Isaiah 40:23

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He reduces princes to nothingand makes judges of the earth like a wasteland.

Hebrew Names Version
who brings princes to nothing; who makes the judges of the eretz as vanity.

King James Version
That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

English Standard Version
who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.

New American Standard Bible
It is He who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.

New Century Version
He makes rulers unimportant and the judges of this world worth nothing.

Amplified Bible
It is He who reduces dignitaries to nothing, Who makes the judges (rulers) of the earth meaningless (useless).

World English Bible
who brings princes to nothing; who makes the judges of the earth as vanity.

Geneva Bible (1587)
He bringeth the princes to nothing, and maketh the iudges of the earth, as vanitie,

Legacy Standard Bible
It is He who reduces rulers to nothing,Who makes the judges of the earth utterly formless.

Berean Standard Bible
He brings the princes to nothing and makes the judges of the earth meaningless.

Contemporary English Version
God brings down rulers and turns them into nothing.

Complete Jewish Bible
He reduces princes to nothing, the rulers of the earth to emptiness.

Darby Translation
that bringeth the princes to nothing, that maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

Easy-to-Read Version
He takes away the power of rulers. He makes the world's leaders completely worthless.

George Lamsa Translation
Who brings princes to nought; and makes the judges of the earth as if they were nothing.

Good News Translation
He brings down powerful rulers and reduces them to nothing.

Lexham English Bible
the one who brings princes to nothing; he makes rulers of the earth like nothing.

Literal Translation
who gives potentates into nothing. He makes judges of the earth as nothing.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
That he bringeth princes to nothinge, and the iudges of the earth to dust:

American Standard Version
that bringeth princes to nothing; that maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

Bible in Basic English
He makes rulers come to nothing; the judges of the earth are of no value.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
That bringeth princes to nothing; He maketh the judges of the earth as a thing of nought.

King James Version (1611)
That bringeth the princes to nothing; hee maketh the Iudges of the earth as vanitie.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
He bringeth princes to nothing, and the iudges of the earth as though they were not.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
he that appoints princes to rule as nothing, and has made the earth as nothing.

English Revised Version
that bringeth princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Which yyueth the sercheris of priuytees, as if thei be not, and made the iugis of erthe as a veyn thing.

Update Bible Version
that brings princes to nothing; that makes the judges of the earth as vanity.

Webster's Bible Translation
That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

New English Translation
He is the one who reduces rulers to nothing; he makes the earth's leaders insignificant.

New King James Version
He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless.

New Living Translation
He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing.

New Life Bible
It is He Who brings rulers down to nothing. He makes the judges of the earth as nothing.

New Revised Standard
who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Who delivereth dignitaries to nothingness, - Judges of earth, like a desolation, hath he made:

Douay-Rheims Bible
He that bringeth the searchers of secrets to nothing, that hath made the judges of the earth as vanity.

Revised Standard Version
who brings princes to nought, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

Young's Literal Translation
He who is making princes become nothing, Judges of earth as emptiness hath made;

New American Standard Bible (1995)
He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.

Contextual Overview

¹⁸So who even comes close to being like God? To whom or what can you compare him? Some no-god idol? Ridiculous! It's made in a workshop, cast in bronze, Given a thin veneer of gold, and draped with silver filigree. Or, perhaps someone will select a fine wood— olive wood, say—that won't rot, Then hire a woodcarver to make a no-god, giving special care to its base so it won't tip over! ²¹Have you not been paying attention? Have you not been listening? Haven't you heard these stories all your life? Don't you understand the foundation of all things? God sits high above the round ball of earth. The people look like mere ants. He stretches out the skies like a canvas— yes, like a tent canvas to live under. He ignores what all the princes say and do. The rulers of the earth count for nothing. Princes and rulers don't amount to much. Like seeds barely rooted, just sprouted, They shrivel when God blows on them. Like flecks of chaff, they're gone with the wind. ²⁵"So—who is like me? Who holds a candle to me?" says The Holy. Look at the night skies: Who do you think made all this? Who marches this army of stars out each night, counts them off, calls each by name —so magnificent! so powerful!— and never overlooks a single one?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Isaiah 19:13, Isaiah 19:14, Isaiah 23:9, Isaiah 24:21, Isaiah 24:22, Job 12:21, Job 34:19, Job 34:20, Psalms 76:12, Psalms 107:40, Jeremiah 25:18-27, Luke 1:51, Luke 1:52, Revelation 19:18-20

Reciprocal: Job 21:22 - he judgeth Job 35:5 - Look Jeremiah 10:24 - lest 1 Corinthians 2:6 - of the

Cross-References

Genesis 40:16
When the head baker saw how well Joseph's interpretation turned out, he spoke up: "My dream went like this: I saw three wicker baskets on my head; the top basket had assorted pastries from the bakery and birds were picking at them from the basket on my head."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 monarchies and kingdoms too in time. Where are now the Babylonish, Persian, and Grecian monarchies, and those great princes that formerly reigned in them?

he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity; their decrees and decisions to stand for nothing, as "tohu" and "bohu", the first of which words is used here; so that they are no more regarded and attended to.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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. The design of this passage is to contrast the majesty of God with that of princes and nobles, and to show how far he excels them all. The general truth is therefore stated, that all monarchs are by him removed from their thrones, and consigned to nothing. The same idea is expressed in Job 12:21 :

He poureth contempt upon princes,

And weakeneth the strength of the mighty.

And in Psalms 107:40 :

He poureth contempt upon princes,

And causeth them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way.

The particular idea here, as appears from the next verse, is, that the princes and rulers who are opposed to God constitute no real resistance to the execution of his purposes. He can strip off their honors and glory, and obliterate even their names.

He maketh the judges of the earth - Kings and princes often executed judgment personally, and hence, the words judges and kings seem to be synonymous as they are used here, and in Psalms 2:10 :

Be wise now, therefore, O ye kings;

Be instructed, ye judges of the earth.