The Hebrew verb shavah means to be equal, alike, or level; to set something in place; or to compare. It encompasses the idea of equivalence — things that match, balance, or correspond to one another. In its extended use, it asks 'what is comparable?' — a rhetorical device for expressing incomparability.
The incomparability formula 'who can compare to you?' appears throughout the Psalms and prophets using the root shavah. In Psalm 89:6, 'Who in the skies is comparable to the LORD?' uses this root to assert God's absolute uniqueness. Isaiah uses the same concept to mock idol worship: 'To whom will you compare me or count me equal?' (Isaiah 46:5). The theology of shavah is that God has no equal — nothing in creation can be placed on the same level as the Creator. This incomparability is the foundation of exclusive worship.