Isaiah 40:14 kjv
With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?
Isaiah 40:14 nkjv
With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding?
Isaiah 40:14 niv
Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?
Isaiah 40:14 esv
Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?
Isaiah 40:14 nlt
Has the LORD ever needed anyone's advice?
Does he need instruction about what is good?
Did someone teach him what is right
or show him the path of justice?
Isaiah 40 14 Cross References
Verse | Text | Reference (Point) |
---|---|---|
Rom 11:33-34 | Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments... For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor? | God's unsearchable wisdom; direct echo of Isa 40. |
Job 12:13 | "With Him are wisdom and might; to Him belong counsel and understanding." | God inherently possesses all wisdom. |
Job 21:22 | "Can anyone teach God knowledge, Since He judges those who are on high?" | God's unteachable nature; His judgment is supreme. |
Ps 147:5 | "Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite." | God's boundless understanding. |
1 Cor 2:11 | For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man... so no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. | God's thoughts are uniquely His, not understood by others. |
Dan 2:20-22 | Daniel said, "...Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and might belong to Him... He gives wisdom to wise men..." | God is the source of all wisdom and understanding. |
Isa 28:29 | This also comes from the LORD of hosts, Who has been wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom. | God's excellent, wonderful counsel is from Himself. |
Prov 2:6 | For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. | God actively bestows wisdom and knowledge. |
1 Kgs 8:27 | "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You..." | God's transcendence and incomprehensibility. |
Acts 17:24-25 | The God who made the world... does not need anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; | God's self-sufficiency; needs nothing from creation. |
Ps 33:10-11 | The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations... The counsel of the LORD stands forever... | God's counsel prevails and is eternal. |
Ps 104:24 | O LORD, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all... | God's wisdom evident in creation. |
Isa 55:8-9 | "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." | God's thoughts and ways infinitely superior to human. |
Jer 23:23-24 | "Am I a God near at hand," declares the LORD, "and not a God far off?... Do I not fill heaven and earth?" | God's omnipresence and immanence, implies omniscience. |
Job 36:22 | "Behold, God is exalted in His power; Who is a teacher like Him?" | God is the unparalleled teacher. |
Col 2:2-3 | ...Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. | Divine wisdom concentrated in Christ (NT fulfillment). |
Jam 1:5 | But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously... | God is the benevolent giver of wisdom to those who ask. |
1 Jn 3:20 | ...for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. | God's absolute knowledge. |
Prov 8:22-31 | "The LORD brought me forth as the first of His works... I was there when He set the heavens in place..." | Wisdom's pre-existence and role in creation. |
Job 38:4 | "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?" | God challenging human finite understanding regarding creation. |
Prov 16:24-25 | There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. | Contrast between human flawed understanding and God's perfect justice. |
Titus 1:3 | but at the proper time revealed His word in the proclamation... according to the commandment of God our Savior; | God's sovereignty and timeless plan. |
1 Tim 1:17 | To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. | Unique majesty and incomprehensibility of the one true God. |
Isaiah 40 verses
Isaiah 40 14 Meaning
Isaiah 40:14 presents a series of rhetorical questions, emphatically declaring that no one instructed God, provided Him counsel, or taught Him wisdom. The verse asserts God's inherent, unparalleled, and unacquired wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and the path of justice. It profoundly affirms that God is the ultimate source of all truth and intelligence, needing no external input for His thoughts, judgments, or actions. He is self-sufficient in wisdom.
Isaiah 40 14 Context
Isaiah chapter 40 inaugurates a new section of Isaiah often referred to as "The Book of Comfort." Following chapters detailing judgment upon Judah, this chapter dramatically shifts to a message of hope, restoration, and the incomparable greatness of God for His exiled people in Babylon. Verse 14 is part of a larger unit (verses 12-31) that extols God's magnificent power and unparalleled wisdom in creation and governance. It seeks to assure the dispirited exiles that their God, Yahweh, is fully capable of delivering them, in contrast to the impotent gods of Babylon. The preceding verses established God's immeasurable power over the natural world, weighing mountains and measuring the waters of the sea (v. 12). Verse 14 continues this theme, moving from physical power to intellectual and moral authority, demonstrating God's ultimate self-sufficiency in wisdom. This assertion serves as a direct polemic against any pagan belief systems where deities might be counselled by lesser beings or are limited in their knowledge, providing foundational comfort for Judah regarding their sovereign, all-wise God.
Isaiah 40 14 Word analysis
- אֶת (et) מִי (mi): Literally "to whom." `אֶת` is a particle indicating direct object or accompaniment. `מִי` means "who/whom." This forms the direct object of the rhetorical question, probing for a nonexistent entity capable of advising God.
- נוֹעָץ (no'atz): From the root יָעַץ (ya'ats), "to advise, counsel." This is a Niphal perfect, implying a reflexive or passive sense: "He was advised," or "He took counsel for Himself." The rhetorical question makes it clear that such a notion is absurd; God neither sought nor received counsel. This highlights God's intrinsic and underived wisdom.
