EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Isaiah 40:12
12Nobody has done what God has done! He measured all the water of the seas in one hand. He used his hand to measure the whole sky. He carefully weighed the soil of the earth. He carefully weighed the mountains in his scales, and the hills too.
Isaiah 40:12 in other versions
- King James Version (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?
- New International Version (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?
- English Standard Version (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?
- New King James Version (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?
Context of Isaiah 40:12
10Look! The Almighty Lord is coming with power. He will use his great strength to rule the people. Look again! He is bringing his gifts with him. He brings the prize that he has won in battle. 11He takes care of his people, like a shepherd who takes care of his sheep. He picks up the young lambs and he carries them near to his heart. He carefully leads the mother sheep that have lambs. Nobody has done what God has done! He measured all the water of the seas in one hand. He used his hand to measure the whole sky. He carefully weighed the soil of the earth. He carefully weighed the mountains in his scales, and the hills too. 13Nobody understands the mind of the Lord. Nobody can be his advisor, to tell him what he should do. 14He does not ask anyone to be his guide. Nobody can teach him the proper way to do things. Nobody can give him knowledge. Nobody can teach him how to understand things.
Read all of Isaiah 40Isaiah 40:12 word by word
מִֽי־מָדַ֨ד בְּשָׁעֳל֜וֹ מַ֗יִם וְשָׁמַ֙יִם֙ בַּזֶּ֣רֶת תִּכֵּ֔ן וְכָ֥ל בַּשָּׁלִ֖שׁ עֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֑רֶץ וְשָׁקַ֤ל בַּפֶּ֙לֶס֙ הָרִ֔ים וּגְבָע֖וֹת בְּמֹאזְנָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Who hath measuredמָדַדmâdad · to measureH4058
- the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- in the hollow of his handשֹׁ֫עַלshô‛al · handfulH8168
- and meted outתָּכַןtâkan · to measureH8505
- heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- with the spanזֶ֫רֶתzereth · spanH2239
- and comprehendedכּוּלkûl · to sustainH3557
- the dustעָפָר‛âphâr · dustH6083
- of the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- in a measureשָׁלִישׁshâlîysh shâlôsh shâlôsh · thirdH7991
- and weighedשָׁקַלshâqal · to weighH8254
- the mountainsהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
- in scalesפֶּ֫לֶסpeles · balanceH6425
- and the hillsגִּבְעָהgib‛âh · hillH1389
- in a balanceמֹאזֵןmô'zên · balanceH3976
Cross-references for Isaiah 40:12
- Isaiah 48:13I created the earth with my own hand. With my right hand, I hung up the sky like a curtain. When I call to the stars, they all appear in their places.
- Job 11:7You cannot discover everything about God. You cannot know how powerful he is.
- Job 38:4Were you with me when I made the world? If you think you are so clever, tell me all about it!
- Psalms 102:25Long ago, you built the world on a strong foundation. You created the heavens with your own hands.
- Psalms 104:2Light is all round you, like the clothes that you wear. You have put the skies as a roof over the earth.
- Proverbs 8:26I was born before the Lord made the earth and its fields, before there was soil on the earth.
- Proverbs 30:4No one has gone up to heaven and then come back. No one has held the wind in his hands. No one has tied his coat around the seas. No one has fixed the borders of the earth. If anyone has done this, tell me his name. Tell me his son's name. Tell me, if you know.
- Hebrews 1:10The Bible also says this: ‘Lord, in the beginning you made the earth. With your own power, you also made everything above the earth.
- Revelation 20:11Then I saw a great white throne. I saw that God was sitting on it. The earth and the sky rushed away from the place where he sat. There was no longer any place for them.
- Job 28:25He decided how strong the wind must be. He decided the size of the seas.
Commentaries on Isaiah 40:12
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Who hath measured - The object in this and the following verses to Isaiah 40:26, is to show the greatness, power, and majesty of God, by strong contrast with his creatures, and more especially with idols. Perhaps the prophet designed to meet and answer an implied objection: that the work of deliverance was so great that it could not be accomplished. The answer was, that God had made all things; that he was infinitely great; that he had entire control over…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 All created beings shrink to nothing in comparison with the Creator. When the Lord, by his Spirit, made the world, none directed his Spirit, or gave advice what to do, or how to do it. The nations, in comparison of him, are as a drop which remains in the bucket, compared with the vast ocean; or as the small dust in the balance, which does not turn it, compared with all the earth. This magnifies God's love to the world, that, though it is of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-13These rhetorical questions suggest the answer, “No one!” God alone created everything. He will judge creation (Isaiah 24:17), and only he can and will restore it through his salvation.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. Lest the Jews should suppose that He who was just before described as a "shepherd" is a mere man, He is now described as God. Who--Who else but God could do so? Therefore, though the redemption and restoration of His people, foretold here, was a work beyond man's power, they should not doubt its fulfilment since all things are possible to Him who can accurately regulate the proportion of the waters as if He had measured them with His hand (compare Is…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 40:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 40
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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