Komentaryo sa Isaias 40:17: Rashi, Ibn Ezra & Tze'enah Ure'enah

All the nations are as naught before Him In His eyes they are as naught, and are not regarded by Him.

All nations, etc. All divisions of nature³⁹Only those parts of nature are mentioned, that exhibit a certain degree of vitality; the minerals (רומס) are therefore passed over in silence. are reviewed by the prophet; viz. first the nations (ver. 15), that is, man, and then (ver. 16) plants and beasts.—The meaning of this verse is: since all⁴⁰The phrase כל הגוים which is explained by I. E. to signify man, plants and animals cannot be taken in its usual and literal sense all people ; it means all divisions or all kingdoms of nature. Although I. E. might have derived this meaning of כל הגוים from the literal and original meaning of גוי people, he seems here to have indulged in a play of words, and to have used כלּ הגוים in his commentary at least, instead of כל הגויות all bodies or all. is as nothing before Him, etc.⁴¹I. E. considers verse 17 as the recapitulation of the two preceding verses, and therefore refers כל הגוים to man, plants and animals mentioned there.

מאפס Less than nothing. The מ denotes here the same as in מהבל lighter than vanity (Ps. Ixii. 10).—It is surprising how the Gaon could place men above angels, he must certainly have read this chapter.⁴²This question is discussed by I. E, more fully in his abridged commentary on Exodus 23:20.