- וַיְבִינֵהוּ (va-yevinēhu): From the root בּוּן (bun), "to discern, understand." This is a Hiphil imperfect, "and who gave Him understanding/instruction." The Hiphil stem denotes a causative action; "who caused Him to understand." This is another challenge to the idea that anyone could impart knowledge to God.
- וַיְלַמְּדֵהוּ (va-yelamdedu): From the root לָמַד (lamad), "to learn, teach." This is a Piel imperfect, "and taught Him." The Piel stem often carries an intensive or causative meaning ("to cause to learn" i.e., "to teach"). The repetition emphasizes the idea of active instruction, which God clearly does not need.
- בְּאֹרַח (bə-ōraḥ) מִשְׁפָּט (mishpāṭ): "in the path of justice." `בְּ` (be-) means "in/by/through." `אֹרַח` (ōraḥ) means "path" or "way." `מִשְׁפָּט` (mishpat) refers not merely to legal judgment, but to righteousness, equitable order, moral decree, and correct principles. It encompasses the divine order by which the universe and human society ought to function. God doesn't learn justice; He defines it.
- דַעַת (da'at): From the root יָדַע (yada'), "to know." This word signifies comprehensive "knowledge" and intimate acquaintance. It implies both intellectual grasp and practical experience.
- וְדֶרֶךְ (və-dereḵ) תְּבוּנֹת (təvunot): "and the way of understanding/discernment." `וְ` (ve-) means "and." `דֶרֶךְ` (dereḵ) is "way" or "road." `תְּבוּנֹת` (tevunot) is the plural of תְּבוּנָה (tevunah), meaning "understanding," "discernment," or "skill." The plural form intensifies the concept, signifying deep, profound understanding, the ability to make wise judgments and grasp complex issues.
- יוֹדִיעֶנּוּ (yōdi'enu): From the root יָדַע (yada'), "to know." This is a Hiphil imperfect, "and informed Him" or "and caused Him to know." Similar to `וַיְבִינֵהוּ`, it posits a hypothetical agent who imparts information, again stressing the impossibility of anyone instructing God.
- אֶת מִי נוֹעָץ וַיְבִינֵהוּ: "To whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him?" This initial pair of rhetorical questions directly attacks any notion of God deriving wisdom or insight from an external source. It positions God as uniquely sovereign in His intellect and judgment, operating without needing advice, counsel, or teaching from anyone or anything else.
- וַיְלַמְּדֵהוּ בְּאֹרַח מִשְׁפָּט: "And taught Him in the path of justice?" This phrase specifically applies the "no teacher" principle to the realm of moral order and righteous governance. It implies God is not merely powerful but also inherently just, the very standard of `מִשְׁפָּט`. His knowledge of what is right is innate, not acquired from a code or a tutor.
- וַיְלַמְּדֵהוּ דַעַת וְדֶרֶךְ תְּבוּנֹת יוֹדִיעֶנּוּ: "And taught Him knowledge and informed Him of the way of understanding?" This climactic part reiterates and broadens the scope to all comprehensive `דַעַת` (knowledge) and `תְּבוּנֹת` (profound understanding). The repetition of "taught Him" (from earlier) and "informed Him" further amplifies the rhetorical force, covering all aspects of intellectual and insightful capability, solidifying God's unmatched and underived omniscience.
Isaiah 40 14 Bonus section
- Anthropomorphism and Revelation: The verse uses anthropomorphic language ("take counsel," "taught") not to imply God has human limitations, but to communicate His infinite superiority using terms humans can understand. It highlights that even in areas where humans are most dependent—learning and advice—God is entirely self-sufficient. This mode of revelation underscores a radical distinction between the Creator and His creation.
- The Trinity and Wisdom: In the New Testament, the concept of divine wisdom is often personified in Jesus Christ (Col 2:3, 1 Cor 1:24). The Holy Spirit is also identified as the Spirit of wisdom and understanding (Isa 11:2). While Isaiah's monotheistic context emphasizes God's unique singularity, later biblical revelation shows that this infinite wisdom is fully manifest within the Godhead, an internal attribute rather than an acquired one.
- Implication for Faith and Humility: If God needed no counsel to create and govern the cosmos, then human wisdom is utterly incapable of comprehending His ways without His revelation. This truth demands humility from humanity and encourages profound trust in God's divine plans, even when they seem unfathomable from a limited human perspective.
Isaiah 40 14 Commentary
Isaiah 40:14 serves as a profound affirmation of God's unparalleled and underived wisdom, directly challenging any finite, human-centered conception of the Divine. Through a series of impassioned rhetorical questions, the prophet exposes the absurdity of imagining any external source for God's knowledge or counsel. He is the inherent possessor of all wisdom (דעת
) and understanding (תְּבוּנֹת
), the ultimate standard for justice (מִשְׁפָּט
), and the architect of creation (as implied by the broader context). God doesn't learn from advisors; He is the advisor. He doesn't gain insight from teachers; He is the teacher of all wisdom. This foundational truth underscores His complete self-sufficiency and supreme authority. For the original audience, living in exile amidst powerful pagan empires with their fallible gods, this message provided immense comfort. It affirmed that their God was absolutely competent and wise enough to orchestrate their deliverance and fulfill His promises, completely independent of human capabilities or the supposed might of their captors' deities.