Isaiah 48 13

Isaiah 48:13 kjv

Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.

Isaiah 48:13 nkjv

Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, And My right hand has stretched out the heavens; When I call to them, They stand up together.

Isaiah 48:13 niv

My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together.

Isaiah 48:13 esv

My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand forth together.

Isaiah 48:13 nlt

It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth,
my right hand that spread out the heavens above.
When I call out the stars,
they all appear in order."

Isaiah 48 verses

Isaiah 48 13 meaning

Isaiah 48:13 declares God's exclusive and absolute power as the Creator of the universe. He describes His direct action in establishing the earth's foundations and spreading out the vast heavens, emphasizing His complete control and the instant, obedient response of His creation to His call. This verse highlights His unparalleled sovereignty and eternal existence, asserting that His creative power serves as the basis for His ability to perfectly execute His divine plans for humanity and Israel.

Isaiah 48 13 Context

Isaiah 48 stands as a pivotal address to a stubborn and idolatrous Israel, emphasizing God's unique identity as the only true God who declares the end from the beginning. Chapters 40-48 constitute the first section of what is often called "Second Isaiah," where the prophet confronts the people's idolatry and unbelief during their Babylonian exile. God repeatedly contrasts His omnipotence and omniscient foreknowledge with the impotence and blindness of idols and those who worship them. He highlights His redemptive power, manifested through Cyrus as His instrument, to assure the exiles of their imminent return and restoration. Verse 13 specifically serves to ground all of God's prophetic declarations and promises in His foundational authority as the sole, effortless Creator, thus demonstrating His absolute power to accomplish whatever He speaks, including their salvation and judgment on their oppressors. It's a polemic against the polytheistic deities of Babylon and other nations, asserting YHWH's absolute singularity and supremacy.

Isaiah 48 13 Word analysis

• My hand (Hebrew: yad)

  • Word Level: "Hand" is an anthropomorphism, attributing a human physical part to God to express His agency, power, and active involvement. It implies direct, personal, and tangible action, distinguishing His creation from accidental occurrences or the work of multiple, struggling deities.
  • Significance: It underscores God's personal craftsmanship in creation, asserting His will and deliberate design.

• laid the foundation (Hebrew: yassĕdhah)

  • Word Level: From the root yāsadh, meaning to found, lay a base, establish firmly. It speaks of a deliberate, foundational act, providing stability and order. It's not a temporary setup but an enduring establishment.
  • Significance: The earth is not chaotic but divinely ordered and established on principles by its Creator. This concept contrasts with ancient Near Eastern creation myths where the earth might emerge from a struggle, or chaos is only partially subdued.

• of the earth (Hebrew: ha'arets)

  • Word Level: Refers to the physical, inhabitable planet, distinguishing it from the vast cosmic expanse. It signifies the realm of human existence and divine interaction.
  • Significance: God specifically designed and established the very place humanity lives, making Him sovereign over all human history and destiny.

• and My right hand (Hebrew: umiyînî)

  • Word Level: The "right hand" is consistently used in the Bible as a symbol of strength, authority, power, and favor. To act with the right hand implies utmost capability and effectiveness. Repetition (My hand, My right hand) serves as an intensifier.
  • Significance: This emphasizes the fullness and absolute nature of God's power in creation, leaving no room for any external assistance or competing force.

• spread out (Hebrew: tipfeśaḥ)

  • Word Level: The verb ṭāpaḥ means to expand, stretch out, or spread open, often referring to things like stretching out curtains or a tent. It conveys a sense of ease, vastness, and an unfolding panorama.
  • Significance: It paints a picture of God effortlessly expanding the heavens to their immense scale, highlighting His unlimited power and the grandeur of His design.

• the heavens (Hebrew: shamayim)

  • Word Level: Refers to the sky, the celestial bodies, and the entire cosmic expanse beyond the earth. In biblical cosmology, it represents the dwelling place of God and the vast, starry universe.
  • Significance: God is sovereign not just over the earth but over the entirety of the cosmos, demonstrating His universal dominion and ultimate control.

