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Read the Bible

Brenton's Septuagint

Isaiah 40:13

Who has known the mind of the Lord? and who has been his counsellor, to instruct him?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - God Continued...;   Holy Spirit;   Idolatry;   Quotations and Allusions;   Readings, Select;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Counsels and Purposes of God, the;   Holy Spirit, the Teacher, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Isaiah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - God;   Jesus christ;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Religion;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Creation;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Shepherd;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Balances;   God;   Isaiah;   Wind;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Micah, Book of;   Righteousness;   Servant of the Lord;   Trinity;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Benedictus;   Doxology ;   Inspiration and Revelation;   Isaiah ;   Lord;   Omnipotence;   Quotations;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Mind;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - God;   Holy Spirit;   Inspiration;   Shabbat Naḥamu;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for October 31;   Every Day Light - Devotion for December 23;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord,or who gave him counsel?
Hebrew Names Version
Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counselor has taught him?
King James Version
Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord , or being his counsellor hath taught him?
English Standard Version
Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord , or what man shows him his counsel?
New American Standard Bible
Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has informed Him?
New Century Version
Who has known the mind of the Lord or been able to give him advice?
Amplified Bible
Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or has taught Him as His counselor?
World English Bible
Who has directed the Spirit of Yahweh, or being his counselor has taught him?
Geneva Bible (1587)
Who hath instructed ye Spirit of the Lord? or was his counseler or taught him?
Legacy Standard Bible
Who has encompassed the Spirit of Yahweh,Or as His counselor has informed Him?
Berean Standard Bible
Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or informed Him as His counselor?
Contemporary English Version
Has anyone told the Lord what he must do or given him advice?
Complete Jewish Bible
Who has measured the Spirit of Adonai ? Who has been his counselor, instructing him?
Darby Translation
Who hath directed the Spirit of Jehovah, and, [as] his counsellor, hath taught him?
Easy-to-Read Version
Who could know the Lord 's mind? Who could be his teacher or give him advice?
George Lamsa Translation
Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD or who has been to him a counsellor?
Good News Translation
Can anyone tell the Lord what to do? Who can teach him or give him advice?
Lexham English Bible
Who has measured up the spirit of Yahweh or informed him as his counselor?
Literal Translation
Who has meted out the Spirit of Jehovah, or a man His counsel taught Him?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Who hath refourmed the mynde of the LORDE? Or who is of his councel to teach him?
American Standard Version
Who hath directed the Spirit of Jehovah, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
Bible in Basic English
By whom has the spirit of the Lord been guided, or who has been his teacher?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Who hath meted out the spirit of the LORD? Or who was His counsellor that he might instruct Him?
King James Version (1611)
Who hath directed the spirit of the Lord, or, being his counseller, hath taught him?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Who hath directed the spirite of the Lorde? or who gaue hym counsayle, and shewed hym?
English Revised Version
Who hath directed the spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Who helpide the Spirit of the Lord, ether who was his councelour, and schewide to hym?
Update Bible Version
Who has directed the Spirit of Yahweh, or being his counselor has taught him?
Webster's Bible Translation
Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or [being] his counselor hath taught him?
New English Translation
Who comprehends the mind of the Lord , or gives him instruction as his counselor?
New King James Version
Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has taught Him?
New Living Translation
Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord ? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?
New Life Bible
Who has led the Spirit of the Lord? Who has taught Him words of wisdom?
New Revised Standard
Who has directed the spirit of the Lord , or as his counselor has instructed him?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Who hath proved the spirit of Yahweh? Or being his counsellor hath been giving him knowledge?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who hath forwarded the spirit of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor, and hath taught him?
Revised Standard Version
Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or as his counselor has instructed him?
Young's Literal Translation
Who hath meted out the Spirit of Jehovah, And, [being] His counsellor, doth teach Him!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has informed Him?

