Isaiah 66:1–2
"The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool": Stephen and the Sermon on the Mount
"Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me?… but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." The question may oppose temple-building, or only the idea that a temple could contain God (compare 1 Kings 8:27). Stephen quotes it in his speech before the council (Acts 7:49–50); in Matthew 5:34–35 Jesus forbids oaths "by heaven; for it is God's throne… by the earth; for it is his footstool."
Stable text: no manuscript differences in meaning
The family tree
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✓ contains this verse · ▢ pages lost · – no copy survives
- Same line, through lost copies
- Translation
- Uncertain connection
- The oracle as first spoken or written8th–6th century BC (by section; debated)
- Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a), Qumran Cave 1c. 125 BC (palaeography; reported)Descends, through lost copies, from The oracle as first spoken or written
- 1QIsa-b (1Q8), Qumran Cave 11st century BC – 1st century AD (reported)Descends, through lost copies, from The oracle as first spoken or written
- Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)AD 1008Descends, through lost copies, from The oracle as first spoken or written
- Acts 7:49–50 (Greek New Testament; library: Statistical Restoration text)1st century AD; edition 2010sUncertain relationship to the verse (which wording it followed is the question)
- Matthew 5:34–35 (Greek New Testament; library: Statistical Restoration text)1st century AD; edition 2010sUncertain relationship to the verse (which wording it followed is the question)
Every witness, in order
8th–6th century BC (by section; debated)
The oracle as first spoken or written
No original survives. The oldest copies of Isaiah are the Qumran scrolls: the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a, about 125 BC, nearly complete), 1QIsa-b (1Q8) and some twenty other fragmentary manuscripts.
c. 125 BC (palaeography; reported)
Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a), Qumran Cave 1
How the site knows this: Described from a published transcription of the manuscript. Described in the site's own words from Martin Abegg's transcription (ETCBC/CACCHT Dead Sea Scrolls dataset v2.0.5); the transcription itself is not reproduced. Photographs and DJD XXXII not yet checked.
Hebrew numbering: Isaiah 66:1–2. As the Masoretic Text in substance; in v. 2 "the poor and the broken of spirit, and the one who trembles at my word" with slightly different forms. Otherwise the differences are of spelling (fuller use of vowel letters) and small grammatical forms.
1st century BC – 1st century AD (reported)
1QIsa-b (1Q8), Qumran Cave 1
How the site knows this: Described from a published transcription of the manuscript. Described in the site's own words from Martin Abegg's transcription (ETCBC/CACCHT Dead Sea Scrolls dataset v2.0.5); the transcription itself is not reproduced. Photographs and DJD XXXII not yet checked.
Hebrew numbering: Isaiah 66:1–2. As the Masoretic Text; in v. 2 "trembles at (el) my word" with a different preposition.
1st century AD; edition 2010s
Acts 7:49–50 (Greek New Testament; library: Statistical Restoration text)
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: the Greek New Testament editions in the library (Textus Receptus, Byzantine Textform, Statistical Restoration).
‘Ὁ οὐρανός μοι θρόνος, ἡ δὲ γῆ ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν μου. Ποῖον οἶκον οἰκοδομήσετέ μοι; Λέγει ˚Κύριος, ἢ τίς τόπος τῆς καταπαύσεώς μου; Οὐχὶ ἡ χείρ μου ἐποίησεν ταῦτα πάντα;’
Heaven is my throne, and the earth is the footstool of my feet. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?
Stephen's speech (Luke's report), against the claim that God dwells in houses made with hands (7:48). KJV: "Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all these things?"
1st century AD; edition 2010s
Matthew 5:34–35 (Greek New Testament; library: Statistical Restoration text)
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: the Greek New Testament editions in the library (Textus Receptus, Byzantine Textform, Statistical Restoration).
Ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν μὴ ὀμόσαι ὅλως· μήτε ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ὅτι θρόνος ἐστὶν τοῦ ˚Θεοῦ· μήτε ἐν τῇ γῇ, ὅτι ὑποπόδιόν ἐστιν τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ· μήτε εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, ὅτι πόλις ἐστὶν τοῦ μεγάλου Βασιλέως·
But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God, nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet
Matthew's report of Jesus' words. Allusion, not a quotation. Words attributed to Jesus. KJV: "But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King."
