KJV King James Version
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?
VERSE STUDY • KJV
Isaiah 40:12
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?
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on a scale and the hills with a balance?
WEB World English Bible
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and marked off the sky with his span, and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
ASV American Standard Version
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?
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
Who hath measured in the hollow of his hand the waters? And the heavens by a span hath meted out, And comprehended in a measure the dust of the earth, And hath weighed in scales the mountains, And the hills in a balance?
Surrounding context — Isaiah 40
9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift [it] up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong [hand], and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward [is] with him, and his work before him.
11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry [them] in his bosom, [and] shall gently lead those that are with young.
12 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?
13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or [being] his counseller hath taught him?
14 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?
15 Behold, the nations [are] as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
מִֽי־H4310 · miwho?מָדַ֨דH4058 · ma.dadto measureבְּשָׁעֳל֜וֹH8168 · sho.alhandfulמַ֗יִםH4325 · ma.yimwaterוְשָׁמַ֙יִם֙H8064 · sha.ma.yimheavenבַּזֶּ֣רֶתH2239 · ze.retspanתִּכֵּ֔ןH8505 · ta.khanto measureוְכָ֥לH3557 · kulto sustainבַּשָּׁלִ֖שׁH7991 · sha.lishthirdעֲפַ֣רH6083 · a.phardustהָאָ֑רֶץH776 · e.retsland: country/planetוְשָׁקַ֤לH8254 · sha.qalto weighבַּפֶּ֙לֶס֙H6425 · pe.lesbalanceהָרִ֔יםH2022 · harmountain: mountוּגְבָע֖וֹתH1389 · giv.ahGibeath-(elohim)בְּמֹאזְנָֽיִם׃H3976 · mo.zenbalance
Cross-references
Proverbs 30:4Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what [is] his name, and what [is] his son’s name, if thou canst tell?Hebrews 1:10-12And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:Psalm 102:25-26Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens [are] the work of thy hands.Job 38:4-11Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.Isaiah 48:13Mine 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.Proverbs 8:26-28While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.Job 11:7-9Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?Job 28:25To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.Revelation 20:11And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.Psalm 104:2-3Who coverest [thyself] with light as [with] a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
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