The Meaning of Isaiah 40:22 Explained

Isaiah 40:22

KJV: 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:

YLT: 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.

Darby: 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 gauze curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;

ASV: 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;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[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: 

What does Isaiah 40:22 Mean?

Study Notes

circle
A remarkable reference to the sphericity of the earth. See, also, Isaiah 42:5 ; Isaiah 44:24 ; Isaiah 51:13 ; Job 9:8 ; Psalms 104:2 ; Jeremiah 10:12 .

Verse Meaning

The same God who created the world presides over its affairs. He creates history as well as the material universe. The "vault" or "circle" of the earth probably refers to the heavens above as people perceive them (cf. Job 22:14) or, perhaps, to the horizon (cf. Job 26:10; Proverbs 8:27). Isaiah was not revealing that the earth is round. God sits above them both. He is so great that people are as small as grasshoppers in comparison. The whole of the universe, the heavens and the earth, are as a tent to Him because He is so immense.

Context Summary

Isaiah 40:18-31 - The Everlasting God The Giver Of Strength
Day changes to night, and as the twilight deepens, the stars come out in their myriads, Isaiah 40:26. To the poetic eye of the watcher, they appear as a vast flock following the shepherd, who calls each by its name. Not one falls out of its place, or is lacking. Will Jehovah do so much for stars and nought for men? Will He not have a name for each? Will He not guard and guide each? If He has sustained the orbs of light in their mighty rounds, will He fail the poor soul that clings to His feet?
They that wait on God change their strength. In their earliest days they rely on the energy and vigor of youth, on their blameless, unstained character, in the consciousness of their glorious manhood; but as years pass, they come to count all these as refuse in comparison with Jesus Christ the Lord, Philippians 3:8. Notice the order in Isaiah 40:31! At first sight we should have expected that it would advance from walking to running, and so to flying. But that order is reversed. It is more difficult to walk than to mount! Every cyclist will tell you that the hardest task is to keep your cycle at walking pace. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Isaiah 40:22 mean?

[it is] He who sits above the circle of the earth and its inhabitants [are] like grasshoppers who stretches out like a curtain the heavens and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in
הַיֹּשֵׁב֙ עַל־ ח֣וּג הָאָ֔רֶץ וְיֹשְׁבֶ֖יהָ כַּחֲגָבִ֑ים הַנּוֹטֶ֤ה כַדֹּק֙ שָׁמַ֔יִם וַיִּמְתָּחֵ֥ם כָּאֹ֖הֶל לָשָֽׁבֶת

הַיֹּשֵׁב֙  [it  is]  He  who  sits 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
עַל־  above 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
ח֣וּג  the  circle 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חוּג  
Sense: circle, circuit, compass.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  of  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וְיֹשְׁבֶ֖יהָ  and  its  inhabitants  [are] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
כַּחֲגָבִ֑ים  like  grasshoppers 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: חָגָב  
Sense: locust, grasshopper.
הַנּוֹטֶ֤ה  who  stretches  out 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
כַדֹּק֙  like  a  curtain 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֹּק  
Sense: veil, curtain.
שָׁמַ֔יִם  the  heavens 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וַיִּמְתָּחֵ֥ם  and  spreads  them  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: מָתַח  
Sense: (Qal) to spread out.
כָּאֹ֖הֶל  like  a  tent 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.
לָשָֽׁבֶת  to  dwell  in 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.