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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 40:18-26

The prophet here reproves those, 1. Who represented God by creatures, and so changed his truth into a lie and his glory into shame, who made images and then said that they resembled God, and paid their homage to them accordingly. 2. Who put creatures in the place of God, who feared them more than God, as if they were a match for him, or loved them more than God, as if they were fit to be rivals with him. Twice the challenge is here made, To whom will you liken God? Isa. 40:18; and again Isa.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 40:24

Yea, they shall not be planted ,.... As trees are, like the cedars in Lebanon, though they may seem to be such; but be like the grass of the field, and herbs of the earth: or, "even they shall be", as if they were "not planted F3 אף בל נטעו "perinde ut non plantati", Calvin; and so the following clauses. ", they shall not grow and flourish; or they shall be plucked up, and be no more; this is said of the princes and judges of the earth; nay, they shall not be sown ; as seed... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 40:24

And he shall also blow upon them "And if he but blow upon them" - The Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, and MS. Bodl., with another, have גם gam , only, without the conjunction ו vau , and. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 40:12-26

God in creation. Creation tells of God in many ways. "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handywork: day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge" ( Psalms 19:1 , Psalms 19:2 ). "The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead" ( Romans 1:20 ). Here we have noted especially— I. GOD 'S MARVELLOUSNESS IN CREATION ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 40:12-31

THE MIGHT AND GREATNESS OF GOD CONTRASTED WITH THE WEAKNESS OF MAN AND THE FUTILITY OF IDOLS . If captive Israel is to be induced to turn' to God, and so hasten the time of its restoration to his favour and to its own land, it must be by rising to a worthy conception of the nature and attributes of the Almighty. The prophet, therefore, in the remainder of this chapter, paints in glorious language the power and greatness, dud at the same time the mercy, of God,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 40:16-26

The hopelessness and the simplicity of Divine service. "Lebanon is not sufficient to burn," etc.; "Not one faileth." If we were asked whether it was a very difficult or a very simple thing to serve the Lord, we should say, "It is both the one and the other; everything depends upon the way and the spirit in which we proceed." We learn— I. THAT MERE QUANTITY OF SERVICE IS VAIN AND FUTILE . "Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor will [all] the beasts thereof suffice... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 40:18-26

The degradation of the Divine. The holy indignation of the prophet is aroused as he sees the Godhead so pitifully presented to the mind, so shamefully represented to the eyes of men. He has in view the power and majesty of the Supreme One, and places in contrast the creatures of human imagination, the fabrications of the human hand. We have the degradation of the Divine— I. AS IT APPEARED TO THE HEBREW PROPHET . He beheld: 1 . The power and the majesty of God , ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 40:19-26

Idolatry ridiculous. A strong tone of irony and ridicule runs through the description; and nothing could better illustrate by contrast that sublime faith which has just been presented to our view. I. THE IMAGE CONTRASTED WITH JEHOVAH . All our thought is composed of images, but what a descent from that image in the mind and solely there on which we have been dwelling, to yonder thing of metal, which the craftsman casts, and the goldsmith overlays with gold, and for which he... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 40:24

They shall not be planted … shall not be sown … shall not take root. The verbs are all of them in the past tense. Translate, have not been planted , … sown , etc. The meaning is that princes and judges of the earth are not fixed in their places, have no firm root in the soil, are easily overturned. Even if the case were different, a breath from the Almighty would, as a matter of course, dry them up (see Isaiah 40:7 ) and blow them away. As stubble (comp. Isaiah 5:24 ; Psalms... read more

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