Isaiah 40:13

“Who has gauged the spirit of YHWH, or as the man of his counsel has made it known to him?”
Isaiah 40:13 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

Whoמִיhas gaugedתִכֵּןthe spiritאֶת רוּחַof YHWH,יְהוָהor as the manוְאִישׁof his counselעֲצָתוֹhas made it known to him?יוֹדִיעֶנּוּ

Quotation · Romans 11:34

Go to Romans 11:34

Paul uses Isaiah 40:13 without a formula.

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: Τίς γὰρ ἔγνω νοῦν κυρίου ἢ τίς σύμβουλος αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο

Hebrew (Masoretic text): מִי תִכֵּן אֶת רוּחַ יְהוָה וְאִישׁ עֲצָתוֹ יוֹדִיעֶנּוּ

Septuagint (Isaiah 40:13 in the Septuagint numbering): τίς ἔγνω νοῦν Κυρίου, καὶ τίς σύμβουλος αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, ὃς συμβιβάσει αὐτόν;

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, at most 4 consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · 1 Corinthians 2:16

Go to 1 Corinthians 2:16

Paul uses Isaiah 40:13 without a formula, as in Romans 11:34.

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: τίς γὰρ ἔγνω νοῦν κυρίου ὃς συμβιβάσει αὐτόν ἡμεῖς δὲ νοῦν Χριστοῦ ἔχομεν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): מִי תִכֵּן אֶת רוּחַ יְהוָה וְאִישׁ עֲצָתוֹ יוֹדִיעֶנּוּ

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, at most 3 consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Isaiah 40:13, word by word

has gaugedתִכֵּןtiken

measure

To measure, make firm.

Where else “tiken” appears

the spiritרוּחַruach

Spirit of God

The spirit of Elohim or YHWH: his presence and power.

Where else “ruach” appears

of YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears

or as the manאִישׁish

man

An adult male person; also each man of a people, a trade or a place.

Where else “ish” appears

of his counselעֲצָתatsat

counsel

What is said to someone to help him decide what to do.

Where else “atsat” appears

has made it known to himיוֹדִיעֶyodie

make known

To make someone aware, teach.

Where else “yodie” appears

Translation note

Paul quotes this verse in Romans 11:34 and 1 Corinthians 2:16 with the words “Who has known the mind of the Lord?” On “spirit” in lowercase, see the note on 11:2.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Romans 11:34

Paul uses Isaiah 40:13 without a formula.

See them side by side

Isaiah 40:13

¹³Who has gauged the spirit of YHWH, or as the man of his counsel has made it known to him?

Romans 11:34

³⁴For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become his counselor?

Quotation · 1 Corinthians 2:16

Paul uses Isaiah 40:13 without a formula, as in Romans 11:34.

See them side by side

Isaiah 40:13

¹³Who has gauged the spirit of YHWH, or as the man of his counsel has made it known to him?

1 Corinthians 2:16

¹⁶For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct him? But we have the mind of the Messiah.

The context

12Who has measured in the hollow of his hand the waters, and the heavens with the span gauged, and held in a measure the dust of the earth, and weighed with the scale the mountains and the hills with a balance?

13 · This verse (above)

14With whom did he take counsel, that he might make him understand and teach him in the path of justice, and teach him knowledge, and make known to him the way of understanding?

Read all of Isaiah 40

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