Isaiah 40:23
Isaiah 40:23 in Multiple Translations
He brings the princes to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth meaningless.
That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
that bringeth princes to nothing; that maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
He makes rulers come to nothing; the judges of the earth are of no value.
He brings leaders down; he makes the rulers of the world like nothing.
He bringeth the princes to nothing, and maketh the iudges of the earth, as vanitie,
He who is making princes become nothing, Judges of earth as emptiness hath made;
who brings princes to nothing, who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.
That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
He that bringeth the searchers of secrets to nothing, that hath made the judges of the earth as vanity.
He causes kings to have no more power, and he causes the rulers to be worth nothing.
Berean Amplified Bible — Isaiah 40:23
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Isaiah 40:23 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
הַ/נּוֹתֵ֥ן
רוֹזְנִ֖ים
לְ/אָ֑יִן
שֹׁ֥פְטֵי
אֶ֖רֶץ
כַּ/תֹּ֥הוּ
עָשָֽׂה
הַ/נּוֹתֵ֥ן
nâthan
H5414
to give
Art | V-Qal
רוֹזְנִ֖ים
râzan
H7336
to rule
V-Qal
לְ/אָ֑יִן
ʼayin
H369
nothing
Prep | Part
שֹׁ֥פְטֵי
shâphaṭ
H8199
to judge
V-Qal
אֶ֖רֶץ
ʼerets
H776
land
N-cs
כַּ/תֹּ֥הוּ
tôhûw
H8414
formlessness
Prep | N-ms
עָשָֽׂה
ʻâsâh
H6213
to make
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Isaiah 40:23
הַ/נּוֹתֵ֥ן
nâthan
H5414
"to give"
Art | V-Qal
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Definition: : give/deliver/send/produce 1) to give, put, set 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend 1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate 1a3) to make, constitute 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned 1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up 1c2) to be put upon
Usage: Occurs in 1816 OT verses. KJV: add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield. See also: Genesis 1:17; Genesis 40:21; Exodus 30:12.
רוֹזְנִ֖ים
râzan
H7336
"to rule"
V-Qal
This word means to have power or authority over something or someone, often in a noble or honorable way. In the Bible, it is used to describe leaders who rule with wisdom and integrity.
Definition: (Qal) to be weighty, be judicious, be commanding
Usage: Occurs in 6 OT verses. KJV: prince, ruler. See also: Judges 5:3; Proverbs 31:4; Psalms 2:2.
לְ/אָ֑יִן
ʼayin
H369
"nothing"
Prep | Part
This word means nothing or not, often used to indicate the absence of something, as in Genesis 1:2 where the earth was without form. It emphasizes the idea of something lacking or non-existent.
Definition: 1) nothing, not, nought n 1a) nothing, nought neg 1b) not 1c) to have not (of possession) adv 1d) without w/prep 1e) for lack of
Usage: Occurs in 686 OT verses. KJV: else, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן). See also: Genesis 2:5; Deuteronomy 14:27; 1 Kings 15:22.
שֹׁ֥פְטֵי
shâphaṭ
H8199
"to judge"
V-Qal
To shaphat means to judge or govern, and can also mean to vindicate or punish. In the Bible, this term is often used to describe God's role as a judge, as well as human judges and rulers.
Definition: 1) to judge, govern, vindicate, punish 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to act as law-giver or judge or governor (of God, man) 1a1a) to rule, govern, judge 1a2) to decide controversy (of God, man) 1a3) to execute judgment 1a3a) discriminating (of man) 1a3b) vindicating 1a3c) condemning and punishing 1a3d) at theophanic advent for final judgment 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to enter into controversy, plead, have controversy together 1b2) to be judged 1c) (Poel) judge, opponent-at-law (participle)
Usage: Occurs in 182 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] avenge, [idiom] that condemn, contend, defend, execute (judgment), (be a) judge(-ment), [idiom] needs, plead, reason, rule. See also: Genesis 16:5; Psalms 9:5; Psalms 2:10.
אֶ֖רֶץ
ʼerets
H776
"land"
N-cs
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Definition: : soil 1) land, earth 1a) earth 1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part) 1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven) 1a3) earth (inhabitants) 1b) land 1b1) country, territory 1b2) district, region 1b3) tribal territory 1b4) piece of ground 1b5) land of Canaan, Israel 1b6) inhabitants of land 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world 1b8) city (-state) 1c) ground, surface of the earth 1c1) ground 1c2) soil 1d) (in phrases) 1d1) people of the land 1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance) 1d3) level or plain country 1d4) land of the living 1d5) end(s) of the earth 1e) (almost wholly late in usage) 1e1) lands, countries 1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan
Usage: Occurs in 2190 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world. See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 42:13.
כַּ/תֹּ֥הוּ
tôhûw
H8414
"formlessness"
Prep | N-ms
Tohuw describes a desolate or empty place, like a wilderness or wasteland. It can also mean something is worthless or unreal, like an idol.
Definition: 1) formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness 1a) formlessness (of primeval earth) 1a1) nothingness, empty space 1b) that which is empty or unreal (of idols) (fig) 1c) wasteland, wilderness (of solitary places) 1d) place of chaos 1e) vanity
Usage: Occurs in 19 OT verses. KJV: confusion, empty place, without form, nothing, (thing of) nought, vain, vanity, waste, wilderness. See also: Genesis 1:2; Isaiah 34:11; Psalms 107:40.
עָשָֽׂה
ʻâsâh
H6213
"to make"
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
This verb means to make or do something, and is used over 2,600 times in the Bible. It is first used in Genesis 1:7 to describe God's creation of the world and is also used in Exodus 31:5 to describe the work of skilled craftsmen.
Definition: : make(OBJECT) 1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to do, work, make, produce 1a1a) to do 1a1b) to work 1a1c) to deal (with) 1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect 1a2) to make 1a2a) to make 1a2b) to produce 1a2c) to prepare 1a2d) to make (an offering) 1a2e) to attend to, put in order 1a2f) to observe, celebrate 1a2g) to acquire (property) 1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute 1a2i) to bring about 1a2j) to use 1a2k) to spend, pass 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be done 1b2) to be made 1b3) to be produced 1b4) to be offered 1b5) to be observed 1b6) to be used 1c) (Pual) to be made
Usage: Occurs in 2286 OT verses. KJV: accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, [phrase] feast, (fight-) ing man, [phrase] finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, [phrase] hinder, hold (a feast), [idiom] indeed, [phrase] be industrious, [phrase] journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, [phrase] officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, [idiom] sacrifice, serve, set, shew, [idiom] sin, spend, [idiom] surely, take, [idiom] thoroughly, trim, [idiom] very, [phrase] vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use. See also: Genesis 1:7; Genesis 34:19; Exodus 18:24.
Study Notes — Isaiah 40:23
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Isaiah 40:23 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 40:23
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 40:23
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 40:23
- Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 40:23
- Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 40:23
- Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 40:23
- Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 40:23
- Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 40:23
- Sermons on Isaiah 40:23
Context — Here Is Your God!
21Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the foundation of the earth?
22He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
23He brings the princes to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth meaningless.
24No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner have their stems taken root in the ground, than He blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like stubble. 25“To whom will you liken Me, or who is My equal?” asks the Holy One.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 12:21 | He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty. |
| 2 | Psalms 107:40 | He pours out contempt on the nobles and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland. |
| 3 | Isaiah 34:12 | No nobles will be left to proclaim a king, and all her princes will come to nothing. |
| 4 | Jeremiah 25:18–27 | to make them a ruin, an object of horror and contempt and cursing, as they are to this day—Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and officials; Pharaoh king of Egypt, his officials, his leaders, and all his people; all the mixed tribes; all the kings of Uz; all the kings of the Philistines: Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod; Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites; all the kings of Tyre and Sidon; the kings of the coastlands across the sea; Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who cut the corners of their hair; all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mixed tribes who dwell in the desert; all the kings of Zimri, Elam, and Media; all the kings of the north, both near and far, one after another—all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. And after all of them, the king of Sheshach will drink it too. “Then you are to tell them that this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Drink, get drunk, and vomit. Fall down and never get up again, because of the sword I will send among you.’ |
| 5 | Isaiah 23:9 | The LORD of Hosts planned it, to defile all its glorious beauty, to disgrace all the renowned of the earth. |
| 6 | Luke 1:51–52 | He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble. |
| 7 | Isaiah 24:21–22 | In that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven above and the kings of the earth below. They will be gathered together like prisoners in a pit. They will be confined to a dungeon and punished after many days. |
| 8 | Job 34:19–20 | who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands. They die in an instant, in the middle of the night. The people convulse and pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand. |
| 9 | Revelation 19:18–20 | so that you may eat the flesh of kings and commanders and mighty men, of horses and riders, of everyone slave and free, small and great.” Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies assembled to wage war against the One seated on the horse, and against His army. But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. |
| 10 | Psalms 76:12 | He breaks the spirits of princes; He is feared by the kings of the earth. |
Isaiah 40:23 Summary
[This verse means that God is so powerful that He can remove even the most important leaders from their positions of power, like kings or presidents. This is because God is the one who gives and takes away power, as we see in Job 12:17-19. He wants us to trust in Him, not in human leaders or authorities, and to remember that He is the one who is really in control, as stated in Psalm 103:19.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for God to bring princes to nothing?
