Assalamu 'Alaikum!Arabic for "Peace be upon you", Muslim greeting. May God guide us as we try to
investigate this verse. I want to begin with a sincere intention all for the sake of Allah
(S.W.T.)Subhanahu wa ta'ala, Arabic for "May He be glorified and exalted", Muslim honorific..
Let me elaborate this question for us to understand the scope of our topic.
The previous scriptures mentioned above are the Torah (part of the Jewish Bible) and the Gospels,
both part of the Christian Bible. From the above verse, it says that if we Muslims are in doubt of the revelations
in the Qur'an, we must therefore refer to the previous scriptures for verification. Further, since the previous scriptures are part of the Christian Bible, then the above question simply suggests that if Allah (S.W.T.) referred us to the previous scriptures to verify, then would that mean we Muslims must acknowledge the deity of Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. because that's what the Bible says --- according to the Church?
With that in mind, we can say that Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. plays a pivotal role on the two religions (Islam and Christianity),
and we can briefly summarize their differences as follows:
The Trinitarian Christians believe that Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. is a God and is part of the Triune God. They claim that God
is 3-in-1, that is, the God the Father, the God the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all equal and one in essence. On the other hand, we Muslims
refer to Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. as a prophet and reject his divinity and the concept of Triune God as claimed by the Trinitarians. Instead, Muslims
believe in pure monotheism (Absolute Oneness of God).
Having laid out the beliefs of the two parties with regards to Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific., we can then address the question by answering the following sub-questions:
- Was Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. referred to as a Prophet in the Bible?
- Did Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. claimed in the Bible that he is God?
- If we Muslims believed in the Absolute Oneness of God, then to refer to the previous scriptures meant that we need to check if the Bible did taught this Absolute Monotheism.
If so, did Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. taught the Absolute Oneness of God or did he taught that God is of triuned nature and that Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. is part of it?
The answer to the first question is Yes, Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. well received the name Prophet addressed to him by those he interacted with, and dismissed any name addressed to him that should only be addressed to God. See verses below:
ἀπεκρίθη ἡ γυνὴ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῶ, οὐκ ἔχω ἄνδρα. λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ ἰησοῦς, καλῶς εἶπας ὅτι ἄνδρα οὐκ ἔχω· πέντε γὰρ ἄνδρας ἔσχες, καὶ νῦν ὃν ἔχεις οὐκ ἔστιν σου ἀνήρ· τοῦτο ἀληθὲς εἴρηκας. λέγει αὐτῶ ἡ γυνή, κύριε, θεωρῶ ὅτι προφήτης εἶ σύ. οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἐν τῶ ὄρει τούτῳ προσεκύνησαν· καὶ ὑμεῖς λέγετε ὅτι ἐν ἱεροσολύμοις ἐστὶν ὁ τόπος ὅπου προσκυνεῖν δεῖ. λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ ἰησοῦς, πίστευέ μοι, γύναι, ὅτι ἔρχεται ὥρα ὅτε οὔτε ἐν τῶ ὄρει τούτῳ οὔτε ἐν ἱεροσολύμοις προσκυνήσετε τῶ πατρί. ὑμεῖς προσκυνεῖτε ὃ οὐκ οἴδατε· ἡμεῖς προσκυνοῦμεν ὃ οἴδαμεν, ὅτι ἡ σωτηρία ἐκ τῶν ἰουδαίων ἐστίν.
The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.”
Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
Bible (NKJV)
John
4:17-22
καὶ εἰσελθόντος αὐτοῦ εἰς ἱεροσόλυμα ἐσείσθη πᾶσα ἡ πόλις λέγουσα, τίς ἐστιν οὖτος; οἱ δὲ ὄχλοι ἔλεγον, οὖτός ἐστιν ὁ προφήτης ἰησοῦς ὁ ἀπὸ ναζαρὲθ τῆς γαλιλαίας.
And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”
So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Bible (NKJV)
Matthew
21:10-11
Other verses where Jesus (A.S.) was referred as Prophet can be seen in Matthew 21:11; Luke (7:16, 7:39, 24:19); and John (6:14, 7:40, 9:17). On the other hand, Jesus (A.S.) did not received the name Good referred to him by his desciple, and suggest that this is for God only --- implying he is not God.
καὶ ἐπὶ ἡγεμόνας δὲ καὶ βασιλεῖς ἀχθήσεσθε ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εἰς μαρτύριον αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν.
So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
This is also written in Luke 18:19.
