Isaiah 40:12 (GNV)

Passage

Who hath measured the waters in his fist? and counted heauen with the spanne, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure? and weighed ye mountaines in a weight, and the hilles in a balance?

Nearby Context

Isaiah 40:10 Beholde, the Lord God will come with power, and his arme shall rule for him: beholde, his rewarde is with him, and his worke before him,

Isaiah 40:11 He shall feede his flocke like a shepheard: he shall gather the lambes with his arme, and cary them in his bosome, and shall guide them with young.

Isaiah 40:12 Who hath measured the waters in his fist? and counted heauen with the spanne, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure? and weighed ye mountaines in a weight, and the hilles in a balance?

Isaiah 40:13 Who hath instructed ye Spirit of the Lord? or was his counseler or taught him?

Isaiah 40:14 Of whom tooke he counsell, and who instructed him and taught him in the way of iudgement? or taught him knowledge, and shewed vnto him the way of vnderstanding?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hath", "measured", "waters", "fist", "counted", "heauen", "spanne", and "comprehended". 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 shall feede his flocke like a..." into verse 13's "Who hath instructed ye Spirit of the...", 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.