King James Version

Isaiah 40:12

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

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Hebrew

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מִֽיmiwhoמִיparticle, interrogative — “who”H4310who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffixany (man), [idiom] he, [idiom] him, [phrase] O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), [phrase] would to God.מָדַ֨דmadadmeasureמָדַדverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “measure”, a completed actionH4058properly, to stretch; by implication, to measure (as if by stretching a line); figuratively, to be extendedmeasure, mete, stretch self.בְּשָׁעֳל֜וֹbeshaolvoin handfulשֹׁעַלpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in handful”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8168the palm; by extension, a handfulhandful, hollow of the hand.מַ֗יִםmayimwaterמַיִםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “water”, the ordinary formH4325water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen[phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).וְשָׁמַ֨יִם֙veshamayimand heavenשָׁמַיִםconjunction, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “and heaven”, the ordinary formH8064the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve)air, [idiom] astrologer, heaven(-s).בַּזֶּ֣רֶתbazeretin spanזֶרֶתpreposition, with the article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “in span”, the ordinary formH2239the spread of the fingers, i.e. a spanspan.תִּכֵּ֔ןtikenbear upתָּכַןverb, piel, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “bear up”, a completed actionH8505to balance, i.e. measure out (by weight or dimension); figuratively, arrange, equalize, through the idea of levelling (ment. estimate, test)bear up, direct, be (un-)equal, mete, ponder, tell, weigh.וְכָ֥לvekhaland abideכּוּלconjunction, verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and abide”, a completed actionH3557properly, to keep in; hence, to measure; figuratively, to maintain (in various senses)(be able to, can) abide, bear, comprehend, contain, feed, forbearing, guide, hold(-ing in), nourish(-er), be present, make provision, receive, sustain, provide sustenance (victuals).בַּשָּׁלִ֖שׁbashalishin instrument of musickשָׁלִישׁpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in instrument of musick”, the ordinary formH7991a triple, i.e. (as a musical instrument) a triangle (or perhaps rather threestringed lute); also (as an indefinite, great quantity) a three-fold measure (perhaps a treble ephah); also (as an officer) a general of the third rank (upward, i.e. the highest)captain, instrument of musick, (great) lord, (great) measure, prince, three (from the margin).עֲפַ֣רafardustעָפָרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “dust”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6083dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth, mudashes, dust, earth, ground, morter, powder, rubbish.הָאָ֑רֶץhaaretsthe earthאֶרֶץdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “the earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.וְשָׁקַ֤לveshaqaland receiveשָׁקַלconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and receive”, a completed action in a sequenceH8254to suspend or poise (especially in trade)pay, receive(-r), spend, [idiom] throughly, weigh.בַּפֶּ֨לֶס֙bapelesin scalesפֶּלֶסpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in scales”, the ordinary formH6425a balancescales, weight.הָרִ֔יםharimhillהַרnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “hill”, the ordinary formH2022a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)hill (country), mount(-ain), [idiom] promotion.וּגְבָע֖וֹתugevaotand hillגִּבְעָהconjunction, noun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “and hill”, the ordinary formH1389a hillockhill, little hill.בְּמֹאזְנָֽיִםbemoznayimin balancesמֹאזֵןpreposition, noun, common, masculine, dual, absolute — “in balances”, the ordinary formH3976(only in the dual) a pair of scalesbalances.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Young’s Literal Translation

Who hath measured in the hollow of his hand the waters? And the heavens by a span hath meted out, And comprehended in a measure the dust of the earth, And hath weighed in scales the mountains, And the hills in a balance?

World English Bible

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and marked off the sky with his span, and calculated the dust of the earth in a measuring basket, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

Darby Translation

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?

Douay-Rheims

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?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Who has measured the water in his hand, and the heaven with a span, and all the earth in a handful? Who has weighed the mountains in scales, and the forests in a balance?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Τίς ἐμέτρησε τῇ χειρὶ τὸ ὕδωρ, καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν σπιθαμῇ, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν δρακί; τίς ἔστησε τὰ ὄρη σταθμῷ, καὶ τὰς νάπας ζυγῷ;