall be counted as spittle? Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Here is Your God!…14Whom did He consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the paths of justice? Who imparted knowledge to Him and showed Him the way of understanding? 15Surely 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. 16Lebanon is not sufficient for fuel, nor its animals enough for a burnt offering.… Cross References Psalm 2:1-4 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? / The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together, against the LORD and against His Anointed One: / “Let us break Their chains and cast away Their cords.” ... Job 12:23 He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them. Daniel 4:35 All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” Psalm 46:6 Nations rage, kingdoms crumble; the earth melts when He lifts His voice. Psalm 62:9 Lowborn men are but a vapor; the exalted are but a lie. Weighed on the scale, they go up; together they are but a vapor. Job 34:14-15 If He were to set His heart to it and withdraw His Spirit and breath, / all flesh would perish together and mankind would return to the dust. Jeremiah 10:10 But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at His wrath, and the nations cannot endure His indignation. Psalm 33:8-9 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere Him. / For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm. 2 Chronicles 20:6 and said, “O LORD, God of our fathers, are You not the God who is in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can stand against You. Ezekiel 38:23 I will magnify and sanctify Myself, and I will reveal Myself in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD. Psalm 103:15-16 As for man, his days are like grass—he blooms like a flower of the field; / when the wind passes over, it vanishes, and its place remembers it no more. Job 25:6 how much less man, who is but a maggot, and the son of man, who is but a worm!” Psalm 39:5 You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah 1 Peter 1:24 For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, James 4:14 You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Treasury of Scripture Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he takes up the isles as a very little thing. the nations Isaiah 38:22 Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD? Job 34:14,15 If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; … Jeremiah 10:10 But 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. the isles Isaiah 11:11 And 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 41:5 The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came. Isaiah 59:18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence. Jump to Previous Accounted Balance Counted Drop Dust Esteemed Fine Islands Isles Lifts Mote Nations Reckoned Regarded Scales Small Speck Surely Weighs WeightJump to Next Accounted Balance Counted Drop Dust Esteemed Fine Islands Isles Lifts Mote Nations Reckoned Regarded Scales Small Speck Surely Weighs WeightIsaiah 40 1. The promulgation of the Gospel3. The preaching of John Baptist foretold 9. The preaching of the apostles foretold 12. The prophet, by the omnipotence of God 18. And his incomparableness 26. Comforts the people. Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; This phrase emphasizes the insignificance of the nations in comparison to God's majesty and power. In the ancient Near Eastern context, nations often boasted of their power and influence, yet here they are depicted as trivial. This imagery is meant to humble human pride and remind believers of God's sovereignty. The metaphor of a "drop in a bucket" suggests something negligible and inconsequential, highlighting the vastness of God's dominion over all creation. they are considered a speck of dust on the scales; He lifts up the islands like fine dust. Persons / Places / Events 1. IsaiahA major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah is traditionally credited with writing the Book of Isaiah. His prophecies often focus on the themes of judgment and redemption. 2. Nations In this context, "nations" refers to the various peoples and kingdoms of the earth, emphasizing their insignificance in comparison to God's majesty and power. 3. Islands Symbolically, islands can represent distant lands or nations, highlighting the vastness of God's reach and authority over all creation. 4. God The central figure in this passage, God is depicted as sovereign and omnipotent, with the power to control and measure the nations as easily as one would handle dust. 5. The Prophet's Audience The original audience of Isaiah's message, likely the people of Judah, who were facing political and military threats from surrounding nations. Teaching Points God's SovereigntyRecognize that God is in control of all nations and events. No matter how powerful a nation may seem, it is insignificant compared to God's majesty. Human Humility Understand our place in the grand scheme of God's creation. This perspective should lead us to humility and reliance on God rather than on human power or wisdom. Trust in God's Plan In times of global uncertainty or personal challenges, trust that God is working out His purposes. His plans are far greater than we can comprehend. Perspective on World Events View current events through the lens of God's sovereignty. This helps maintain peace and confidence, knowing that God is not surprised or overwhelmed by world affairs. Worship and Reverence Respond to God's greatness with worship and reverence. Acknowledge His power and authority in your daily life and decisions.(15) The nations are as a drop . . .--"Nations" and "isles" bring us into the region of human history, as distinct from that of the material world. "Isles" as elsewhere, stands vaguely for far-off lands, or sea-coasts. The word is that of one who looks on the Mediterranean, and thinks of the unexplored regions that lie in it and around. It is one of Isaiah's favourite words in this aspect of its meaning. A drop of a bucket.--Better, on a bucket. Such a drop adds nothing to the weight which the bearer feels; as little do the nations and the isles to the burden which Jehovah bears. The "small dust in the balance" presents another illustration of the same idea. Verse 15. - Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket. "From nature," as Mr. Cheyne says, "we pass to history." If God is so great, so apart and by himself in relation to the material universe, what is he in relation to man? What are nations, compared to him, but "as a drop from a bucket," which drips from it, and is of no account? What are they, but as the small dust of the balance, which lies on it but does not disturb its equilibrium? They are absolutely "as nothing" (ver. 17) - vanity and emptiness, He taketh up the isles as a very little thing; literally, he taketh up islands, or perhaps lands generally. As he weighs mountains and hills in his balance (ver. 15), so he can take up in his own hands "lands," or "countries" (Cheyne), with all their inhabitants, and do with them as seemeth him good. They are no burden to him.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Surelyהֵ֤ן (hên) Interjection Strong's 2005: Lo! behold! the nations גּוֹיִם֙ (gō·w·yim) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts are like a drop כְּמַ֣ר (kə·mar) Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 4752: A drop in a bucket; מִדְּלִ֔י (mid·də·lî) Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1805: A pail, jar they are considered נֶחְשָׁ֑בוּ (neḥ·šā·ḇū) Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 2803: To think, account a speck of dust וּכְשַׁ֥חַק (ū·ḵə·ša·ḥaq) Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 7834: A powder, a thin vapor, the firmament on the scales; מֹאזְנַ֖יִם (mō·zə·na·yim) Noun - md Strong's 3976: A pair of scales He lifts up יִטּֽוֹל׃ (yiṭ·ṭō·wl) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 5190: To lift, to impose the islands אִיִּ֖ים (’î·yîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 339: A habitable spot, dry land, a coast, an island like fine dust. כַּדַּ֥ק (kad·daq) Preposition-k, Article | Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 1851: Crushed, small, thin Links Isaiah 40:15 NIVIsaiah 40:15 NLT Isaiah 40:15 ESV Isaiah 40:15 NASB Isaiah 40:15 KJV Isaiah 40:15 BibleApps.com Isaiah 40:15 Biblia Paralela Isaiah 40:15 Chinese Bible Isaiah 40:15 French Bible Isaiah 40:15 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Isaiah 40:15 Behold the nations are like a drop (Isa Isi Is) |
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