The answer to the second question is that, there is no verse where Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. said that he is God. Some suggest that he said so in John 8:58, the phrase "I am", which was referred to by God the Father in Exodus 3:14. However, this is not explicit. Second it is based on the translation, and third, other teachings of Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. on the explicit nature of God does not support this (see succeeding verses). The original greek ἐγὼ εἰμί ("I am"), was also used by the blind man in John 9:8-9, but was translated as "I am the man". If the translation was consistent, then both Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. and the blind man utterred "I am". Following the logic proposed, suggest that the blind man is also a God (in reference to Exodus 3:14).
In actual fact, Jesus
(A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. preached the Absolute Oneness of God as seen in the following verse:
αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή, ἵνα γινώσκωσιν σὲ τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας ἰησοῦν χριστόν.
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
Some Christians argue that Jesus
(A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. being a humble man, simply humbled himself towards God by saying the above verse. That is, out of humility he never
emphasized his divinity upon addressing God the Father, accordingly. However, to say this, suggest that the above statement by Jesus
(A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. is false, and if it is false, then the Christians are suggesting that Jesus
(A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. was lying above? It is a huge risk for such an assumption --- indeed, the basis here is purely on assumptions.
Moreover, to claim that the above statement is out of humility requires proof that Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. did claim that he is God, and that God the Father is not the only true God. If so, where is it in the Bible?
Further, to believe such assumption, meant that if Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. was to address a human being
and not God, we must then expect him to teach that he is indeed God, part of the Trinity. Upon checking, this seems to be not the case --- when Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. was asked about the most important commandment, he responded with the following:
εἰ δὲ ἐν πνεύματι θεοῦ ἐγὼ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια, ἄρα ἔφθασεν ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ. ἢ πῶς δύναταί τις εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἰσχυροῦ καὶ τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ἁρπάσαι, ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον δήσῃ τὸν ἰσχυρόν; καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ διαρπάσει. ὁ μὴ ὢν μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ κατ᾽ ἐμοῦ ἐστιν, καὶ ὁ μὴ συνάγων μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ σκορπίζει. διὰ τοῦτο λέγω ὑμῖν, πᾶσα ἁμαρτία καὶ βλασφημία ἀφεθήσεται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἡ δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος βλασφημία οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται. καὶ ὃς ἐὰν εἴπῃ λόγον κατὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῶ· ὃς δ᾽ ἂν εἴπῃ κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῶ οὔτε ἐν τούτῳ τῶ αἰῶνι οὔτε ἐν τῶ μέλλοντι. ἢ ποιήσατε τὸ δένδρον καλὸν καὶ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ καλόν, ἢ ποιήσατε τὸ δένδρον σαπρὸν καὶ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ σαπρόν· ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ καρποῦ τὸ δένδρον γινώσκεται. γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, πῶς δύνασθε ἀγαθὰ λαλεῖν πονηροὶ ὄντες; ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ περισσεύματος τῆς καρδίας τὸ στόμα λαλεῖ.
And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" Jesus answered, "The most important is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. 'The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Bible (NKJV)
Mark
12:28-34
Again, this does not support the concept of Trinity as claimed by the Church. Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. had the opportunity to correct the belief of the learned Jew, and that if Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. was to teach the Trinity, there is an assurance that this news will spread to the community (and to the world) since the one asking is not just an ordinary Jew, but a scribe as well. On the contrary, these words of Jesus (A.S.)ʿAlayhi as-salām, Arabic for "Peace be upon him", Muslim honorific. further supported the claim of the Qur'an that he indeed taught the Absolute Oneness of God. Therefore, as the Qur'an suggests, we Muslims shouldn't be in doubt because the previous scriptures indeed confirmed the claim in the Qur'an.
As for the Old Testament, there are a lot of verses supporting the Absolute Oneness of God, no wonder this is the belief of the Jews:
אָֽנֹכִ֖י֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֧ר הוֹצֵאתִ֛יךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֣֥ית עֲבָדִֽ֑ים׃
לֹֽ֣א יִהְיֶֽה־לְךָ֛֩ אֱלֹהִ֥֨ים אֲחֵרִ֖֜ים עַל־פָּנָֽ֗יַ
לֹֽ֣א תַֽעֲשֶׂ֨ה־לְךָ֥֣ פֶ֣֙סֶל֙׀ וְכָל־תְּמוּנָ֡֔ה אֲשֶׁ֤֣ר בַּשָּׁמַ֣֙יִם֙׀ מִמַּ֡֔עַל וַֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר֩ בָּאָ֖֨רֶץ מִתַָּ֑֜חַת וַאֲשֶׁ֥֣ר בַּמַּ֖֣יִם׀ מִתַּ֥֣חַת לָאָֽ֗רֶץ
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods upon My Face. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
Bible (NKJV)
Exodus
20:2-4
אַתָּה֙ הָרְאֵ֣תָ לָדַ֔עַת כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה ה֣וּא הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ין ע֖וֹד מִלְבַדּֽוֹ׃
To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord Himself is God; there is none other besides Him.
