Job 38
38
God Speaks Now to Job
1Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,
2“Who is this that darkens counsel [questioning my authority and wisdom]
By words without knowledge? [Job 35:16]
3“Now #38:3 A phrase often found in the Bible that is an urgent call to get ready for immediate action, or it may be a call to prepare for a coming action or event. The phrase is related to the type of clothing worn in ancient times. To keep from impeding the wearer during any vigorous activity, e.g. battle, exercise, strenuous work, etc., the loose ends of garments (tunics, cloaks, mantles, etc.) had to be gathered up and tucked into the girdle. The girdle was a band about six inches wide that had fasteners in front. It was worn around the loins (the midsection of the body between the lower ribs and the hips). Gird up your mind or gird up your heart are examples of variants of this phrase and call for mental or spiritual preparation for a coming challenge.gird up your loins like a man,
And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!
4“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know and have understanding.
5“Who determined the measurements [of the earth], if you know?
Or who stretched the [measuring] line on it?
6“On what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7When the morning stars sang together
And all the sons of God (angels) shouted for joy?
8¶“Or who enclosed the sea with doors
When it burst forth and went out of the womb;
9When I made the clouds its garment
And thick darkness its swaddling band,
10And marked for it My [appointed] boundary
And set bars and doors [defining the shorelines], [Jer 5:22]
11And said, ‘This far you shall come, but no farther;
And here your proud waves shall stop’? [Ps 89:9; 93:4]
God’s Mighty Power
12¶“Since your days began, have you ever commanded the morning,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
13So that light may take hold of the corners of the earth
And shake the wickedness out of it?
14“The earth is changed like clay into which a seal is pressed;
And the things [of the earth] stand out like a [multi-colored] garment.
15“Their light is withheld from the wicked,
And the uplifted arm is broken.
16¶“Have you entered and explored the springs of the sea
Or [have you] walked in the recesses of the deep?
17“Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
Or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?
18“Have you understood the expanse of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.
19¶“Where is the #38:19 Light travels on a path or “way” through empty space at 299,792,458 meters per second (approximately 186,282 miles per second).way where light dwells?
And as for darkness, where is its place,
20That you may take it to its territory
And that you may know the paths to its house?
21“You [must] know, since you were born then,
And #38:21 Lit the number of your days is great.because you are so extremely old!
22“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,
Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
23Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of battle and war? [Ex 9:18; Josh 10:11; Is 30:30; Rev 16:21]
24“Where is the way that the light is distributed,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?
25¶“Who has prepared a channel for the torrents of rain and for the flood,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
26To bring rain on the uninhabited land,
And on the desert where no man lives,
27To satisfy the barren and desolate ground
And to make the seeds of grass to sprout?
28“Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29“Out of whose womb has come the ice?
And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?
30“Water becomes like stone [and hides itself],
And the surface of the deep is frozen and imprisoned.
31¶“Can you bind the chains of [the cluster of stars called] Pleiades,
Or loose the cords of [the constellation] Orion?
32“Can you lead forth a #38:32 Heb Mazzaroth.constellation in its season,
And guide [the stars of] the Bear with her #38:32 Or satellites.sons?
33“Do you know the ordinances of the heavens,
Or [can you] establish their rule over the earth?
34¶“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
So that an abundance of water will cover you?
35“Can you send forth lightnings that they may go
And say to you, ‘Here we are’?
36“Who has put wisdom in the innermost being [of man, or in the layers of clouds]
Or given understanding to the mind [of man, or to the heavenly display]?
37“Who can count the clouds by [earthly] wisdom,
Or pour out the water jars of the heavens,
38When the dust hardens into a mass
And the clods stick together [because of the heat]?
39¶“Can you [Job] hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions
40When they crouch in their dens
And lie in wait in their lair?
41“Who provides prey for the raven
When its young cry to God
And wander about without food?
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Job 38
38
1Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind,#38:1. “Whirlwind,” or “storm.” 2“Who is this who questions my wisdom by talking so ignorantly? 3Prepare yourself, be strong,#38:3. Literally, “like a man.” for I am going to question you, and you must answer me. 4Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have such knowledge! 5Who decided its dimensions? Don't you know? Who stretched out a measuring line? 6What do its foundations rest upon? Who laid its cornerstone, 7when the stars of the morning sang together and all the angels#38:7. Literally, “sons of God” as in 1:6. The parallel there of “the stars of the morning” would similarly apply to heavenly beings. shouted for joy.
8Who laid down the boundaries of the sea when it was born?#38:8. Literally, “who shut in the sea with doors when it burst forth from the womb.” 9Who clothed it with clouds, and wrapped it in a blanket of deep darkness? 10I set its limits, marking its borders.#38:10. Literally, “I set bars and doors.” 11I said, ‘You may come here, but no farther. Here is where your proud waves stop.’
12During your lifetime, have you ever ordered the morning to begin? 13Have you ever told the dawn where to appear that it might take hold of the corners of the earth and shake the wicked out?#38:13. This poetic image is meant to convey the idea that when daylight comes the wicked cease their evil. 14The earth is changed like clay under a seal;#38:14. Like a seal impressing an image on a smooth piece of clay. its features stand out like a crumpled garment. 15The ‘light’#38:15. Of course the wicked's “light” is the reverse—darkness. of the wicked is taken away from them; their acts of violence are stopped.
16Have you entered the sources of the sea? Have you explored their hidden depths? 17Have you been shown where the gates of death are? Have you seen the gates of utter darkness? 18Do you know how far the earth extends? Tell me if you know all this! 19In which direction does light live? Where does darkness dwell? 20Can you take them home? Do you know the way to where they live? 21Of course you know, because you were already born then! You've lived so long!
22Have you been to where the snow is kept? Have you seen where the hail is held? 23I have stored them up for the time of trouble, for the day of war and battle.#38:23. Hail is often associated with God's involvement in battle: Joshua 10:11; Exodus 9:22; Isaiah 28:17; Ezekiel 13:13. 24Do you know the way to where light comes from, or to where the east wind blows over the earth? 25Who cuts a channel for the rain to flow? Who creates a path for the thunderbolt?
26Who brings rain to an uninhabited land, to a desert where nobody lives, 27to water a parched wasteland to make the green grass grow? 28Does the rain have a father? Who was the father of the dewdrops? 29Who was the mother of ice? Does the frost of the air have a mother? 30Water turns into rock-hard ice; its surface freezes solid. 31Can you tie together the stars of the Pleiades? Can you loosen the belt of the Orion constellation?#38:31. God is speaking figuratively regarding the stars in these constellations, previously mentioned in 9:9. 32Can you guide the stars of Mazzaroth#38:32. A star grouping whose name is not known. It may refer to the 12 constellations of the Zodiac. at the right time? Can you direct the Great Bear constellation and its other stars? 33Do you know the laws of the heavens?#38:33. In the context, God is referring particularly to the laws governing heavenly bodies. Can you apply them to the earth?
34Can you shout to the clouds and command them to pour rain down on you? 35Can you send out bolts of lightning and direct them, so that they can answer you saying, ‘Here we are’? 36Who has placed wisdom inside people? Who has given understanding to the mind?#38:36. The interpretation of this verse is unclear and many possible translations have been suggested. 37Who is clever enough to count the clouds? Who can turn heaven's water jars on their sides 38when the dust has baked into a solid mass?#38:38. In other words, who can cause the rain to fall when the earth is parched?
39Can you hunt prey for the lion? Can you feed the lion cubs 40as they crouch down in their dens and lie in wait in the bushes? 41Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God, weak from starvation?”
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com