Isaiah 40:22

Literal Standard Version

He who is sitting on the circle of the earth, || And its inhabitants [are] as grasshoppers, || He who is stretching out the heavens as a thin thing, || And spreads them as a tent to dwell in.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
God is enthroned above the circle of the earth;its inhabitants are like grasshoppers.He stretches out the heavens like thin clothand spreads them out like a tent to live in.

Hebrew Names Version
[It is] he who sits above the circle of the eretz, and the inhabitants of it are as grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens as a curtain, and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in;

King James Version
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

English Standard Version
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;

New American Standard Bible
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to live in.

New Century Version
God sits on his throne above the circle of the earth, and compared to him, people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the skies like a piece of cloth and spreads them out like a tent to sit under.

Amplified Bible
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; [It is He] who stretches out the heavens like a veil And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

World English Bible
[It is] he who sits above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants of it are as grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens as a curtain, and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in;

Geneva Bible (1587)
He sitteth vpon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers, hee stretcheth out ye heauens, as a curtaine, and spreadeth them out, as a tent to dwell in.

Legacy Standard Bible
It is He who inhabits above the circle of the earth,And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;It is He who stretches out the heavens like a curtainAnd spreads them out like a tent to inhabit.

Berean Standard Bible
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

Contemporary English Version
God is the one who rules the whole earth, and we that live here are merely insects. He spread out the heavens like a curtain or an open tent.

Complete Jewish Bible
He who sits above the circle of the earth — for whom its inhabitants appear like grasshoppers — stretches out the heavens like a curtain, spreads them out like a tent to live in.

Darby Translation
[It is] he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a gauze curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;

Easy-to-Read Version
It is the Lord who sits above the circle of the earth. And compared to him, people are like grasshoppers. He rolled open the skies like a piece of cloth. He stretched out the skies like a tent to sit under.

George Lamsa Translation
It is he who sits upon the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens as a curtain and spreads them as a tent to dwell in;

Good News Translation
It was made by the one who sits on his throne above the earth and beyond the sky; the people below look as tiny as ants. He stretched out the sky like a curtain, like a tent in which to live.

Lexham English Bible
He is the one who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; the one who stretches out the heavens like a veil and spreads them out like a tent to live in,

Literal Translation
He who sits on the circle of the earth, even those living in it are like grasshoppers; He who stretches the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
That he sytteth vpon the Circle of the worlde, and that all the inhabitours of the worlde are in coparison of him, but as greshoppers: That he spredeth out the heaues as a coueringe, that he stretcheth them out, as. a tent to dwell in:

American Standard Version
It is he that sitteth above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;

Bible in Basic English
It is he who is seated over the arch of the earth, and the people in it are as small as locusts; by him the heavens are stretched out like an arch, and made ready like a tent for a living-place.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
It is He that sitteth above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;

King James Version (1611)
It is he that sitteth vpon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers; that stretcheth out the heauens as a curtaine, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwel in:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
It is he that sitteth vpon the circle of the world, whose inhabiters are [in comparison of him] but as grashoppers: he spreadeth out the heauens as a couering, he stretcheth them out as a tent to dwell in.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
It is he that comprehends the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants in it are as grasshoppers; he that set up the heaven as a chamber, and stretched it out as a tent to dwell in:

English Revised Version
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Which sittith on the cumpas of erthe, and the dwelleris therof ben as locustis; which stretchith forth heuenes as nouyt, and spredith abrood tho as a tabernacle to dwelle.

Update Bible Version
[It is] he that sits above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretches out the heavens as a curtain, and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in;

Webster's Bible Translation
[It is] he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants [are] as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

New English Translation
He is the one who sits on the earth's horizon; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him. He is the one who stretches out the sky like a thin curtain, and spreads it out like a pitched tent.

New King James Version
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

New Living Translation
God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him! He spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them.

New Life Bible
It is God Who sits on the throne above the earth. The people living on the earth are like grasshoppers. He spreads out the heavens like a curtain. He spreads them out like a tent to live in.

New Revised Standard
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
It is he who sitteth upon the circle of the earth, While the inhabitants thereof are, as grass-hoppers, - Who stretcheth forth, as a curtain, the heavens, And spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;

Douay-Rheims Bible
It is he that sitteth upon the globe of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as locusts: he that stretcheth out the heavens as nothing, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.

