In this verse the prophet asks two more rhetorical questions, telling his people that it is impossible to compare God to anything.

To whom then will you liken God: Whom translates the same Hebrew interrogative pronoun as in verses 12-14. Here it introduces another rhetorical question. Then renders the common Hebrew conjunction, which is literally “And.” Here it implies a connection between this subsection and the previous one. It introduces follow-up questions to those in verses 12-14. It may be rendered by beginning this verse with “So then….” In the questions here the prophet directly challenges his people. The pronoun you is plural throughout verses 18-26, referring to the people of Judah. The Hebrew verb rendered liken (Good News Translation “be compared”) comes from the same root as the noun for likeness in the next line. These words recall Gen 1.26, which says God created humans in his own likeness. However, here the prophet says God the Creator cannot be likened or compared to anybody.

The Hebrew word for God is not the regular one, ʾelohim, but a shorter one, ʾel. ʾEl was the general term for a god used by the Canaanites and other Semitic people (see the comments on 5.16). The prophet may be using this general term to argue that no matter what religious tradition people belong to, it is foolish to think any creature can be compared with God.

Or what likeness compare with him is parallel with the previous question. The interrogative pronoun what moves the question away from a comparison with persons (whom) to one with things, so it leads into the response about idols in the next two verses. The Hebrew noun translated likeness can also mean “pattern/shape/image.” Translators should use a general word, not one that refers specifically to idols. The Hebrew verb rendered compare basically means to line things up in some kind of order. It is impossible to place things alongside God for any kind of comparison to be made.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• So then, to whom will you liken God,
to what will you compare him?

• So who is like God,
what can be compared with him?

• There is no human being [or, person] who is like God,
nothing can be compared with him.

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 .