This means that God has the power to humble and remove from power even the most influential and mighty leaders, as seen in Isaiah 40:23, similar to how He dealt with Pharaoh in Exodus 18:11 and King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:37.
Why are the rulers of the earth made meaningless by God?
God makes the rulers of the earth meaningless to show that He is the ultimate authority and that all human power is subject to His will, as stated in Psalm 103:19 and Romans 13:1-2.
Is this verse saying that all leaders are bad or useless?
No, this verse is not saying that all leaders are bad or useless, but rather that God is the one who gives and takes away power, and that He can humble even the most proud and powerful leaders, as seen in 1 Samuel 2:7-10 and Job 12:17-19.
How does this verse relate to our everyday lives?
This verse reminds us that God is in control of all things, including the rise and fall of leaders, and that we should trust in Him and not in human power or authority, as encouraged in Proverbs 3:5-6 and Jeremiah 17:7-8.
Reflection Questions
- How does the idea that God brings princes to nothing and makes rulers meaningless affect my view of authority and power?
- In what ways can I trust God's sovereignty in my own life, even when I see powerful leaders or systems seeming to dominate?
- What are some ways that God has humbled proud leaders or nations in the past, and what can I learn from these examples?
- How can I balance the idea of respecting human authority with the knowledge that God is the ultimate authority?
Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 40:23
That bringeth princes to nothing,.... The great men of the earth, kings, rulers, and nobles, these he brings to the dust; and all their counsels, schemes, and purposes, come to nothing; and their
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 40:23
That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 40:23
That bringeth the princes to nothing; that can at his pleasure destroy all the great potentates of the world.
Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 40:23
Isaiah 40:23 That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.Ver. 23. That bringeth princes to nothing.] After their part acted here a while, they go off the stage of life, and are seen no more. Augustus Caesar said, that his life was nothing else but a kind of a comedy; and that he had acted his part, as became him, and therefore, at his death, he called for a Plaudite. applause.
Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 40:23
(23) That bringeth the princes to nothing.—The words imply, like those of Isa 14:9, the prophetic strain of experience. The past is full of the records of kingdoms that are no more; so also shall the future be; mortalia facta peribunt. In “vanity” we have the familiar tohu once more.
Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 40:23
22, 23. The majesty of the God who reveals Himself in Creation and Providence is described in interjectional participial clauses, the force of which should not be blunted by the superfluous “It is” of E.V. upon (rather: above, R.V. marg.) the circle of the earth] i. e. the horizon, where earth and heaven meet (see Proverbs 8:27), “at the confines of light and darkness” (Job 26:10). The earth with its surrounding ocean is conceived as a flat disc, on which the arch of heaven comes down. The rendering “on the vault of the earth” (see Job 22:14, “vault of heaven,” the same word) is possible, though not so good. and (so that) the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers] Comp. for the expression Numbers 13:33, and for the thought Psalms 113:5 f. as a curtain] like gauze (lit. fine cloth). a tent to dwell in] i.e. simply “a habitable tent.”
Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 40:23
That bringeth the princes to nothing - That is, all princes and kings. No matter how great their power, their wealth, and their dignity, they are, by his hand, reduced to nothing before him.
Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 40:23
23, 24. Princes… judges… vanity — Other predicates are here added respecting God, the ruler of the universe. He annihilates the potentates and judges of the earth when they displease him. In various ways hevisits them.
Sermons on Isaiah 40:23
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
The Message of 1 Chronicles by G. Campbell Morgan | G. Campbell Morgan emphasizes the vital role of recognizing God in the national life of Israel as illustrated in 1 Chronicles. He discusses the genealogies as a demonstration of Go |
|
Peace From Wearying Labor by Mary Wilder Tileston | Mary Wilder Tileston emphasizes the importance of maintaining unbroken communion with God to experience peace, rest, and joy in our lives. She highlights the need to focus on givin |
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A Tumor and Swelling in the Mind by Thomas Brooks | Thomas Brooks emphasizes the destructive nature of pride, describing it as the root of many vices and a significant danger to the soul. He illustrates pride as a 'gilded misery' an |
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Epistle 92 by George Fox | George Fox encourages all believers who are imprisoned for their faith to surrender to the truth, which will ultimately set them free. He emphasizes the importance of relying on th |
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Two Roads Two Destinies 08 Ireland st.chapel by Worth Ellis | In this sermon, the speaker begins by sharing a personal experience of meeting an old teacher and having a reunion in a crowded restaurant. He then transitions to discussing the we |
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The Apocalypse - Revelation 6b (The Sixth Seal) by Steve Gallagher | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the sixth seal and its physical attributes. They begin by noting that the list of reactions described in the sixth seal applies to every categ |