Isaiah 40:13

Literal Standard Version

Who has meted out the Spirit of YHWH, || And [being] His counselor, teaches Him?

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?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Who has known the mind of the Lord? and who has been his counsellor, to instruct him?

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

¹²Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, || And has meted out the heavens by a span, || And comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, || And has weighed the mountains in scales, || And the hills in a balance? ¹³Who has meted out the Spirit of YHWH, || And [being] His counselor, teaches Him?¹⁴With whom [did] He consult, || That he causes Him to understand? And teaches Him in the path of judgment, || And teaches Him knowledge? And causes Him to know the way of understanding? ¹⁵Behold, nations [are] as a drop from a bucket, || And have been reckoned as small dust of the balance, || Behold, He takes up islands as a small thing. ¹⁶And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, || Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt-offering. ¹⁷All the nations [are] as nothing before Him, || Less than nothing and emptiness, || They have been reckoned to Him.

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 after seven more days I am sending rain on the earth [for] forty days and forty nights, and have wiped away all the substance that I have made from off the face of the ground."

Genesis 40:19
yet, within three days Pharaoh lifts up your head from off you, and has hanged you on a tree, and the birds have eaten your flesh from off you."

Genesis 40:22
and the chief of the bakers he has hanged, as Joseph has interpreted to them;

2 Kings 25:27
And it comes to pass, in the thirty-seventh year of the expulsion of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh of the month, Evil-Merodach king of Babylon has lifted up, in the year of his reigning, the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, out of the house of restraint,

Psalms 3:3
And You, O YHWH, [are] a shield for me, || My glory, and lifter up of my head.

Jeremiah 52:31
And it comes to pass, in the thirty-seventh year of the expulsion of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth of the month, Evil-Merodach king of Babylon has lifted up, in the year of his reign, the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brings him out from the house of restraint,

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.