Contextual Overview

12 Who has measured the water in his hand, and the heaven with a span, and all the earth in a handful? Who has weighed the mountains in scales, and the forests in a balance? 13 Who has known the mind of the Lord? and who has been his counsellor, to instruct him? 14 Or with whom has he taken counsel, and he has instructed him? or who has taught him judgement, or who has taught him the way of understanding; 15 since all the nations are counted as a drop from a bucket, and as the turning of a balance, and shall be counted as spittle? 16 And Libanus is not enough to burn, nor all beasts enough for a whole-burnt offering: 17 and all the nations are as nothing, and counted as nothing.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

hath directed: Job 21:22, Job 36:22, Job 36:23, Luke 10:22, John 1:13, Romans 11:34, 1 Corinthians 2:16, Ephesians 1:11

his counsellor: Heb. man of his counsel

Reciprocal: Leviticus 22:12 - a stranger 2 Chronicles 32:3 - took counsel Job 12:13 - counsel Job 34:13 - Who hath given Isaiah 19:12 - let them Jeremiah 23:18 - who Jeremiah 32:19 - Great Acts 4:28 - and Revelation 5:3 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 7:4
For yet seven days having passed I bring rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will blot out every offspring which I have made from the face of all the earth.
Genesis 40:19
Yet three days, and Pharao shall take away thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree, and the birds of the sky shall eat thy flesh from off thee.
Genesis 40:22
And he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph, interpreted to them.
2 Kings 25:27
And it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the carrying away of Joachim king of Juda, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, that Evialmarodec king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Joachim king of Juda, and brought him out of his prison-house.
Psalms 3:3
But thou, O Lord, art my helper: my glory, and the one that lifts up my head.
Jeremiah 52:31
And it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year after that Joakim king of Juda had been carried away captive, in the twelfth month, on the four and twentieth day of the month, that Ulaemadachar king of Babylon, in the year in which he began to reign, raised the head of Joakim king of Juda, and shaved him, and brought him out of the house where he was kept,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord,.... In the creation of all things, in garnishing the heavens, and moving upon the face of the waters? not anyone, angel or man; there were none with him, nor did he need any to guide and direct him what to do s:

or being his counsellor, hath taught him? or, "the man of his counsel t"; there was no other than the Wonderful Counsellor, the Angel of the great council, the essential Word of God, whose spirit is here spoken of.

s The Targum is, "who hath directed the Holy Spirit in the mouth of all the prophets? is it not the Lord?" which agrees with the accents; for so according to them the words should be rendered "who hath directed the Spirit? the Lord"; so Reinbeck, de Accent. Heb. p. 418. and who renders the next clause, and he hath made the man of his counsel (Moses) to know that.

t איש עצתו "vir a consiliis", Junius & Tremellius Piscator.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Who hath directed - This passage is quoted by Paul in Romans 11:34, and referred to by him in 1 Corinthians 2:16. The word rendered ‘directed’ here (תכן tikēn) is the same which is used in the previous verse, ‘and meted out heaven.’ The idea here is, ‘Who has fitted, or disposed the mind or spirit of Yahweh? What superior being has ordered, instructed, or disposed his understanding? Who has qualified him for the exercise of his wisdom, or for the formation and execution of his plans?’ The sense is, God is supreme. No one has instructed or guided him, but his plans are his own, and have all been formed by himself alone. And as those plans are infinitely wise, and as he is not dependent on anyone for their formation or execution, his people may have confidence in him, and believe that he will be able to execute his purposes.

The Spirit - The word ‘spirit’ is used in the Bible in a greater variety of senses than almost any other word (see the note at Isaiah 40:7). It seems here to be used in the sense of mind, and to refer to God himself. There is no evidence that it refers to the Holy Spirit particularly. ‘The word spirit, he uses,’ says Calvin, ‘for reason, judgment. He borrows the similitude from the nature of mankind, in order that he may more accommodate himself to them; nor, as it seems to me, does he here speak of the essential Spirit of God’ (Commentary in loc). The design of the prophet is not to refer to the distinction in the divine nature, or to illustrate the special characteristics of the different persons of the Godhead; but it is to set forth the wisdom of Yahweh himself, the one infinite God, as contradistinguished from idols, and as qualified to guide, govern, and deliver his people. The passage should not be used, therefore, as a proof-text in regard to the existence and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, but is suited to demonstrate only that God is untaught; and that he is independent and infinite in his wisdom.

Or being his counselor - Margin, as in Hebrew, ‘Man of his counsel.’ He is not dependent for counsel on men or angels. He is supreme, independent, and infinite. None is qualified to instruct him; and all, therefore, should confide in his wisdom and knowledge.


 
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