And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering.
Parallel translations
- WEB Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor its animals sufficient for a burnt offering.
- KJV And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
- BSB Lebanon is not sufficient for fuel, nor its animals enough for a burnt offering.
- NASB Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its animals enough for a burnt offering.
- NLT All the wood in Lebanon’s forests and all Lebanon’s animals would not be enough to make a burnt offering worthy of our God.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Even all Lebanon's forests and animals would be insufficient to offer worship worthy of God.
Overview
Isaiah dramatizes God's transcendence: the vast cedar forests of Lebanon could not provide enough fuel, nor its beasts enough sacrifices, to match His worth. No offering humanity assembles can adequately honor Him. This points ultimately to the need for the one perfect sacrifice, fulfilled in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Mic 6:6–7How shall I come before Yahweh, and bow myself before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
- Ps 50:9–12I have no need for a bull from your stall, nor male goats from your pens.
- Ps 40:6Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire. You have opened my ears. You have not required burnt offering and sin offering.
- Heb 10:5–10Therefore when he comes into the world, he says, “Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire, but you prepared a body for me.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 40:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.