Isaiah 40:12 (DBY)

Passage

Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out the heavens with [his] span, and grasped the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance, and the hills in scales?

Nearby Context

Isaiah 40:10 Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come with might, and his arm shall rule for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompence before him.

Isaiah 40:11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd: he will gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom; he will gently lead those that give suck.

Isaiah 40:12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out the heavens with [his] span, and grasped the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance, and the hills in scales?

Isaiah 40:13 Who hath directed the Spirit of Jehovah, and, [as] his counsellor, hath taught him?

Isaiah 40:14 With whom took he counsel, and [who] gave him intelligence, and instructed him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed him the way of understanding?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hath", "measured", "waters", "hollow", "hand", "meted", "heavens", and "span". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hath" and "measured", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "He will feed his flock like a..." into verse 13's "Who hath directed the Spirit of Jehovah...", so "hath" and "measured" 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 "hath" and "measured" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.