Isaiah 40:12 kjv
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
Isaiah 40:12 nkjv
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance?
Isaiah 40:12 niv
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?
Isaiah 40:12 esv
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?
Isaiah 40:12 nlt
Who else has held the oceans in his hand?
Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers?
Who else knows the weight of the earth
or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?
Isaiah 40 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 40:15 | Behold, the nations are as a drop from a bucket, and are counted as the fine dust of the balance; behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. | Sovereignty over nations |
| Psalm 95:3-5 | For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth; the peaks of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. | God's dominion over seas/land |
| Job 38:8-11 | Who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb of the earth, when I made clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed limits for it, and set doors and bars, and said, “Thus far shall you come, and here shall your waves be stayed”? | Divine limits on the sea |
| Psalm 135:6 | Whatever the LORD pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. | God's absolute will |
| Jeremiah 32:17 | “Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.” | Omnipotence |
| Genesis 1:1 | In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. | Primeval creation |
| Genesis 1:9-10 | And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and to the gathering of waters he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. | Separation of land and sea |
| Psalm 19:1 | The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. | Creation reveals God's glory |
| Job 41:11 | Who has given me a thing first that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine. | God's absolute ownership |
| Proverbs 8:27 | When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew the circle on the face of the deep, | Wisdom as God's co-creator |
| Matthew 8:27 | The men were astonished and said, "What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!" | Jesus' authority over creation |
| Mark 4:41 | And they were filled with awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" | Jesus' authority over creation |
| Luke 8:25 | And he said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid, and were amazed, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that he commands wind and water, and they obey him?" | Jesus' authority over creation |
| John 1:3 | All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. | Christ's role in creation |
| Colossians 1:16 | For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. | Christ's role in creation |
| Romans 11:36 | For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen. | God as the source and end |
| Revelation 4:11 | “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” | God worthy of worship |
| Revelation 21:1 | Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. | New creation |
| Psalm 148:5 | Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created. | Divine command in creation |
| Song of Solomon 2:7 | I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. | Imagery of natural forces |
| 1 Timothy 6:15 | he will show it at the appointed time by the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, | God's unique sovereignty |
Isaiah 40 verses
Isaiah 40 12 Meaning
This verse vividly portrays God's immense power and sovereignty over creation, specifically the oceans and the earth. It emphasizes His role as the sole creator and sustainer of all things, highlighting the impossibility of containing Him.
Isaiah 40 12 Context
This verse appears in Isaiah chapter 40, a powerful section of the book that speaks of comfort and hope to a people in exile. The prophet is contrasting the eternal God with the ephemeral idols and rulers of the surrounding nations. Isaiah 40:12 specifically details God's masterful control over the vastness of creation, emphasizing His might by listing His actions: measuring the heavens, dividing the waters, and weighing the mountains and hills. This serves as a testament to His incomparable power and suitability to deliver His people. Historically, this was directed to the people of Judah, many of whom had experienced or were facing the hardship of Babylonian captivity. The surrounding nations had their own deities who were often depicted as struggling with or born from primal chaos, particularly the sea. Isaiah presents Yahweh as the one who, in sovereign control, has precisely defined these elements.
Isaiah 40 12 Word Analysis
- Mi (מי): "Who" - Interrogative pronoun, posing a rhetorical question.
- Mdl (מדל): "measured" - Root word signifies to measure, allot, or design. Implies precise calculation and purposeful design.
- Shmym (שמים): "heavens" - Plural of shamayim, referring to the sky and the firmament, encompassing the entire celestial expanse.
- Bn’t (בְּנֹֽת): "by the span of his hand" or "in the measure of his hand." The root banah (בנה) means to build or form. Here, it refers to a unit of measure, akin to a handspan, indicating a precise but easily manageable grasp.
- Ms’w (מסע): "measured" - Similar to the previous "measured," signifying to take away, measure, or weigh. Suggests an exact quantity determined.
- Ysr’l (ישׂראל): "israel" - Refers to the children of Israel, emphasizing God's covenant people. The context connects His cosmic power to His relationship with them.
- Kprwwn (כפרון): "dust" or "fine powder" - Refers to fine particles, emphasizing minuteness and insignificance in comparison to God's power.
- Z’yym (זיים): "small grain" or "fine dust." Similar to kprwwn, it underscores extreme lightness and scarcity.
- Vytn’k’lw (ונתקל): "weighed" - From the root qalal (קלל), meaning to be light, or to weigh lightly, often in a balance. Here, it signifies weighing, specifically on scales.
- W’klykw (ואכל): "his scales" or "the balance."
- Hrrym (הרים): "mountains" - Plural of har, significant geographical features.
- W’wlbwm (ותלבם): "hills" or "ridges."
Words Group Analysis:
- "Who has measured the heavens by the span of his hand, and marked off the skies with a ruler": This phrase establishes God's meticulous and complete control over the vast heavens. The imagery of a "span of his hand" signifies His immense power yet intimate capability, as a skilled craftsman would use his hand. "Marked off with a ruler" emphasizes precise ordering and boundaries for the celestial bodies and the skies.
- " and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?": This part of the verse extends God's dominion to the earth's most substantial features. The "mountains" and "hills" represent the largest and seemingly most unmovable elements of the earth. Weighing them in "scales" and "balance" underscores their ultimate subservience to God's sovereign judgment and measurement; even the mightiest are assessed and contained by Him.
Isaiah 40 12 Bonus Section
The Hebrew word "mesur" (מסור) translated as "measured" in "measured the heavens" can also carry the sense of handing over or entrusting. While the primary meaning here relates to measurement and order, this secondary sense can subtly point towards God entrusting the order of the cosmos to His decree and will. The repetition of "measured" (Mdl and Ms'w) reinforces the idea of God's precise ordering of creation, not just in scale but in substance and assignment. The contrasting elements – vast heavens and precise hand spans, massive mountains and delicate scales – emphasize that God’s control encompasses both the grand sweep and the minute details of existence. This verse, by extension, can be seen as foundational for understanding God's providential care over His people, as the one who meticulously governs the cosmos also meticulously guides the affairs of His chosen ones.
Isaiah 40 12 Commentary
Isaiah 40:12 highlights Yahweh's absolute power over creation, a stark contrast to the limited, often capricious nature of pagan deities. He doesn't just create; He meticulously measures and weighs everything. The "span of his hand" demonstrates a vast yet controlled capability. He orders the immense heavens as an artisan orders his work. The mountains and hills, symbols of strength and stability on Earth, are rendered as countable and quantifiable to Him, placed on scales and a balance. This demonstrates that no part of creation, however immense or enduring it may seem, is beyond His precise dominion and judgment. For the exiled Israelites, this assurance that their God possessed supreme authority over all existing powers—celestial and terrestrial—offered profound comfort and a basis for hope in His delivering power. It teaches that true strength and ultimate authority rest solely with the Creator.