• When I call them (Hebrew: biqri'iy - literally "at My call")

  • Word Level: From the root qārā’ meaning to call, summon, or name. This emphasizes verbal command and effortless action. "Them" refers to the heavens and the earth previously mentioned.
  • Significance: God does not labor or struggle; His creation simply responds to His voice. This highlights His creative word as seen in Gen 1, demonstrating instantaneous obedience to divine decree.

• they stand forth together (Hebrew: yaʿamdun yakhad)

  • Word Level: Yaʿamod (from ʿāmad) means to stand, stand up, or appear. Yaḥad means together, as one, simultaneously. It describes the instantaneous, harmonious, and unified appearance or manifestation of creation upon God's command.
  • Significance: This underlines the complete submission of creation to its Maker and the immediate execution of His will. It signifies the perfect order and unity inherent in His design.

Words-group analysis:

• "My hand laid the foundation of the earth": This phrase attributes a deliberate, personal, and powerful act of establishing stability to God. It highlights God's initiative and care in making the earth suitable and firm. The emphasis is on creation as a stable dwelling, rather than a result of chaos.
• "and My right hand spread out the heavens": This phrase complements the first, demonstrating God's extensive reach and effortless expansion into the cosmic realm. The "right hand" denotes supreme power, stretching the heavens with ease, conveying vastness and infinite power, a cosmic architect at work.
• "When I call them, they stand forth together": This crucial declaration speaks to the nature of God's creative power, which operates through command, not effort. It implies instant, complete, and synchronized obedience from all creation, confirming His ultimate sovereignty and absolute control over everything He has made. This powerfully counters any notion of cosmic resistance or independent existence of created elements.

Isaiah 48 13 Bonus section

The Hebrew terms yad (hand) and yemīn (right hand) are powerful examples of anthropomorphic language used to describe God's actions. While God does not literally have physical hands, these metaphors are essential for humans to grasp His mighty intervention and personal engagement in the world. This serves a theological purpose by making God's actions comprehensible within human experience, emphasizing His closeness while still maintaining His transcendence. This creative act also speaks to God's sustainability of the cosmos, not just its initial formation; the creation "stands forth" in its existence at His call, implying ongoing sustenance by His decree. Furthermore, the orderly appearance of creation at God's call directly counters the chaotic cosmogonies of surrounding cultures (e.g., the Enuma Elish, where creation arises from the defeat of monstrous entities and often involves violent struggles among deities), powerfully affirming the singular, unchallenged power and wisdom of the God of Israel.

Isaiah 48 13 Commentary

Isaiah 48:13 functions as a profound declaration of Yahweh's unparalleled status as the omnipotent Creator, forming the bedrock for His prophetic claims and promises. By emphatically stating "My hand laid the foundation of the earth" and "My right hand spread out the heavens," God asserts His unique, direct, and unassisted involvement in establishing the entire cosmos. The repetition of "My hand" intensified by "My right hand" removes any ambiguity about the source of creation and amplifies the scope of His power—from the solid ground beneath our feet to the boundless reaches of space. This detailed emphasis serves as a direct challenge to the idol-worship prevalent in Israel and among the Babylonian exiles, for no pagan deity possessed such inherent creative authority or ability.

The verse culminates with "When I call them, they stand forth together," revealing the absolute ease and authority with which God's creation responds to His command. It highlights creation by divine word, where there is no struggle, no hesitation, no intermediate process, but instant and simultaneous obedience. This establishes a fundamental truth: the God who effortlessly summoned the universe into existence is perfectly capable of calling Israel out of exile, predicting future events, and fulfilling every one of His redemptive plans. The unchallengeable fact of His creative power solidifies His credibility as the God of prophecy, covenant, and salvation.