Isaiah 40:13 (DRB)

Passage

Who hath forwarded the spirit of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor, and hath taught him?

Nearby Context

Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather together the lambs with his arm, and shall take them up in his bosom, and he himself shall carry them that are with young.

Isaiah 40:12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and weighed the heavens with his palm? who hath poised with three fingers the bulk of the earth, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

Isaiah 40:13 Who hath forwarded the spirit of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor, and hath taught him?

Isaiah 40:14 With whom hath he consulted, and who hath instructed him, and taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and shewed him the way of understanding?

Isaiah 40:15 Behold the Gentiles are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the smallest grain of a balance: behold the islands are as a little dust.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "hath", "forwarded", "lord", "been", and "counsellor". 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 hath he consulted 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.