Bible (NKJV)
Deuteronomy
4:35
וְיָדַעְתָּ֣ הַיּ֗וֹם וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ֮ אֶל־לְבָבֶךָ֒ כִּ֤י יְהוָה֙ ה֣וּא הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם מִמַּ֔עַל וְעַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ מִתָּ֑חַת אֵ֖ין עֽוֹד׃
Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.
Bible (NKJV)
Deuteronomy
4:39
שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה׀ אֶחָֽד׃
וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃
וְהָי֞וּ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם עַל־לְבָבֶֽךָ׃
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
Bible (NKJV)
Deuteronomy
6:4-6
לֹ֣א תֵֽלְכ֔וּן אַחֲרֵ֖י אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים מֵאֱלֹהֵי֙ הָֽעַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר סְבִיבוֹתֵיכֶֽם׃
You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you
Bible (NKJV)
Deuteronomy
6:14
וְהַנָּבִ֣יא הַה֡וּא א֣וֹ חֹלֵם֩ הַחֲל֨וֹם הַה֜וּא יוּמָ֗ת כִּ֣י דִבֶּר־סָ֠רָה עַל־יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֜ם הַמּוֹצִ֥יא אֶתְכֶ֣ם׀ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֗יִם וְהַפֹּֽדְךָ֙ מִבֵּ֣ית עֲבָדִ֔ים לְהַדִּֽיחֲךָ֙ מִן־הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֧ר צִוְּךָ֛ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לָלֶ֣כֶת בָּ֑הּ וּבִֽעַרְתָּ֥ הָרָ֖ע מִקִּרְבֶּֽךָ׃
כִּ֣י יְסִֽיתְךָ֡ אָחִ֣יךָ בֶן־אִ֠מֶּךָ אֽוֹ־בִנְךָ֨ אֽוֹ־בִתְּךָ֜ א֣וֹ׀ אֵ֣שֶׁת חֵיקֶ֗ךָ א֧וֹ רֵֽעֲךָ֛ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כְּנַפְשְׁךָ֖ בַּסֵּ֣תֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר נֵֽלְכָ֗ה וְנַֽעַבְדָה֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתָּ אַתָּ֖ה וַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃
מֵאֱלֹהֵ֣י הָֽעַמִּ֗ים אֲשֶׁר֙ סְבִיבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם הַקְּרֹבִ֣ים אֵלֶ֔יךָ א֖וֹ הָרְחֹקִ֣ים מִמֶּ֑ךָּ מִקְצֵ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ וְעַד־קְצֵ֥ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃
“If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, you shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him;
Bible (NKJV)
Deuteronomy
13:6-8
רְא֣וּ׀ עַתָּ֗ה כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י אֲנִי֙ ה֔וּא וְאֵ֥ין אֱלֹהִ֖ים עִמָּדִ֑י אֲנִ֧י אָמִ֣ית וַאֲחַיֶּ֗ה מָחַ֙צְתִּי֙ וַאֲנִ֣י אֶרְפָּ֔א וְאֵ֥ין מִיָּדִ֖י מַצִּֽיל׃
‘Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.
Bible (NKJV)
Deuteronomy
32:39
אַתֶּ֤ם עֵדַי֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְעַבְדִּ֖י אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחָ֑רְתִּי לְמַ֣עַן תֵּ֠דְעוּ וְתַאֲמִ֨ינוּ לִ֤י וְתָבִ֙ינוּ֙ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י ה֔וּא לְפָנַי֙ לֹא־נ֣וֹצַר אֵ֔ל וְאַחֲרַ֖י לֹ֥א יִהְיֶֽה׃ ס
אָנֹכִ֥י אָנֹכִ֖י יְהוָ֑ה וְאֵ֥ין מִבַּלְעָדַ֖י מוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃
אָנֹכִ֞י הִגַּ֤דְתִּי וְהוֹשַׁ֙עְתִּי֙ וְהִשְׁמַ֔עְתִּי וְאֵ֥ין בָּכֶ֖ם זָ֑ר וְאַתֶּ֥ם עֵדַ֛י נְאֻם־יְהוָ֖ה וַֽאֲנִי־אֵֽל׃
“You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, and there was no foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses,” Says the Lord, “that I am God.
