ISA 40:12 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Τίς ἐμέτρησε τῇ χειρὶ τὸ ὕδωρ, καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν σπιθαμῇ, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν δρακί; τίς ἔστησε τὰ ὄρη σταθμῷ, καὶ τὰς νάπας ζυγῷ;
(Tis emetraʸse taʸ ⱪeiri to hudōr, kai ton ouranon spithamaʸ, kai pasan taʸn gaʸn draki; tis estaʸse ta oraʸ stathmōi, kai tas napas zugōi;)

BrTr 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?

ULT ⇔ Who has measured the waters in his palm
⇔ or measured the heavens with a span
⇔ or held the dust of the earth in a triple
⇔ or weighed the mountains in a scale
⇔ or the hills in a balance?

UST ⇔ No human being has used the hollow of his hand
⇔ to measure the water of the oceans.
⇔ No human being has measured the sky
⇔ by using the distance between his thumb and little finger as a unit.
⇔ No human being has determined how much dust is on the earth
⇔ by putting it in large baskets.
⇔ No human being has used a scale or a balance
⇔ to weigh the mountains and hills.

BSB Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
⇔ or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand?
⇔ Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
⇔ or weighed the mountains on a scale
⇔ and the hills with a balance?

MSB (Same as BSB above)

OEB No OEB ISA book available

WEBBE ⇔ 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?

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Who has measured out the waters in the hollow of his hand,
⇔ or carefully measured the sky,
⇔ or carefully weighed the soil of the earth,
⇔ or weighed the mountains in a balance,
⇔ or the hills on scales?

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

FBV Who has measured the waters he holds in the palm of his hand? Who has marked off the heavens with the span of his hand? Who has worked out the amount of dust of the earth? Who has weighed the mountains on a scale and the hills with a balance?

T4T ⇔ There is no one like Yahweh!
⇔ ◄Who else has measured the water in the oceans in the palm of his hand?/No one else has measured the water in the oceans in the palm of his hand!► [RHQ]
⇔ ◄Who else has measured the sky with his fingers?/No one else has measured the sky with his fingers!► [RHQ]
⇔ ◄Who else knows how much the earth weighs?/No one else knows how much the earth weighs!► [RHQ]
⇔ ◄Who else has weighed the mountains and hills on scales?/No one else has weighed the mountains and hills on scales!► [RHQ]

LEB • Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
• and marked off the heavens with a span,
• comprehended the dust of the earth in a third of a measure
• and weighed out the mountains in the scales,[fn] and the hills in a balance?

40:2 Hebrew “scale”

BBE In the hollow of whose hand have the waters been measured? and who is able to take the heavens in his stretched-out fingers? who has got together the dust of the earth in a measure? who has taken the weight of the mountains, or put the hills into the scales?

Moff No Moff ISA book available

JPS 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?

ASV 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?

DRA 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?

YLT 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?

Drby 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?

RV 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?
(Who hath/has 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?)

SLT Who measured the water in his palm, and measured the heavens with a span, and held the dust of the earth in a third, and weighed the mountains in a balance and the bills in scales?

Wbstr Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and measured 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?

KJB-1769 ¶ 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?[fn]
(¶ Who hath/has 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?)

40.12 a measure: Heb. a tierce

KJB-1611 ¶ [fn]Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand? and meted out heauen with the spanne, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountaines in scales, and the hilles in a balance?
(¶ Who hath/has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand? and meted out heaven with the spanne, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?)

40:12 Heb. a Tierce.

Bshps Who hath measured the waters in his fist? who hath measured heauen with his spanne, and hath comprehended all the earth of the worlde in three measures? who hath wayed the mountaynes and hylles in a ballaunce?
(Who hath/has measured the waters in his fist? who hath/has measured heaven with his spanne, and hath/has comprehended all the earth of the world in three measures? who hath/has wayed the mountains and hills in a balance?)

Gnva 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?
(Who hath/has measured the waters in his fist? and counted heaven with the spanne, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure? and weighed ye/you_all mountains in a weight, and the hills in a balance?)

