Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
Parallel translations
- WEB Who has directed Yahweh’s Spirit, or has taught him as his counselor?
- BSB Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or informed Him as His counselor?
- ESV Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel?
- NKJV Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, Or as His counselor has taught Him?
- NASB Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, Or as His counselor has informed Him?
- NLT Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
No one has ever directed God's Spirit or instructed Him, for He needs no counselor.
Overview
God's wisdom is utterly self-sufficient and unteachable by any creature. He neither receives nor requires guidance from outside Himself. Paul cites this verse twice (Romans 11:34; 1 Corinthians 2:16) to extol the unsearchable depth of God's wisdom and to assert that believers, by the Spirit, have the mind of Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 1 Cor 2:16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
- Rom 11:34For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
- Job 21:22Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.
- Job 36:22–23Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?
- Luke 10:22All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
- Eph 1:11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
- John 1:13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 40:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.