Bible (NKJV)
Isaiah
43:10-12
כֹּֽה־אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְגֹאֲל֖וֹ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת אֲנִ֤י רִאשׁוֹן֙ וַאֲנִ֣י אַחֲר֔וֹן וּמִבַּלְעָדַ֖י אֵ֥ין אֱלֹהִֽים׃
“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.
אַֽל־תִּפְחֲדוּ֙ וְאַל־תִּרְה֔וּ הֲלֹ֥א מֵאָ֛ז הִשְׁמַעְתִּ֥יךָ וְהִגַּ֖דְתִּי וְאַתֶּ֣ם עֵדָ֑י הֲיֵ֤שׁ אֱל֙וֹהַּ֙ מִבַּלְעָדַ֔י וְאֵ֥ין צ֖וּר בַּל־יָדָֽעְתִּי׃
Do not fear, nor be afraid; have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’”
אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ וְאֵ֣ין ע֔וֹד זוּלָתִ֖י אֵ֣ין אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֲאַזֶּרְךָ֖ וְלֹ֥א יְדַעְתָּֽנִי׃
לְמַ֣עַן יֵדְע֗וּ מִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ וּמִמַּ֣עֲרָבָ֔הּ כִּי־אֶ֖פֶס בִּלְעָדָ֑י אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה וְאֵ֥ין עֽוֹד׃
I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me.
I will gird you, though you have not known Me, that they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other;
Bible (NKJV)
Isaiah
45:5-6
כִּ֣י כֹ֣ה אָֽמַר־יְ֠הוָה בּוֹרֵ֨א הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם ה֣וּא הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים יֹצֵ֨ר הָאָ֤רֶץ וְעֹשָׂהּ֙ ה֣וּא כֽוֹנְנָ֔הּ לֹא־תֹ֥הוּ בְרָאָ֖הּ לָשֶׁ֣בֶת יְצָרָ֑הּ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה וְאֵ֥ין עֽוֹד׃
For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens, who is God, who formed the earth and made it, who has established it, who did not create it in vain, who formed it to be inhabited: “I am the Lord, and there is no other.
Bible (NKJV)
Isaiah
45:18
לְמִ֥י תְדַמְי֖וּנִי וְתַשְׁו֑וּ וְתַמְשִׁל֖וּנִי וְנִדְמֶֽה׃
הַזָּלִ֤ים זָהָב֙ מִכִּ֔יס וְכֶ֖סֶף בַּקָּנֶ֣ה יִשְׁקֹ֑לוּ יִשְׂכְּר֤וּ צוֹרֵף֙ וְיַעֲשֵׂ֣הוּ אֵ֔ל יִסְגְּד֖וּ אַף־יִֽשְׁתַּחֲוּֽוּ׃
יִ֠שָּׂאֻהוּ עַל־כָּתֵ֨ף יִסְבְּלֻ֜הוּ וְיַנִּיחֻ֤הוּ תַחְתָּיו֙ וְיַֽעֲמֹ֔ד מִמְּקוֹמ֖וֹ לֹ֣א יָמִ֑ישׁ אַף־יִצְעַ֤ק אֵלָיו֙ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲנֶ֔ה מִצָּרָת֖וֹ לֹ֥א יוֹשִׁיעֶֽנּוּ׃ ס
“To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal and compare Me, that we should be alike? They lavish gold out of the bag, And weigh silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god; they prostrate themselves, yes, they worship. They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it and set it in its place, and it stands; from its place it shall not move. Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer nor save him out of his trouble.
Bible (NKJV)
Isaiah
46:5-7
זִכְר֥וּ רִאשֹׁנ֖וֹת מֵעוֹלָ֑ם כִּ֣י אָנֹכִ֥י אֵל֙ וְאֵ֣ין ע֔וֹד אֱלֹהִ֖ים וְאֶ֥פֶס כָּמֽוֹנִי׃
מַגִּ֤יד מֵֽרֵאשִׁית֙ אַחֲרִ֔ית וּמִקֶּ֖דֶם אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־נַעֲשׂ֑וּ אֹמֵר֙ עֲצָתִ֣י תָק֔וּם וְכָל־חֶפְצִ֖י אֶעֱשֶֽׂה׃
Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’
Bible (NKJV)
Isaiah
46:9-10
שְׁמַ֤ע אֵלַי֙ יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מְקֹרָאִ֑י אֲנִי־הוּא֙ אֲנִ֣י רִאשׁ֔וֹן אַ֖ף אֲנִ֥י אַחֲרֽוֹן׃
“Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last.
Bible (NKJV)
Isaiah
48:12