Isaiah 66:1

This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me? Or where will My place of repose be?

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Yahweh addresses a community considering the construction of a temple, declaring that heaven functions as His throne and earth as His footstool. He immediately questions where they could possibly build a house or find a place of rest for Him.

The words — The Hebrew כִּסְאִי (kis'i) translates literally as "my throne," while הֲדֹם רַגְלָי (ha-dom raglai) means "the footstool of my feet." These terms establish a spatial metaphor that places divine sovereignty above human architectural efforts.

The thread — Acts 7:48 and Acts 17:24 both affirm that the Most High does not dwell in structures made by human hands. Matthew 5:34 also invokes the heaven-as-throne imagery to ground ethical instruction in divine authority.

Why it lands — The text states that God's presence cannot be contained or earned through physical buildings. It requires readers to direct their reverence toward obedience and humility rather than religious monuments.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

כֹּ֚הkohthus אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe says יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahweh הַשָּׁמַ֣יִםha./sha.Ma.yimthe/ heavens כִּסְאִ֔יkis.'/I[are] throne/ my וְהָאָ֖רֶץve./ha./'A.retzand/ the/ earth הֲדֹ֣םha.Dom[is] [the] footstool of רַגְלָ֑יrag.La/ifeet/ my אֵי־'ei-where?זֶ֥הzehthis בַ֙יִת֙va.yit[is the] house אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhich תִּבְנוּ־tiv.nu-you will buildלִ֔יL/ifor/ meוְאֵי־ve./'ei-and/ where?זֶ֥הzehthis מָק֖וֹםma.Kom[is the] place מְנוּחָתִֽי׃me.nu.cha.T/irest/ my

King James Version

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?

Cross-references

Acts 7:48 However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:
Acts 17:24 The 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.
Matthew 5:34 But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
1 Kings 8:27 But will God indeed dwell upon the earth? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built.
Psalms 132:7 Let us go to His dwelling place; let us worship at His footstool.
2 Samuel 7:5 “Go and tell My servant David that this is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build for Me a house to dwell in?
John 4:20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where one must worship is in Jerusalem.”
1 Chronicles 28:2 Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and as a footstool for our God. I had made preparations to build it,
2 Chronicles 6:18 But will God indeed dwell with man upon the earth? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built.
Psalms 11:4 The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men.