The LORD made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.
Parallel translations
- WEB “He has made the earth by his power. He has established the world by his wisdom. By his understanding he has stretched out the heavens.
- KJV He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding.
- NKJV He has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, And stretched out the heaven by His understanding.
- NASB ¶It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom, And by His understanding He stretched out the heavens.
- NLT The Lord made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens.
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
God made the earth by His power, established the world by His wisdom, and stretched out the heavens by His understanding. The Creator's might guarantees His power to judge Babylon.
Overview
This hymn of creation (repeated from 10:12) is set against Babylon's idols to magnify the true God. The God who formed and governs the cosmos is more than able to topple any empire and expose every false god. Recognizing the Creator's supremacy leads to worship and trust, ultimately in the One through whom all things were made, Jesus Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 26
- Jer 10:12–16The LORD made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.
- Rev 4:11“Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things; by Your will they exist and came to be.”
- Jer 32:17“Oh, Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!
- Col 1:16–17For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.
- Rom 1:20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.
- Acts 14:15“Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.
- Job 9:8He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
- Ps 148:1–5Hallelujah! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise Him in the highest places.
- Prov 3:19The LORD founded the earth by wisdom and established the heavens by understanding.
- Isa 42:5This is what God the LORD says—He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and life to those who walk in it:
- Ps 104:2He wraps Himself in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent,
- Ps 136:5By His insight He made the heavens. His loving devotion endures forever.
- Isa 40:22He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
- Ps 146:5–6Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,
- Isa 40:26Lift up your eyes on high: Who created all these? He leads forth the starry host by number; He calls each one by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
- Rom 11:33O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!
- Heb 1:2–3But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.
- Gen 1:1–6In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
- Isa 45:12It is I who made the earth and created man upon it. It was My hands that stretched out the heavens, and I ordained all their host.
- Jer 51:15–19The LORD made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.
- Acts 17:24The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands.
- Isa 48:13Surely My own hand founded the earth, and My right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they stand up together.
- Ps 107:25For He spoke and raised a tempest that lifted the waves of the sea.
- Ps 104:24How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.
- Isa 44:24Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who by Myself spread out the earth,
- Isa 51:13But you have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. You live in terror all day long because of the fury of the oppressor who is bent on destruction. But where is the fury of the oppressor?
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Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 51:15 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.