Logos Bible Study

Job 38:1–11

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The Lord’s First Speech33

38:1Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:1

38:2“Who is this2 who darkens counsel3

with words without knowledge?

38:3Get ready for a difficult task4 like a man;

I will question you

and you will inform me!

God’s questions to Job

38:4“Where were you

when I laid the foundation5 of the earth?

Tell me,6 if you possess understanding!

38:5Who set its measurements—if7 you know—

or who stretched a measuring line across it?

38:6On what8 were its bases9 set,

or who laid its cornerstone—

38:7when the morning stars10 sang11 in chorus,12

and all the sons of God13 shouted for joy?

38:8“Who shut up14 the sea with doors

when it burst forth,15 coming out of the womb,

38:9when I made16 the storm clouds its garment,

and thick darkness its swaddling band,17

38:10when I prescribed18 its limits,

and set19 in place its bolts and doors,

38:11when I said, ‘To here you may come20

and no farther,21

here your proud waves will be confined’?22

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Footnotes

  1. 33 This is the culmination of it all, the revelation of the Lord to Job. Most interpreters see here the style and content of the author of the book, a return to the beginning of the book. Here the Lord speaks to Job and displays his sovereign power and glory. Job has lived through the suffering—without cursing God. He has held to his integrity, and nowhere regretted it. But he was unaware of the real reason for the suffering, and will remain unaware throughout these speeches. God intervenes to resolve the spiritual issues that surfaced. Job was not punished for sin. And Job’s suffering had not cut him off from God. In the end the point is that Job cannot have the knowledge to make the assessments he made. It is wiser to bow in submission and adoration of God than to try to judge him. The first speech of God has these sections: the challenge (38:1–3), the surpassing mysteries of earth and sky beyond Job’s understanding (4–38), and the mysteries of animal and bird life that surpassed his understanding (38:39–39:30).
  2. 1 This is not the storm described by Elihu—in fact, the Lord ignores Elihu. The storm is a common accompaniment for a theophany (see Ezek 1:4; Nah 1:3; Zech 9:14).
  3. 2 The demonstrative pronoun is used here to emphasize the interrogative pronoun (see §136.c).
  4. 3 The referent of “counsel” here is not the debate between Job and the friends, but the purposes of God (see Ps 33:10; Prov 19:21; Isa 19:17). Dhorme translates it “Providence.”
  5. 4 Heb “Gird up your loins.” This idiom basically describes taking the hem of the long garment or robe and pulling it up between the legs and tucking it into the front of the belt, allowing easier and freer movement of the legs. “Girding the loins” meant the preparation for some difficult task (Jer 1:17), or for battle (Isa 5:27), or for running (1 Kgs 18:46). C. Gordon suggests that it includes belt-wrestling, a form of hand-to-hand mortal combat (“Belt-wrestling in the Bible World,” 23 [1950/51]: 136).
  6. 5 The construction is the infinitive construct in a temporal clause, using the preposition and the subjective genitive suffix.
  7. 6 The verb is the imperative; it has no object “me” in the text.
  8. 7 The particle ךּ (ki) is taken here for a conditional clause, “if you know” (see §159.dd). Others take it as “surely” with a biting irony.
  9. 8 For the interrogative serving as a genitive, see §136.b.
  10. 9 The world was conceived of as having bases and pillars, but these poetic descriptions should not be pressed too far (e.g., see Ps 24:2, which may be worded as much for its polemics against Canaanite mythology as anything).
  11. 10 The expression “morning stars” (Heb “stars of the morning”) is here placed in parallelism to the angels, “the sons of God.” It may refer to the angels under the imagery of the stars, or, as some prefer, it may poetically include all creation. There is a parallel also with the foundation of the temple which was accompanied by song (see Ezra 3:10, 11). But then the account of the building of the original tabernacle was designed to mirror creation (see M. Fishbane, Biblical Text and Texture).
  12. 11 The construction, an adverbial clause of time, uses רָנָן (ranan), which is often a ringing cry, an exultation. The parallelism with “shout for joy” shows this to be enthusiastic acclamation. The infinitive is then continued in the next colon with the vav (ו) consecutive preterite.
  13. 12 Heb “together.” This is Dhorme’s suggestion for expressing how they sang together.
  14. 14 The has “and he shut up.” The has “Who?” and so many commentaries and editions adopt this reading, if not from the , then from the sense of the sequence in the text itself.
  15. 15 The line uses two expressions, first the temporal clause with גִּיחַ (giakh, “when it burst forth”) and then the finite verb יֵצֵא (yetse’, “go out”) to mark the concomitance of the two actions.
  16. 16 The temporal clause here uses the infinitive from שִׂים (sim, “to place; to put; to make”). It underscores the sovereign placing of things.
  17. 17 This noun is found only here. The verb is in Ezek 16:4, and a related noun is in Ezek 30:21.
  18. 18 The has “and I broke,” which cannot mean “set, prescribed” or the like. The and the have such a meaning, suggesting a verb עֲשִׁית (’ashiyt, “plan, prescribe”). A. Guillaume finds an Arabic word with a meaning “measured it by span by my decree.” Would God give himself a decree? R. Gordis simply argues that the basic meaning “break” develops the connotation of “decide, determine” (2 Sam 5:24; Job 14:3; Dan 11:36).
  19. 19 Dhorme suggested reversing the two verbs, making this the first, and then “shatter” for the second colon.
  20. 20 The imperfect verb receives the permission nuance here.
  21. 21 The text has תֹסִיף (tosif, “and you may not add”), which is often used idiomatically (as in verbal hendiadys constructions).
  22. 22 The literally says, “here he will put on the pride of your waves.” The verb has no expressed subject and so is made a passive voice. But there has to be some object for the verb “put,” such as “limit” or “boundary”; the translations “confined; halted; stopped” all serve to paraphrase such an idea. The has “broken” at this point, suggesting the verse might have been confused—but “breaking the pride” of the waves would mean controlling them. Some commentators have followed this, exchanging the verb in v. 11 with this one.