Revised Standard Version
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;

Young's Literal Translation
He who is sitting on the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants [are] as grasshoppers, He who is stretching out as a thin thing the heavens, And spreadeth them as a tent to dwell in.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

Contextual Overview

¹⁸And to whom do you liken God, || And what likeness do you compare to Him? ¹⁹An artisan has poured out the carved image, || And a refiner spreads it over with gold, || And he is refining chains of silver. ²⁰He who is poor [by] raised-offerings, || Chooses a tree [that is] not rotten, || He seeks a skillful artisan for it, || To establish a carved image—not moved. ²¹Do you not know—do you not hear? Has it not been declared from the first to you? Have you not understood || [From] the foundations of the earth? ²²He who is sitting on the circle of the earth, || And its inhabitants [are] as grasshoppers, || He who is stretching out the heavens as a thin thing, || And spreads them as a tent to dwell in.²³He who is making princes become nothing, || Has made judges of earth formless; ²⁴Indeed, they have not been planted, || Indeed, they have not been sown, || Indeed, their stock is not taking root in the earth, || And He has also blown on them, and they wither, || And a whirlwind takes them away as stubble. ²⁵And to whom do you liken Me, || And [to whom] I equal? Says the Holy One. ²⁶Lift up your eyes on high, || And see—who has created these? He who is bringing out their host by number, || He calls to all of them by name, || By the abundance of His strength || And mighty power, || Not one is lacking.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

It is he that sitteth: or, Him that sitteth, etc. Isaiah 19:1, Isaiah 66:1, Psalms 2:4, Psalms 29:10, Psalms 68:33

the inhabitants: Isaiah 40:15, Isaiah 40:17, Numbers 13:33

stretcheth: Isaiah 42:5, Isaiah 44:24, Isaiah 51:13, Job 9:8, Job 37:18, Job 38:4-9, Psalms 102:25, Psalms 102:26, Psalms 104:2, Jeremiah 10:12, Zechariah 12:1, Hebrews 1:10-12

as a curtain: Or, "as a thin veil," as Bp. Lowth renders; which he illustrates by the following passage from Dr. Shaw. "It is usual in the summer season, and upon all occasions when a large company is to be received, to have the court sheltered from heat, or inclemency of the weather by a velum umbrella, or veil, as I shall call it; which, being expanded on ropes from one end of the parapet to the other, may be folded or unfolded at pleasure. The Psalmist seems to allude to some covering of this kind, in that beautiful expression of spreading out the heavens as a curtain.

Reciprocal: Job 21:22 - he judgeth Job 26:7 - General Job 35:5 - Look Job 37:5 - great Job 37:16 - the balancings Job 38:5 - laid Psalms 19:1 - The heavens Psalms 113:4 - high Psalms 135:5 - I know Psalms 136:6 - General Proverbs 8:27 - compass Isaiah 43:10 - that ye Isaiah 45:12 - my hands Isaiah 48:13 - my right hand hath spanned Jeremiah 51:15 - and hath Daniel 4:35 - all

Cross-References

Genesis 40:8
And they say to him, "We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it"; and Joseph says to them, "Are interpretations not with God? Please recount to me."

Genesis 40:11
and Pharaoh's cup [is] in my hand, and I take the grapes and press them into the cup of Pharaoh, and I give the cup into the hand of Pharaoh."

Genesis 40:13
yet, within three days Pharaoh lifts up your head, and has put you back on your station, and you have given the cup of Pharaoh into his hand, according to the former custom when you were his butler.

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 40:23
and the chief of the butlers has not remembered Joseph, but forgets him.

Genesis 41:16
and Joseph answers Pharaoh, saying, "Without me—God answers Pharaoh with peace."

Jeremiah 23:28
The prophet with whom [is] a dream, || Let him recount the dream, || And he with whom [is] My word, || Let him truly speak My word. What does the straw [have to do] with the grain?" A declaration of YHWH.

Daniel 2:30
As for me—not for [any] wisdom that is in me above any living has this secret been revealed to me; but for the intent that the interpretation to the king they make known, and the thoughts of your heart you know.

Daniel 5:12
because that an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of enigmas, and loosing of knots was found in him, in Daniel, whose name the king made Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and the interpretation he shows."

Acts 5:30
and the God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you slew, having hanged on a tree;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth,.... Or, "the globe z" of it; for the earth is spherical or globular: not a flat plain, but round, hung as a ball in the air; here Jehovah sits as the Lord and Sovereign; being the Maker of it, he is above it, orders and directs its motion, and governs all things in it: Kimchi rightly observes, that the heavens are the circle of the earth, which is the centre of them, and around which they are; and so it signifies, that the Lord sits or dwells in the heavens, from whence he beholds the children of men:

and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; or "locusts a"; as one upon a very great eminence looking down beholds creatures as exceeding small and little; and if the Israelites were to the "anakim" or giants as grasshoppers, Numbers 13:33, much more must puny mortals be such in the sight of God, and in comparison of him; and this may denote, not only the minuteness of men, but what weak, impotent, useless, worthless, and short lived creatures men are:

that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain; alluding to the firmament or expanse made at the creation, and still continued; which is as a curtain to himself, which he draws around himself, he dwelling in the highest heavens, and in light inaccessible to mortals; and which he stretches out as a canopy around this earth, for the use of the inhabitants of it: or, "as a little thing"; or, as a little skin b; and which he stretches out as easily as a man can stretch out that:

and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in it; for himself to dwell in, and so stretches out the heavens like curtains about him; tents being made of such, and often of skins.

z על חוג "super sphaeram", Pagninus; "globum", Montanus Vatablus; "super orbem telluris", Vitringa. a כחגבים "ut locustae", Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius, Vitringa; "tanquam locustae", Munster; "velut locustae", Junius Tremellius, Piscator. b כדק "velut tenue", Montanus "tenuissimum", Vatablus; "pellem." Munster; so some in Vatablus; "pellculam", Gataker.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

It is he that sitteth - Margin, ‘Him that sitteth,’ that is, have you not known him? The Hebrew literally means ‘the sitter, or he sitting on the circle of the each;’ and it may be connected either with Isaiah 40:21, ‘Have ye not known him sitting on the circle of the earth?’ or with Isaiah 40:18, ‘What likeness will ye compare to him that sitteth on the circle of the earth?’ In either case the phrase is designed to show the majesty and glory of God. The word ‘sitteth’ refers to God as a sovereign or monarch, making the circle of the earth his throne.

The circle of the earth - Or rather, “above” (על ‛al) the circle of the earth. The word rendered ‘circle’ (חוּג chûg) denotes “a circle, sphere, or arch”; and is applied to the arch or vault of the heavens, in Proverbs 8:27; Job 22:14. The phrase ‘circle,’ or ‘circuit of the earth,’ here seems to be used in the same sense as the phrase orbis terrarum by the Latins; not as denoting a sphere, or not as implying that the earth was a globe, but that it was an extended plain surrounded by oceans and mighty waters. The globular form of the earth was then unknown; and the idea is, that God sat above this extended circuit, or circle; and that the vast earth was beneath his feet.

And the inhabitants thereof are like grasshoppers - Or rather, like locusts, for so the Hebrew word properly means. This is designed to show that the inhabitants of the earth, numerous and mighty as they are, are as nothing compared with God. The idea is that God is so exalted, that, as he looks down from that elevated station, all the inhabitants of the world appear to him as locusts - a busy, agirated, moving, impatient multitude, spread over the vast circle of the earth beneath him - as locusts spread in almost interminable bands over the plains in the East. What a striking illustration of the insignificance of man as he is viewed from the heavens! What an impressive description of the nothingness of his mighty plans, and of the vanity of his mightiest works!

That stretcheth out the heavens - Referring to the firmament above, as that which seems to be stretched out, or expanded over our heads. The heavens above are often thus compared to an expanse - either solid Genesis 1:7, or to a curtain, or tent (compare the note at Isaiah 34:4).

As a curtain - The word used here (דק doq) denotes properly fineness, thinness; and then a fine or thin cloth, or curtain. Here it means a thin canopy that is stretched over us. The same expression occurs in Psalms 104:2 (compare Job 9:8; Isaiah 44:24). Probably the reference here is to the veil, curtain, or awning which the Orientals are accustomed to draw over the court in their houses. Their houses are constructed with an open court in the center, with the rooms ranged round it. In that court or open square there are usually fountains, if the situation is so that they can be constructed; and they are cool and refreshing places for the family to sit in the heat of the summer. In hot or rainy weather, a curtain or awning is drawn over this area. According to the imago of the prophet here, the heavens are spread out over our heads as such an awning.

And spreadeth them out as a tent - As a tent that is made for a habitation. Perhaps the idea is, that the heavens are extended like a tent in order to furnish a dwelling-place for God. Thus the Chaldee renders it. If so, it proves that the universe, so vast, was suited up to be the dwelling-place of the High and Holy One, and is a most impressive representation of his immensity.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 40:22. As a curtain - "As a thin veil"] "It is usual in the summer season, and upon all occasions when a large company is to be received, to have the court sheltered from heat or inclemency of the weather by a velum, umbrella, or veil, as I shall call it; which being expanded on ropes from one side of the parapet wall to the other, may be folded or unfolded at pleasure. The psalmist seems to allude to some covering of this kind in that beautiful expression of spreading out the heavens like a curtain." - Shaw's Travels, p. 274.