Isaiah 40:16

And Lebanon [is] not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.

And Lebanon {H3844} is not {H369} sufficient {H1767} to burn {H1197}, nor the beasts {H2416} thereof sufficient {H1767} for a burnt offering {H5930}.

The L'vanon would not suffice for fuel or its animals be enough for burnt offerings.

Lebanon is not sufficient for fuel, nor its animals enough for a burnt offering.

And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering.

Isaiah 40:16 (KJV) powerfully illustrates the immeasurable greatness and majesty of God by highlighting the utter insufficiency of even the grandest human offerings to match His worth.

Context

This verse is part of the "Book of Comfort" (Isaiah 40-66), which begins with the comforting promise to Israel after their period of exile in Babylon (Isaiah 40:1). Chapters 40-48 primarily focus on God's incomparable power and sovereignty, establishing His ability to deliver His people and fulfill His promises. Leading up to verse 16, Isaiah has already declared God's unique position above all nations and creation, questioning who can measure His Spirit or instruct Him (Isaiah 40:13-14). Verse 16 serves as a striking rhetorical question, further emphasizing that no earthly resource could ever adequately honor such a magnificent God.

Key Themes

  • God's Incomparable Majesty: The verse vividly portrays God's infinite worth and power, so vast that no material wealth or sacrifice from creation could ever be sufficient to truly honor Him. This underscores God's unrivaled supremacy.
  • The Insufficiency of Human Offerings: "Lebanon" was renowned for its vast cedar forests, used for temple construction and its abundant wildlife. The imagery suggests that even if one could gather all the trees for fuel and all the animals for sacrifice from this rich land, it would still fall infinitely short of being a worthy offering for the Almighty God.
  • True Worship and Awe: The verse calls for an attitude of profound awe and humility before God, recognizing that true worship is not about the scale of our material gifts but the reverence of our hearts.

Linguistic Insights

The term "Lebanon" (Hebrew: Lĕḇānōn) refers to the mountainous region north of Israel, famous for its majestic cedar trees and rich biodiversity. These cedars were highly valued, even used in the construction of Solomon's Temple. A "burnt offering" (Hebrew: ‘ōlāh) was a central part of Israelite worship, where an entire animal was consumed by fire on the altar, symbolizing complete dedication and atonement. The stark declaration that even such vast resources are "not sufficient" underscores the infinite gap between human capacity and divine glory.

Practical Application

Isaiah 40:16 teaches us several profound lessons for today:

  • Humility in Worship: It reminds us that our best efforts, talents, or material possessions are utterly inadequate to "impress" or fully repay God for His holiness and goodness. Our worship must stem from a recognition of His overwhelming greatness, not from a sense of what we can offer.
  • God's Self-Sufficiency: God does not depend on anything we possess or do. He is complete in Himself, as Acts 17:25 affirms, "neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing."
  • The Perfect Sacrifice of Christ: This verse beautifully foreshadows the ultimate truth that no animal sacrifice, no matter how grand, could truly atone for sin or fully honor God. It points to the perfect and sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose offering was not of beasts or trees, but of Himself, once for all. This is the only offering truly sufficient to reconcile humanity to God and perfectly glorify Him.

Ultimately, Isaiah 40:16 calls us to stand in awe of a God whose majesty transcends all earthly measure and to worship Him not with grand, inadequate offerings, but with hearts transformed by His grace.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Micah 6:6

    ¶ Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, [and] bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

  • Micah 6:7

    Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, [or] with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn [for] my transgression, the fruit of my body [for] the sin of my soul?

  • Psalms 40:6

    ¶ Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

  • Psalms 50:9

    I will take no bullock out of thy house, [nor] he goats out of thy folds.

  • Psalms 50:12

    If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world [is] mine, and the fulness thereof.

  • Hebrews 10:5

    Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

  • Hebrews 10:10

    By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all].

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