Isaiah 40 · Verse 13

Isaiah 40:13

Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
Isaiah 40:13, King James Version

Isaiah 40:13 in other translations

BSBWho has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or informed Him as His counselor?
WEBWho has directed the LORD’s Spirit, or has taught him as his counselor?
ASVWho hath directed the Spirit of Jehovah, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
YLTWho hath meted out the Spirit of Jehovah, And, being His counsellor, doth teach Him!
DARBYWho hath directed the Spirit of Jehovah, and, as his counsellor, hath taught him?
BBEBy whom has the spirit of the Lord been guided, or who has been his teacher?
WebsterWho hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counselor hath taught him?

What does Isaiah 40:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
13. Quoted in Ro 11:34; 1Co 2:16. The Hebrew here for "directed" is the same as in Is 40:12 for "meted out"; thus the sense is, "Jehovah measures out heaven with His span"; but who can measure Him? that is, Who can search out His Spirit (mind) wherewith He searches out and accurately adjusts all things? Maurer rightly takes the Hebrew in the same sense as in Is 40:12 (so Pr 16:2; 21:2), "weigh," "ponder." "Direct," as in English Version, answers, however, better to "taught" in the parallel clause.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 40:12-17

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…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 40:12-17 →

Isaiah 40:13 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

מִֽי\־mi-who?H4310
תִכֵּ֥ןti.Kenhas he directedH8505
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
ר֖וּחַRu.ach[the] spirit ofH7307
יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וְאִ֥ישׁve.'Ishand [the] person ofH376
עֲצָת֖וֹa.tza.Tocounsel hisH6098
יוֹדִיעֶֽנּוּ\׃yo.di.'E.nuwill he inform? himH3045

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 40:13

  • 1 Corinthians 2:16

    For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

  • Romans 11:34

    For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

  • Job 36:22-23

    Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him? Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?

  • Job 21:22

    Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.

  • Luke 10:22

    All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

  • Ephesians 1:11

    In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

  • John 1:13

    Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
hath directed.
Job 21:22; 36:22,23; Lu 10:22; Joh 1:13; Ro 11:34; 1Co 2:16
Eph 1:11
his counsellor. Heb. man of his counsel.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 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?

  • Isaiah 40:13

    Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him?

  • Isaiah 40:14

    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?

Read all of Isaiah 40

Isaiah 40:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		¿Quién enseñó al espíritu de Jehová, ó le aconsejo enseñándole?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Qui a dirigé l’Esprit de l’ Éternel, et l’a instruit comme l’homme de son conseil?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wer hat den Geist Jehovas gelenkt, und wer, als sein Ratgeber, ihn unterwiesen?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Quis adjuvit spiritum Domini? aut quis consiliarius ejus fuit, et ostendit illi?