Cvdl Who hath holden the waters in his fist? Who hath measured heauen with his spanne, and hath comprehended all the earth of ye worlde in thre fyngers? Who hath weyed the mountaynes and hilles?
(Who hath/has held the waters in his fist? Who hath/has measured heaven with his spanne, and hath/has comprehended all the earth of ye/you_all world in three fingers? Who hath/has weighed the mountains and hills?)

Wycl Who mat watris in a fist, and peiside heuenes with a spanne? Who peiside the heuynesse of the erthe with thre fyngris, and weide mounteyns in a weihe, and litle hillis in a balaunce?
(Who mat waters in a fist, and peiside heavens with a spanne? Who peiside the heaviness of the earth with three fingers, and weide mountains in a weihe, and little hills in a balance?)

Luth Wer misset die Wasser mit der Faust und fasset den Himmel mit der Spanne und begreift die Erde mit einem Dreiling und wieget die Berge mit einem Gewicht und die Hügel mit einer Waage?
(Who measures the water with the/of_the Faust and summarises the heaven with the/of_the Spanne and understands the earth/land/ground with on triplet and weighs the mountains/hills with on Gewicht and the hill with one/a scale?)

ClVg Quis mensus est pugillo aquas, et cælos palmo ponderavit? quis appendit tribus digitis molem terræ, et liberavit in pondere montes, et colles in statera?[fn]
(Who measured it_is fist waters, and the_skies/heavens palmo weightsvit? who/any I_was_attachedt tribe with_fingers molem of_the_earth/land, and delivered in/into/on by_weight mountains, and the_hills in/into/on balance(n)/scales?)

40.12 Quis mensus est? ID. Ne de vocatione gentium dubitetur, magnitudo vocantis describitur. Pugillo. Pugillus, contractis digitis pugnus, palmus a pollice usque ad minimum digitum extenta manus, ut per palmum et pugillum cœlos extentos et globum terræ noverimus.

40.12 Who measured it_is? ID. Don't from/about callingne nations dubitetur, size/magnitude calling described. Pugillo. Pugillus, contractis with_fingers pugnus, palmus from pollice until to minimum finger stretched hands, as through palmum and handful heavens stretched_outs and globum of_the_earth/land we_know.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

מִֽי מָדַ֨ד בְּ⁠שָׁעֳל֜⁠וֹ מַ֗יִם וְ⁠שָׁמַ֨יִם֙ בַּ⁠זֶּ֣רֶת תִּכֵּ֔ן וְ⁠כָ֥ל בַּ⁠שָּׁלִ֖שׁ עֲפַ֣ר הָ⁠אָ֑רֶץ וְ⁠שָׁקַ֤ל בַּ⁠פֶּ֨לֶס֙ הָרִ֔ים וּ⁠גְבָע֖וֹת בְּ⁠מֹאזְנָֽיִם

who? measured in,the_hollow_of,of_his_hand waters and_[the],heavens with,span marked_off and=all in_(the),a_measure dust_of the=earth/land and,has_he_weighed? with,scale[s] mountains and,hills with,balances

Isaiah is using the question form to emphasize that no human being could do these things that Yahweh alone, the all-powerful Creator, can do. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for that purpose, you could translate this as a statement or as an exclamation. Alternate translation: [Surely no one has measured the waters in his palm or measured the heavens with a span or held the dust of the earth in a triple or weighed the mountains in a scale or the hills in a balance!]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

מַ֗יִם

waters

By the waters, Isaiah means all the waters on the earth. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [all the waters on the earth]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

בְּ⁠שָׁעֳל֜⁠וֹ

in,the_hollow_of,of_his_hand

Here, his palm represents the small amount that a person can hold or measure in his hand. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [in his cupped hand]

Note 4 topic: translate-unknown

בַּ⁠שָּׁלִ֖שׁ

in_(the),a_measure

A triple is a a Hebrew unit of dry measurement for grain or flour which literally means “a third.” If your readers would not be familiar with what a triple is, you could use the name of a similar thing that your readers would recognize, or you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: [a measuring bowl] or [a cup]

Parallel ISA 40:12