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 |
|---|---|---|
| Job 38:4–5 | "Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?...Who determined its measures?" | God's foundational work & Job's ignorance |
| Ps 33:6–9 | "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made...He gathered the waters...let all the earth fear the LORD." | Creation by divine command & power |
| Ps 104:1–9 | "He covers himself with light...lays the beams of his chambers on the waters..." | God's creative glory & control over elements |
| Neh 9:6 | "You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens...and the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them." | God alone as the creator of everything |
| Jer 10:12 | "It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens." | God's power, wisdom, understanding in creation |
| Prov 8:27 | "When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep..." | Wisdom present at God's cosmic ordering |
| Job 11:7–9 | "Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?" | God's unsearchable nature and vastness |
| Ps 147:5 | "Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure." | God's boundless power and infinite wisdom |
| Isa 40:18 | "To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?" | God's unique incomparability |
| Isa 40:22 | "He sits above the circle of the earth...stretches out the heavens like a curtain..." | God's transcendence and command over heavens |
| Amos 4:13 | "For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness..." | God as creator of mountains & nature's forces |
| Ps 90:2 | "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." | God's eternity predates all creation |
| Rev 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's worthiness as the sovereign creator |
| Jn 1:3 | "All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made." | Christ's instrumental role in creation |
| Col 1:16–17 | "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth...all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." | Christ as ultimate creator & sustainer |
| Acts 14:15 | "turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them." | Call to turn to the Creator God |
| Job 26:7–14 | "He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing..." | Further examples of God's unchallengeable power |
| Ps 8:3–4 | "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers...what is man that you are mindful of him?" | Human smallness contrasted with God's vast creation |
| Rom 1:20 | "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made." | Creation revealing God's power and nature |
| Heb 1:2 | "but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world." | Son's role in creating the world |
Isaiah 40 verses
Isaiah 40 12 Meaning
Isaiah 40:12 proclaims God's incomparably vast power and precise control over the entire creation, using vivid, hyperbolic imagery of human measurements. It presents a rhetorical challenge, asking who else but God could effortlessly measure the immense oceans in the palm of a hand, span the heavens with a finger's length, collect all the earth's dust in a small container, and weigh the mountains and hills on a delicate scale. The verse establishes God as the sovereign Creator, meticulously ordering and sustaining the cosmos with ultimate ease, standing in stark contrast to human limitations and the impotence of idols.
Isaiah 40 12 Context
Isaiah 40 opens the "Book of Comfort" (chapters 40-66), addressed to the exiles in Babylon. Following prophecies of judgment, this chapter brings a message of hope, restoration, and reassurance. The people were in despair, feeling abandoned and insignificant, while surrounded by the impressive imperial power and pagan idolatry of Babylon. They questioned God's power and faithfulness. This specific verse, Isaiah 40:12, is a foundational statement within a larger discourse (vv. 12-31) that asserts God's incomparable greatness, omnipotence, and omniscience. It sets the stage for God's ability to fulfill His promises, restore Israel, and ultimately overcome all obstacles and rivals, including the false gods and powerful nations. The historical context thus emphasizes God's transcendence and sovereignty over all things, providing comfort and a renewed basis for trust to a weary and doubting people.
Isaiah 40 12 Word analysis
- Who has measured (מִי מָדַד - mi madad): This is a rhetorical question, universally understood to mean "No one!" It challenges the listener to identify any being, human or divine, other than Yahweh, capable of such a feat. Madad implies precise, ordered measurement, not random or chaotic handling. Its usage here contrasts God's inherent capacity with human or idolatrous inability.
- the waters (מַיִם - mayim): Refers to the entirety of the earth's oceans, seas, and aquatic systems, which represent an immense, powerful, and uncontrollable force from a human perspective.
- in the hollow of his hand (בְּשָׁלָשׁ - bᵉshalash): Shalash here contextually means "in a hollow measure" or "in a cupped hand." It denotes a measure small enough to be held by a single hand, symbolically trivializing the vast waters of the earth into something easily contained and managed by God. This emphasizes effortless control and intimacy with His creation.
- and marked off (וְשָׂמָה - vᵉsamah): A verb related to "measuring" or "assigning limits." It underscores deliberate setting of boundaries and dimensions.
- the heavens (שָׁמַיִם - shamayim): The immense expanse of the sky and universe, perceived by humans as boundless and ungraspable.
- with a span (בַּזֶּרֶת - baẓeret): A zeret is an ancient Hebrew unit of measurement, the span from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger when extended (about 9 inches or 23 cm). Measuring the boundless heavens with such a small, human, hand-based unit is a hyperbolic demonstration of God's limitless size and effortless command.
