Isaiah 40:16

16 And Lebanon [is] not enough to light a fire, and its animals not enough for a burnt offering.

Isaiah 40:16 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 40:16

And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn
The trees of it, as the Targum; these are not sufficient to burn a sacrifice with, suitable to the dignity and majesty of God, and as his justice can require for offences committed: nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering,
though it was a mountain and forest which abounded with trees, and especially cedars, and there was a great quantity of cattle in it, yet neither were sufficient to furnish out a proper burnt offering to the Lord; he only himself could provide a Lamb sufficient for a burnt offering, and he has done it, the only begotten Son of God; he has offered himself an offering and a sacrifice to God, of a sweet smelling savour, by which he has put away sin, and made full atonement for it, Jarchi thinks this is said to aggravate the sins of men, of the wicked, which were so great, that Lebanon with all its wood and cattle could not furnish out a sacrifice sufficient to expiate them.

Isaiah 40:16 In-Context

14 With whom has he consulted, that he enlightened him and taught him [the] path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and made [the] way of understanding known to him?
15 Look! [The] nations [are] like a drop from a bucket, and they are counted like dust of [the] balances! Look! He weighs [the] islands like a thin covering.
16 And Lebanon [is] not enough to light a fire, and its animals not enough for a burnt offering.
17 All the nations [are] like nothing before him; they are counted by him as nothing and emptiness.
18 And to whom will you liken God? And to what likeness will you compare him?

Footnotes 1

Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.