Isaiah 40:12 (WEB)
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?
Fathers and councils · 21
Gregory of Nyssa
“…cause He holdeth the ends of the earth in His hand, for this cause He “meteth out leaven with the span, and measureth the waters in the hollow of His hand”; for this cause He comprehendeth in Himself all the intelligible creation, that all things may remain in existence controlled by His encompassing power.” — editor's note: Cf. Is. xl. 12 and 24. The quotation is not verbally from the LXX.
Read the whole comment“…in Whom are all things, Who sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and hath meted out heaven with the span, Who measureth the water in the hollow of his hand, Who holdeth in His hand all things that are, Who dwelleth on high and looketh upon the things that are lowly, or rather did look upon them to make all the…” — editor's note: Cf. Isa. xl. 12–22.
Read the whole comment“The heavens are telling the glory of God, and yet they are counted poor heralds of His worth; because His Majesty is exalted, not as far as the heavens, but high above those heavens, which are themselves included within a small fraction of the Deity called figuratively His “span.”” — editor's note: Is. xl. 12. Τίς ἐμέtrjse…τὸν οὐρανὸν σπιθαμῇ.
Read the whole comment
Irenaeus of Lyons
“…on account of their so great impiety,—affirming that He, who has made His angels spirits, and is clothed with light as with a garment, and holds the circle of the earth, as it were, in His hand, in whose sight its inhabitants are counted as grasshoppers, and who is the Creator and Lord of all spiritual substance,…” — editor's note: Isa. xl. 12, 22.
Read the whole comment“Ye have heard “that the heavens are meted out in the palm of [His] hand:” tell me the measure, and recount the endless multitude of cubits, explain to me the fulness, the breadth, the length, the height, the beginning and end of the…” — editor's note: Isa. xl. 12.
Read the whole comment
Tertullian
““For,” says He, “the heavens are the works of Thine hands,” wherewith “He hath meted out the heaven, and the earth with a span.”” — editor's note: Isa. xl. 12 and xlviii. 13.
Read the whole comment
Cyril of Jerusalem
“This Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is not circumscribed in any place, nor is He less than the heaven; but the heavens are the works of His fingers, and the whole earth is held in His grasp: He is in all things and around all.” — editor's note: Is. xl. 12.
Read the whole comment“For God with unspeakable loving-kindness deigned to be called the Father of men,—He in heaven, they on earth,—and He the Maker of Eternity, they made in time,—He who holdeth the earth in the hollow of His hand, they upon the earth as grasshoppers.” — editor's note: Is. xl. 12 and 22.
Read the whole comment“To thee, poor little feeble man, India is far from the land of the Goths, and Spain from Persia; but to God, who holds the whole earth in the hollow of His hand, all things are near at hand.” — editor's note: Is. xl. 12.
Read the whole comment
Justin Martyr
“But Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts sufficient for a burnt-offering; and all the nations are considered nothing, and for nothing.’ ”” — editor's note: Isa. xl. 1–17.
Read the whole comment
Clement of Alexandria
“And again by Isaiah, “Who shall measure heaven with a span, and the whole earth with his hand?”” — editor's note: Isa. xl. 12.
Read the whole comment
Ambrose of Milan
“Who was His helper, when He made the heavens,—Who, when He laid the foundations of the world?” — editor's note: Job xxxviii. 4–6; Isa. xl. 12–17.
Read the whole comment“Who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been His counsellor?”” — editor's note: Isa. xl. 12.
Read the whole comment
Jerome
“He who shuts up the world in His fist is contained in the narrow limits of a manger.” — editor's note: Cp. Ps. xcv. 4, 5; Isa. xl. 12.
Read the whole comment“Man is formed out of clay and God holds the mystic waters in the hollow of his hand.” — editor's note: Query a reference to Isa. xl. 12: the Latin is obscure.
Read the whole comment
Ephrem the Syrian
“In the eleventh year, let the great sea praise the fists of the Son that measured it, and it was astonished and saw that He came down, was baptized in a small water, and cleansed the creatures.” — editor's note: Is. xl. 12.
Read the whole comment
Basil the Great
“Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him?”” — editor's note: Is. xl. 12, 13.
Read the whole comment
Hilary of Poitiers
“…we hear again an utterance worthy of Himself issuing from the eternal and Holy God, Who says, Who holdeth the heaven in His palm and the earth in His hand, and again, The heaven is My throne and the earth is the footstool of My feet.” — editor's note: Isai. xl. 12.
Read the whole comment
Gregory of Nazianzus
“Who hath weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?” — editor's note: Isai. xl. 12.
Read the whole comment
Augustine of Hippo
“But hast thou not read these words as well, “Who has meted out the heaven with the palm of His hand?”” — editor's note: Isa. xl. 12.
Read the whole comment
John Cassian
- John Cassian, The Institutes VIII.3Book VIII
“And He stands and sits, since He says, “Heaven is my seat, and earth the footstool for my feet:” though He “measure out the heaven with his hand, and holdeth the earth in his fist.”” — editor's note: Isa. xl. 12.
Read the whole comment
Cross-references · 16
Cited together in Against Hermogenes Chapter 45.
Cited together in Against Heresies IV.19.
Cited together in Against Hermogenes Chapter 45.
Cited together in Against Heresies II.30.
Cited together in Against Hermogenes Chapter 45.
Cited together in Against Heresies II.30.
Cited together in Against Heresies II.30.
Cited together in Against Heresies II.30.
Cited together in Against Heresies IV.19.
Cited together in Against Heresies II.30.
Cited together in The Institutes VIII.3.
Cited together in The Institutes VIII.3.
Cited together in Against Heresies II.30.
Cited together in Against Heresies II.30.
Cited together in Against Hermogenes Chapter 45.
Cited together in Against Hermogenes Chapter 45.