以赛亚书 40:15

Chinese NCV (Simplified)

看哪！萬國都像水桶裡的一滴，又被看作天平上的微塵。看哪！他舉起眾海島，好像微細之物。

Parallel Translations

Chinese Union (Simplified)
看 哪 ， 万 民 都 像 水 桶 的 一 滴 ， 又 算 如 天 平 上 的 微 尘 ； 他 举 起 众 海 岛 ， 好 像 极 微 之 物 。

Contextual Overview

¹² Who has measured the oceans in the palm of his hand? Who has used his hand to measure the sky? Who has used a bowl to measure all the dust of the earth and scales to weigh the mountains and hills? ¹³ Who has known the mind of the Lord or been able to give him advice? ¹⁴ Whom did he ask for help? Who taught him the right way? Who taught him knowledge and showed him the way to understanding? ¹⁵ The nations are like one small drop in a bucket; they are no more than the dust on his measuring scales. To him the islands are no more than fine dust on his scales. ¹⁶ All the trees in Lebanon are not enough for the altar fires, and all the animals in Lebanon are not enough for burnt offerings. ¹⁷ Compared to the Lord all the nations are worth nothing; to him they are less than nothing.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the nations: Isaiah 40:22, Job 34:14, Job 34:15, Jeremiah 10:10

the isles: Isaiah 11:11, Isaiah 41:5, Isaiah 59:18, Isaiah 66:19, Genesis 10:5, Daniel 11:18, Zephaniah 2:11

Reciprocal: Psalms 50:21 - thoughtest Psalms 62:9 - lighter Psalms 113:4 - high Daniel 4:35 - all

Cross-References

Genesis 14:13
One of the men who was not captured went to Abram, the Hebrew, and told him what had happened. At that time Abram was camped near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite. Mamre was a brother of Eshcol and Aner, and they had all made an agreement to help Abram.

Genesis 39:20
So Potiphar arrested Joseph and put him into the prison where the king's prisoners were put. And Joseph stayed there in the prison.

Genesis 40:3
so he put them in the prison of the captain of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was kept.

Genesis 40:4
The captain of the guard put the two prisoners in Joseph's care, and they stayed in prison for some time.

Genesis 40:8
The two men answered, "We both had dreams last night, but no one can explain their meaning to us." Joseph said to them, "God is the only One who can explain the meaning of dreams. Tell me your dreams."

Genesis 40:10
on the vine were three branches. I watched the branches bud and blossom, and then the grapes ripened.

Genesis 40:11
I was holding the king's cup, so I took the grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I gave it to the king."

Genesis 40:12
Then Joseph said, "I will explain the dream to you. The three branches stand for three days.

Genesis 40:17
In the top basket were all kinds of baked food for the king, but the birds were eating this food out of the basket on my head."

Genesis 40:18
Joseph answered, "I will tell you what the dream means. The three baskets stand for three days.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket,.... Not only the Chaldeans and Babylonians, and other nations most known, and most troublesome to the Jews, but all the nations of the world; these, in comparison of God, of his infinite and immense Being, are but as a drop of water that hangs upon the bucket, or falls from it, when water is drawn by it, or is left in it, when poured out of it; which is nothing in comparison of the well out of which the water is drawn, or even of the water in the bucket drawn out of it:

and are accounted as the small dust of the balance; that is, they are accounted nothing of with God, comparatively speaking, any more than the small dust which hangs upon the balance, and gives it no weight, nor turn one way or another, and so is of no consideration. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it, "as the turn of the scale"; and so the Targum; but the other version more strongly expresses the sense:

behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing; by which are meant not merely islands, properly so called, which are encompassed by the sea, but all such countries which the Jews used to go to by sea, for all such they called isles; these the Lord can take up, or cast away u, as some render the word; toss them about, overturn and destroy, as a man may take up the most minute thing and cast it from him. The Targum renders it,

"as chaff which flies away;''

or, as others translate it,

"as the ashes of a coal which fly away.''

The word may signify any light thing, as chaff, straw, stubble, feathers, down of thistles, which are easily carried away with the least force; and so Vitringa renders the words, "behold, the isles are as some little thing which flies away".

u יטול "projiciet", Pagninus, Tigurine version; so R. Jonah in Ben Melech.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Behold, the nations - All the nations of the earth. This is designed to show the greatness of God, in comparison with that which strikes man as great - a mighty nation; and the main object seems to be, to show that God could accomplish his purposes without their aid, and that they could not resist him in the execution of his plans. If they were as nothing in comparison with him, how easily could he execute his purposes! If they were as nothing, how little could they resist the execution of his plans!

Are as a drop of a bucket - In comparison with him; or are so esteemed by him. The drop that falls from the bucket in drawing water is a trifle. It has no power, and compared with the waters of the ocean it is as nothing. So small is the power of the nations in comparison with God. “And are counted.” Are thought of, regarded, esteemed by him, or in comparison with him.

As the small dust of the balance - The small, fine dust which collects on the best finished and most accurate balance or scales, and which has no effect in making the scales uneven, or making either side preponderate. Nothing can be a more striking representation of the fact that the nations are regarded as nothing in comparison with God.

Behold, he taketh up the isles - Or he is able to do it; he could remove the isles as the fine dust is driven before the whirlwind. A more literal translation of this passage would be, ‘Lo, the isles are as the dust which is taken up,’ or which one takes up; that is, which is taken up, and carried away by the wind. There is something unusual in the expression that God takes up the isles, and the idea is rather that the isles in his sight are regarded as the fine dust which the wind sweeps away. So the Chaldee renders it, ‘Lo, the isles are like ashes which the wind drives away.’ The word ‘isles,’ Vitringa and Jerome regard as denoting not the small portions of land in the sea that are surrounded by water, but lands which are encompassed and enclosed Mesopotamia. But there is no reason why it should not be taken here in its usual signification, as denoting the islands of the sea. They would serve well to be used in connection with mountains and hills in setting forth the vast power of God.

As a very little thing - (כדק k^eddaq). The word דק daq means theft which is beaten small, or fine; and then fine dust, chaff, or any light thing which the wind easily sweeps away.