Cross references

  1. 13 See Job 1:6.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

Dress for action like a man;

I will question you, and you make it known to me.

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell me, if you have understanding.

Who determined its measurements—surely you know!

Or who stretched the line upon it?

On what were its bases sunk,

or who laid its cornerstone,

when the morning stars sang together

and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

“Or who shut in the sea with doors

when it burst out from the womb,

when I made clouds its garment

and thick darkness its swaddling band,

and prescribed limits for it

and set bars and doors,

and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,

and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:

“Who is this that obscures my plans

with words without knowledge?

Brace yourself like a man;

I will question you,

and you shall answer me.

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?

Tell me, if you understand.

Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!

Who stretched a measuring line across it?

On what were its footings set,

or who laid its cornerstone—

while the morning stars sang together

and all the angels shouted for joy?

“Who shut up the sea behind doors

when it burst forth from the womb,

when I made the clouds its garment

and wrapped it in thick darkness,

when I fixed limits for it

and set its doors and bars in place,

when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;

here is where your proud waves halt’?

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind. He said:

Who is this who obscures my counsel

with ignorant words?

Get ready to answer me like a man;

when I question you, you will inform me.

Where were you when I established the earth?

Tell me, if you have understanding.

Who fixed its dimensions? Certainly you know!

Who stretched a measuring line across it?

What supports its foundations?

Or who laid its cornerstone

while the morning stars sang together

and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Who enclosed the sea behind doors

when it burst from the womb,

when I made the clouds its garment

and total darkness its blanket,

when I determined its boundaries

and put its bars and doors in place,

when I declared, “You may come this far, but no farther;

your proud waves stop here”?

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:

“Who is this that questions my wisdom

with such ignorant words?

Brace yourself like a man,

because I have some questions for you,

and you must answer them.

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?

Tell me, if you know so much.

Who determined its dimensions

and stretched out the surveying line?

What supports its foundations,

and who laid its cornerstone

as the morning stars sang together

and all the angels shouted for joy?

“Who kept the sea inside its boundaries

as it burst from the womb,

and as I clothed it with clouds

and wrapped it in thick darkness?

For I locked it behind barred gates,

limiting its shores.

I said, ‘This far and no farther will you come.

Here your proud waves must stop!’

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Then Yahweh answered Job from the storm, and he said,

“Who is this darkening counsel

by words without knowledge?

Prepare yourself for a difficult task like a man,

and I will question you, and you shall declare to me.

“Where were you at my laying the foundation of the earth?

Tell me, if you possess understanding.

Who determined its measurement? Yes, you do know.

Or who stretched the measuring line upon it?

On what were its bases sunk?

Or who laid its cornerstone,

when the morning stars were singing together

and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

“Or who shut the sea in with doors

at its bursting, when it went out of the womb,

at my making the clouds its garment

and thick darkness its swaddling band,

and I prescribed my rule for it,

and I set bars and doors,

and I said, ‘You shall come up to here, but you shall not go further,

and here it will set a boundary for your proud surging waves’?

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

Who is this that darkeneth counsel

By words without knowledge?

Gird up now thy loins like a man;

For I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?

Declare, if thou hast understanding.

Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest?

Or who hath stretched the line upon it?

Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened?

Or who laid the corner stone thereof;

When the morning stars sang together,

And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Or who shut up the sea with doors,

When it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

When I made the cloud the garment thereof,

And thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

And brake up for it my decreed place,

And set bars and doors,

And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further:

And here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

Public Domain