Isaiah 40:22
New International Version
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

New Living Translation
God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him! He spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them.

English Standard Version
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;

Berean Standard Bible
He 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.

King James Bible
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

New King James Version
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

New American Standard Bible
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to live in.

NASB 1995
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

NASB 1977
It is He who sits above the vault of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

Legacy Standard Bible
It is He who inhabits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; It is He who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to inhabit.

Amplified Bible
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; [It is He] who stretches out the heavens like a veil And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

Christian Standard Bible
God is enthroned above the circle of the earth; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like thin cloth and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
God is enthroned above the circle of the earth; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like thin cloth and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

American Standard Version
It is he that sitteth above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And him who sits on the sphere of The Earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretched out the Heavens like a vaulted bowl, and stretched them out as a tent for a dwelling

Brenton Septuagint Translation
It is he that comprehends the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants in it are as grasshoppers; he that set up the heaven as a chamber, and stretched it out as a tent to dwell in:

Contemporary English Version
God is the one who rules the whole earth, and we that live here are merely insects. He spread out the heavens like a curtain or an open tent.

Douay-Rheims Bible
It is he that sitteth upon the globe of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as locusts: he that stretcheth out the heavens as nothing, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.

English Revised Version
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
God is enthroned above the earth, and those who live on it are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the sky like a canopy and spreads it out like a tent to live in.

Good News Translation
It was made by the one who sits on his throne above the earth and beyond the sky; the people below look as tiny as ants. He stretched out the sky like a curtain, like a tent in which to live.

International Standard Version
He's the one who sits above the disk of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He's the one who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in,

JPS Tanakh 1917
It is He that sitteth above the circle of the earth, And the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; That stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, And spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;

Literal Standard Version
He who is sitting on the circle of the earth, | And its inhabitants [are] as grasshoppers, | He who is stretching out the heavens as a thin thing, | And spreads them as a tent to dwell in.

Majority Standard Bible
He 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.

New American Bible
The one who is enthroned above the vault of the earth, its inhabitants like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a veil and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in,

NET Bible
He is the one who sits on the earth's horizon; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him. He is the one who stretches out the sky like a thin curtain, and spreads it out like a pitched tent.

New Revised Standard Version
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in;

New Heart English Bible
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in;

Webster's Bible Translation
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

World English Bible
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in,

Young's Literal Translation
He who is sitting on the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are as grasshoppers, He who is stretching out as a thin thing the heavens, And spreadeth them as a tent to dwell in.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Here is Your God!
21Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the foundation of the earth? 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. 23He brings the princes to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth meaningless.…

Cross References
Genesis 1:6
And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters, to separate the waters from the waters."

Numbers 13:33
We even saw the Nephilim there--the descendants of Anak that come from the Nephilim! We seemed like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we must have seemed the same to them!"

Job 9:8
He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

Job 22:14
Thick clouds veil Him so He does not see us as He traverses the vault of heaven.'

Job 36:29
Furthermore, who can understand how the clouds spread out, how the thunder roars from His pavilion?

Psalm 18:11
He made darkness His hiding place, and storm clouds a canopy around Him.

Psalm 19:4
their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun.


Treasury of Scripture

It is he that sits on the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretches out the heavens as a curtain, and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in:

it is he that sitteth.

Isaiah 19:1
The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.

Isaiah 66:1
Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

Psalm 2:4
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

the inhabitants

Isaiah 40:15,17
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing…

Numbers 13:33
And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

stretcheth

Isaiah 42:5
Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

Isaiah 44:24
Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

Isaiah 51:13
And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?

as a curtain.

Jump to Previous
Arch Canopy Circle Curtain Dwell Earth Enthroned Gauze Grasshoppers Heavens Inhabitants Live Ready Seated Sits Sitteth Sitting Small Spreadeth Spreads Stretched Stretches Stretcheth Stretching Tent Thereof Thin
Jump to Next
Arch Canopy Circle Curtain Dwell Earth Enthroned Gauze Grasshoppers Heavens Inhabitants Live Ready Seated Sits Sitteth Sitting Small Spreadeth Spreads Stretched Stretches Stretcheth Stretching Tent Thereof Thin
Isaiah 40
1. The promulgation of the Gospel
3. The preaching of John Baptist foretold
9. The preaching of the apostles foretold
12. The prophet, by the omnipotence of God
18. And his incomparableness
26. Comforts the people.














(22) The circle of the earth--i.e., the vault of heaven over-arching the earth (Job 22:14; Proverbs 8:27).

As grasshoppers.--The word indicates some insect of the locust tribe. The comparison may have been suggested by Numbers 13:33.

That stretcheth out the heavens.--A favourite phrase of 2 Isaiah (Isaiah 42:5, Isaiah 44:24, et al.), taken probably from Psalm 104:2. . . .

Verse 22. - It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth; rather, above the vault of the earth; above the vault of sky which seems to arch over the earth. As grasshoppers; i.e. minute, scarcely visible (comp. Numbers 13:33). That stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain. So in Psalm 104:2, only that here the "curtain" is represented as one of thin gauze. The idea is common to Isaiah with Job (Job 9:8), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 10:12; Jeremiah 51:15), and Zechariah (Zechariah 12:1), and is a favourite one in these later chapters (comp. Isaiah 42:5; Isaiah 44:24; Isaiah 45:12; Isaiah 51:13). As a tent (comp. Psalm 19:4, where God is said to have set in the heavens a "tabernacle" - 'ohel, the word used here - for the sun).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He sits enthroned
הַיֹּשֵׁב֙ (hay·yō·šêḇ)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

above
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the circle
ח֣וּג (ḥūḡ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2329: Vault, horizon

of the earth;
הָאָ֔רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

its dwellers
וְיֹשְׁבֶ֖יהָ (wə·yō·šə·ḇe·hā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

are like grasshoppers.
כַּחֲגָבִ֑ים (ka·ḥă·ḡā·ḇîm)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2284: Locust, grasshopper

He stretches out
הַנּוֹטֶ֤ה (han·nō·w·ṭeh)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

the heavens
שָׁמַ֔יִם (šā·ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

like a curtain,
כַדֹּק֙ (ḵad·dōq)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1852: Something crumbling, fine

and spreads them out
וַיִּמְתָּחֵ֥ם (way·yim·tā·ḥêm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4969: To stretch out

like a tent
כָּאֹ֖הֶל (kā·’ō·hel)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 168: A tent

to live in.
לָשָֽׁבֶת׃ (lā·šā·ḇeṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 40:22 It is he who sits above (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 40:21
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