Jerome c. AD 400, from Hebrew; edition 1592
Latin Vulgate (Clementine)
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Clementine Vulgate (1592 edition).
Hæc dicit Dominus: Cælum sedes mea, terra autem scabellum pedum meorum. Quæ est ista domus quam ædificabitis mihi? et quis est iste locus quietis meæ? Omnia hæc manus mea fecit, et facta sunt universa ista, dicit Dominus; ad quem autem respiciam, nisi ad pauperculum, et contritum spiritu, et trementem sermones meos?
Latin numbering: Isaiah 66:1–2. Jerome translated Isaiah from Hebrew (c. AD 400).
AD 1008
Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, a digital transcription of the Leningrad Codex.
כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם כִּסְאִ֔י וְהָאָ֖רֶץ הֲדֹ֣ם רַגְלָ֑י אֵי־זֶ֥ה בַ֙יִת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּבְנוּ־לִ֔י וְאֵי־זֶ֥ה מָק֖וֹם מְנוּחָתִֽי׃ וְאֶת־כָּל־אֵ֙לֶּה֙ יָדִ֣י עָשָׂ֔תָה וַיִּהְי֥וּ כָל־אֵ֖לֶּה נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וְאֶל־זֶ֣ה אַבִּ֔יט אֶל־עָנִי֙ וּנְכֵה־ר֔וּחַ וְחָרֵ֖ד עַל־דְּבָרִֽי׃
Thus says the LORD: Heaven is my throne and the earth my footstool; where is the house you would build for me, and where the place of my rest? (v. 1)
Hebrew numbering: Isaiah 66:1–2.
1611
King James Bible
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: King James Version (1769 text).
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? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
Greek translation c. 2nd century BC; French 1872
Greek Isaiah (library: Giguet's French)
How the site knows this: Known here only through a translation.
Voici ce que dit le Seigneur: Le ciel est mon trône, et la terre l’escabeau de mes pieds. Quelle maison me bâtirez-vous? Et quel sera le lieu où je résiderai? Car ma main à tout fait, et tout est à moi, dit le Seigneur. Et sur qui jetterai-je mes regards, sinon sur l’humble et le doux, sur l’homme qui tremble à ma parole?
Greek (digital file) numbering: Isaiah 66:1–2. Giguet's 1872 French of a printed Greek text (D check only); a C check needs Ziegler's Göttingen Isaiah or Rahlfs–Hanhart.
What changed, and why
Classification: stable text; later quotation in Acts 7 (Greek) and allusion in Matthew 5.
Its setting is debated: the rebuilding of the temple about 520–515 BC (Haggai 1), a dispute between groups in Jerusalem, or a general statement of God's transcendence. The text does not say.
"Trembles at my word" (charedim, v. 2, 5) gave the name Haredim, "tremblers," to ultra-Orthodox Jews (reported); in Ezra 9:4; 10:3 the tremblers are those who support Ezra's reforms.
What the evidence shows
- Acts 7:49–50 quotes Isaiah 66:1–2.
- Matthew 5:34–35 alludes to Isaiah 66:1.
- Isaiah 66:1 rejects building the Second Temple.
Sources
Related lessons
- Isaiah 66: Heaven Is My Throne →"The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me?… but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word" (66:1–2). Sacrifice without obedience is as murder and idolatry (vv. 3–4). "Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake" will be ashamed (v. 5). Zion gives birth before her pains come: "shall a nation be born at once?" (vv. 6–9). "Rejoice ye with Jerusalem… As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you" (vv. 10–14). The LORD comes with fire and sword; those who purify themselves in gardens and eat swine's flesh and the mouse will be consumed (vv. 15–17). God will gather all nations and tongues, send survivors to Tarshish, Pul, Lud, Tubal, Javan and the distant isles, who will bring Israel's brothers as an offering; "I will also take of them for priests and for Levites" (vv. 18–21). As the new heavens and new earth remain, so will your seed; "from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me" (vv. 22–23). "And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh" (v. 24).