- enclosed (וְכָל - vᵉkāl): Meaning "and collected" or "contained." It indicates a complete and exhaustive gathering of an entity.
- the dust of the earth (הָעָפָר אֶרֶץ - ha`āp̄ar ’ereṣ): Represents all the landmass, all the geological formations and dry land on Earth. The imagery of dust is specific; it's a common element, ubiquitous yet seemingly uncountable, implying meticulous care down to the smallest particle.
- in a measure (מֵיכָל - meikāl): A dry measure, typically a third of an ephah. Similar to shalash, this denotes a relatively small capacity. The point is not the exact measure, but the astonishing ease with which God collects the entire dust of the earth into such a seemingly small receptacle.
- and weighed (וְשָׁקַל - vᵉshaqal): To determine mass or heaviness with precision. This act implies careful, exact judgment.
- the mountains (הָרִים - hārîm): Imposing, immense, and unmovable geological structures, symbolizing stability, vastness, and unyielding power on Earth.
- in a scale (בַּפֶּלֶס - bafless): A scale, often a steelyard or beam balance, used for accurate weighing. It signifies not merely estimating but precise, exact measurement.
- and the hills (וּגְבָעוֹת - wūgḇā‘ôt): Smaller geological elevations than mountains, but still substantial.
- in a balance (בְּמֹאזְנָיִם - bᵉmo'znāyim): Balances, typically two-pan scales, used for even more refined, delicate, and comparative weighing. The plural form (balances) often emphasizes meticulousness.
Words-group analysis
- Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand: This phrase highlights God's easy dominion over the immense, chaotic, and foundational element of water. By cupping the world's oceans, God demonstrates not just strength but also intricate, effortless management. It sets up the immediate contrast between a human perception of vastness and God's experience of utter control.
- and marked off the heavens with a span: This part expands God's dominion to the even more immeasurable expanse of the sky and cosmos. Using the span, a tiny human unit, for the heavens emphasizes God's truly incomprehensible size and command over the universe's design and extent. It challenges anyone else claiming to be divine or powerful to perform such a trivializing act of cosmic proportion.
- enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure: This further refines the picture of God's detailed and complete control. The dust represents the earth's solidity and its countless particles, indicating God's intimate knowledge and grasp of even the finest details of creation, encompassing all land. It speaks to meticulous oversight.
- and weighed the mountains in a scale and the hills in a balance: The final parallel statements solidify God's absolute authority over the heaviest and most steadfast features of the earth. The imagery of precision instruments (scale and balance) for mountains and hills, which are perceived as utterly imponderable, shows God not merely lifting or creating them, but assigning them exact weight and form with divine precision. This conveys both immense power and an underlying cosmic order and design.
Isaiah 40 12 Bonus section
The specific choice of units of measure—the hollow of the hand (shalash), the span (zeret), and the dry measure (meikal often associated with a "third" of an ephah)—goes beyond merely illustrating human-scale triviality. In ancient Near Eastern contexts, measurements were fundamental to order, building, and trade, representing knowledge and control. By using such precise (yet tiny) measures for the cosmos, God is shown as the ultimate Cosmic Architect and Regulator. He possesses intrinsic knowledge of every detail, from the greatest mountain to the least particle of dust. This not only contrasts with the idols of Babylon, which required human hands to be formed and moved, demonstrating their complete lack of power and sentience, but also elevates Yahweh's scientific, mathematical, and ordering prowess beyond any human comprehension. It implies that every created element has its place and purpose, carefully calculated and orchestrated by a Designer of infinite capacity.
Isaiah 40 12 Commentary
Isaiah 40:12 is a powerful rhetorical declaration designed to establish Yahweh's unparalleled identity as the sole, omnipotent, and omniscient Creator, distinct from all human constructs and competing deities. It serves as an anchor of comfort and assurance for a people in crisis, questioning God's power. The consistent use of human units of measure (hollow of hand, span, dry measure, scales) for immense cosmic entities (waters, heavens, earth, mountains, hills) creates a stunning hyperbole. This hyperbole demonstrates that for God, even the largest components of His creation are handled with utter ease, precision, and conscious design. The meticulousness suggested by "scales" and "balances" reveals that creation is not a haphazard event but an act of profound wisdom and ordered governance. The implications are clear: a God who holds the oceans, spans the sky, measures the earth, and weighs the mountains is supremely capable of delivering His people, restoring them, and bringing about His purposes. Therefore, there is no one and nothing like Him to whom He can be compared, and His exiled people have every reason to trust in His incomparable strength and faithfulness.