Yesaya 40:12

The Lord is Incomparable

40:12 Who has measured out the waters ¹  in the hollow of his hand,

or carefully ²  measured the sky, ³ 

or carefully weighed ⁴  the soil of the earth,

or weighed the mountains in a balance,

or the hills on scales? ⁵ 

Yesaya 46:6

46:6 Those who empty out gold from a purse

and weigh out silver on the scale ⁶ 

hire a metalsmith, who makes it into a god.

They then bow down and worship it.

Yesaya 55:2

55:2 Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? ⁷ 

Why spend ⁸  your hard-earned money ⁹  on something that will not satisfy?

Listen carefully ¹⁰  to me and eat what is nourishing! ¹¹ 

Enjoy fine food! ¹² 

[40:12]  ¹ tn The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has מי ים (“waters of the sea”), a reading followed by NAB.

[40:12]  ² tn Heb “with a span.” A “span” was the distance between the ends of the thumb and the little finger of the spread hand” (BDB 285 s.v. זֶרֶת).

[40:12]  ³ tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[40:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “or weighed by a third part [of a measure].”

[40:12]  ⁵ sn The implied answer to the rhetorical questions of v. 12 is “no one but the Lord. The Lord, and no other, created the world. Like a merchant weighing out silver or commodities on a scale, the Lord established the various components of the physical universe in precise proportions.

[46:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “the reed,” probably referring to the beam of a scales. See BDB 889 s.v. קָנֶה 4.c.

[55:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “for what is not food.”

[55:2]  ⁸ tn The interrogative particle and the verb “spend” are understood here by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[55:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “your labor,” which stands by metonymy for that which one earns.

[55:2]  ¹⁰ tn The infinitive absolute follows the imperative and lends emphasis to the exhortation.

[55:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “good” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[55:2]  ¹² tn Heb “Let your appetite delight in fine food.”

[55:2]  sn Nourishing, fine food here represents the blessings God freely offers. These include forgiveness, a new covenantal relationship with God, and national prominence (see vv. 3-6).