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Isaiah 40:14

in Isaiah 40

Whom did He consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the paths of justice? Who imparted knowledge to Him and showed Him the way of understanding?

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?

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?

This verse in Isaiah 40

Commentary

11 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Isaiah · Written before 420.

(Verses 13-14) Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did he 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? LXX: Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel? 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?

This site's exposition

measured the waters in the hollow of his hand

on Isaiah 40:12-14

A string of questions sets out the wisdom behind creation. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, marked off the heavens with the span of his hand? No one has directed the Spirit of the LORD, since the LORD consulted no one in ordering the world.

This site's exposition

who taught Him the paths of justice

Barnes reads the paths of justice as the wisdom by which God orders creation and providence, so that all things keep their places. The verse names each stage of a pupil's schooling: counsel, light, teaching, knowledge and the way shown. The LORD had a teacher at none of them.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers3 voices

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Isaiah · Written before 420.

proposed

(Verse 12 and following) Who measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills on a balance? Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did he 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? Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. And Lebanon is not enough to burn, and its animals are not enough for a burnt offering. All nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. 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? Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel? 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? Who has shown him the way of justice, and who has taught him knowledge? Behold, all the nations are as a drop in a bucket and are accounted as the dust on the scales. Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor all the animals enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing in his sight, and they are counted as worthless. Let no one think that the calling of the nations is difficult, and that all flesh will see the salvation of God. […]

A commentator

Basil of Caesarea

ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 5:7 · Written before 379.

proposed

"Who has known the mind of the Lord or who rather has been his counselor?" This passage is not merely a rhetorical question. If it were, "who" could not possibly refer to anyone. Rather, the use of "who" indicates a rare personage.… All these questions … have the same answer: "For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing."

A commentator

Ambrose of Milan

On the Holy Spirit 2.9.85, 90-91 · Written before 397.

proposed

"Yet to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we to him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him." … The apostle says according to the prophecy of Isaiah, "Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" And he added, "For him and through him and in him are all things," which Isaiah said of the artificer of all, as you have it. "Who has measured the water with his hand, and the heaven with his palm?" And the apostle has added, "For of him and through him and in him are all things." What is "of him"? That the nature of all things is of his will, and he is the author of all things that come into existence. "Through him" means what? That establishment and continuance are seen to have been bestowed on all things through him. "In him" means what? That all things by a certain wonderful desire and ineffable love look on the Author of their lives and the minister of their graces and functions, according to what is written: "The eyes of all hope in you," and "You open your hand and fill every living creature with your good pleasure."

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on Isaiah · Written before 1274.

proposed

With whom has he consulted, that the Lord would ask counsel of him; who has instructed him, of the form of his work; the path of natural justice, which he set before all things, so that nothing exceeds the bounds of its nature; knowledge, of …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him,....
3 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

"No matter," says the prophet, "you have a God to act for you, who needs not the assistance of statesmen." In the great work of our redemption by Christ matters were concerted before the world was, when there was one to teach God in the path of judgment, 1 Cor. ii. The nations of the world are nothing in comparison of him,

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

With whom took he counsel - The sentiment of the former verse is repeated here, in order, probably, to make it more emphatic. In the path of judgment - The way of judging correctly and wisely; or the way of administering justice. It denotes here his boundless wisdom as it is seen in the various arrangements of his creation and providence, by which all things keep their places, and accomplish his vast designs.

Modern Voices1 voice

A commentator

GK Chesterton

Introduction to the Book of Job (1907) (1907)

proposed

The central idea of the great part of the Old Testament may be called the idea of the loneliness of God. God is not the only chief character of the Old Testament; God is properly the only character in the Old Testament. Compared with His …

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

With whom did He take counsel and give him to understand With which of the heathens ([mss., K’li Paz:] nations) did He take counsel, as He took counsel with the prophets, as it is said concerning Abraham (Gen.:17): “Do I conceal from Abraham..?”
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Isaiah 40:14:1, via Sefaria, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Who meted the Holy Spirit in the mouth of the prophets? The Lord prepared it, and He is worthy of belief.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Isaiah 40:13:1, via Sefaria, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

12 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • אֶת־with

    ʾet-H854 →929 times

  • מִ֤יwhom?

    miH4310 →423 times

  • נוֹעָץ֙did he take counsel

    noatzH3289 →79 times

  • וַיְבִינֵ֔הוּand did he give understanding? him

    vayvinehuH995 →170 times

  • וַֽיְלַמְּדֵ֖הוּand did he teach? him

    vaylamedehuH3925 →85 times

  • בְּאֹ֣רַח<in> [the] path of

    beorachH734 →58 times

  • מִשְׁפָּ֑טjustice

    mishpatH4941 →422 times

  • וַיְלַמְּדֵ֣הוּand did he teach? him

    vaylamedehuH3925 →85 times

  • דַ֔עַתknowledge

    daatH1847 →92 times

  • וְדֶ֥רֶךְand [the] way of

    vederekhH1870 →707 times

  • תְּבוּנ֖וֹתunderstanding<s>

    tevunotH8394 →42 times

  • יוֹדִיעֶֽנּוּ׃will he inform? him

    yodienuH3045 →945 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    James 1:17

    Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.

    it leads to

    • John 3:27

      John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.

    • Matthew 7:11

      So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

    • Hebrews 13:8

      Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

    • John 8:12

      Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

    • Numbers 23:19

      God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?

  • Through

    Colossians 2:3

    in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

    it leads to

    • 1 Corinthians 1:24

      but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

    • 1 Corinthians 1:30

      It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.

    • Romans 11:33

      O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!

Where this verse is studied

About Isaiah

The Prophet Isaiah, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Prophet Isaiah, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, On the Holy Spirit 2.9.85, 90-91; Basil of Caesarea, ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 5:7; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; GK Chesterton, Introduction to the Book of Job (1907); Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.