In verses 15-17 the prophet makes several observations, in response to his rhetorical questions in verses 12-14. The overall theme of verses 15-17 is that even the most powerful nations of the world are insignificant in comparison to Yahweh. The opening word Behold calls attention to the observations in these verses.

The nations are like a drop from a bucket: The Hebrew noun translated nations normally refers to nations other than Israel (see 2.2), as it does here. Some of the nations in view here are the powerful empires of Babylonia and Persia. This word also occurs in verse 17 as an inclusio for the responses in verses 15-17. The simile like a drop from a bucket obviously refers to a drop of water from a full bucket. The point of the comparison is smallness. In God’s eyes even powerful nations are as insignificant as a drop of water. A bucket is a large container that can hold water. Good News Translation does not mention it (or the scales in the next line), but translators should keep it if possible. Bible en français courant translates the whole line as “Before the Lord the nations do not count more than a drop of water that falls from a bucket.”

And are accounted as the dust on the scales: The verb are accounted also occurs in verse 17, so it forms another inclusio for verses 15-17. This verb may be rendered simply as “are” (Contemporary English Version) here. As the dust on the scales is another simile that has smallness as its point of comparison. In God’s eyes the nations are as insignificant as a speck of dust, which does not weigh anything. The Hebrew root word for dust refers to fine powder. Scales renders the same Hebrew word as the one translated “balance” in verse 12 (see the comments there).

Behold, he takes up the isles like fine dust: The word behold is repeated to draw attention again to the insignificance of the nations. The meaning of the Hebrew verb rendered takes up is uncertain. It probably means “to weigh,” as it does in Syriac. Most versions use the verb “weigh” (for example, New International Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible). Also, it is better read as a plural verb, as in the Septuagint. This would make the isles the subject rather than God, so the whole line is literally “behold, the isles weigh like fine dust.” Isles is parallel to nations in the first line, so the two words are close in meaning. The Hebrew word rendered isles refers to the islands and coastal areas of the world, especially those of the Mediterranean Sea (see the comments on 11.11, where the same word is rendered “coastlands”). The Israelites believed these areas were at the far ends of the world. Like fine dust is parallel to the simile in the previous line. Since this line and the previous one are close in meaning, Good News Translation combines them, which is acceptable. Bible en français courant keeps both lines, saying “[the nations do not count more than …] or than a grain of sand on a pair of scales. The distant populations do not weigh more than a speck of dust.”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• See, the nations are as small as a drop [of water] from a bucket,
they are nothing more than dust on a pair of scales;
see, the [faraway] islands weigh only as much as fine dust.

• Look, the nations are like a drop of water [from a bucket],
they are merely dust on scales;
look, the distant islands weigh no more than a speck of dust.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .