Isaiah 40:13 (ASV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Isaiah 40:11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, [and] will gently lead those that have their young.

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 Jehovah, 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 justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?

Isaiah 40:15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are accounted as the small dust of the balance: Behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "hath", "directed", "jehovah", "counsellor", and "taught". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "hath", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "Who hath measured the waters in the..." into verse 14's "With whom took he counsel and who...", so "Spirit" and "hath" belong inside that flow. In Isaiah context, the local focus is the Holy One of Israel, judgment and restoration, the servant of the LORD, and Zion's hope.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "Spirit" and "hath" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.