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Viewing the Standard King James Version (Pure Cambridge). Click to switch to 1611 King James Version of Job Chapter 38
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
9 When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
10 And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,
11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
14 It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.
15 And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.
16 Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?
17 Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18 Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.
19 Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
21 Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?
22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
24 By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?
25 Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
26 To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
27 To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
28 Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
29 Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
30 The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
31 Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
32 Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?
33 Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?
34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
35 Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?
36 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?
37 Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,
38 When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?
39 Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,
40 When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?
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Matthew Henry's Job Chapter 38 Bible commentary...
God calls upon Job to answer. (1-3) God questions Job. (4-11) Concerning the light and darkness. (12-24) Concerning other mighty works. (25-41)1-3 Job had silenced, but had not convinced his friends. Elihu had silenced Job, but had not brought him to admit his guilt before God. It pleased the Lord to interpose. The Lord, in this discourse, humbles Job, and brings him to repent of his passionate expressions concerning God's providential dealings with him; and this he does, by calling upon Job to compare God's being from everlasting to everlasting, with his own time; God's knowledge of all things, with his own ignorance; and God's almighty power, with his own weakness. Our darkening the counsels of God's wisdom with our folly, is a great provocation to God. Humble faith and sincere obedience see farthest and best into the will of the Lord.
4-11 For the humbling of Job, God here shows him his ignorance, even concerning the earth and the sea. As we cannot find fault with God's work, so we need not fear concerning it. The works of his providence, as well as the work of creation, never can be broken; and the work of redemption is no less firm, of which Christ himself is both the Foundation and the Corner-stone. The church stands as firm as the earth.
12-24 The Lord questions Job, to convince him of his ignorance, and shame him for his folly in prescribing to God. If we thus try ourselves, we shall soon be brought to own that what we know is nothing in comparison with what we know not. By the tender mercy of our God, the Day-spring from on high has visited us, to give light to those that sit in darkness, whose hearts are turned to it as clay to the seal, #2Co 4:6|. God's way in the government of the world is said to be in the sea; this means, that it is hid from us. Let us make sure that the gates of heaven shall be opened to us on the other side of death, and then we need not fear the opening of the gates of death. It is presumptuous for us, who perceive not the breadth of the earth, to dive into the depth of God's counsels. We should neither in the brightest noon count upon perpetual day, nor in the darkest midnight despair of the return of the morning; and this applies to our inward as well as to our outward condition. What folly it is to strive against God! How much is it our interest to seek peace with him, and to keep in his love!
25-41 Hitherto God had put questions to Job to show him his ignorance; now God shows his weakness. As it is but little that he knows, he ought not to arraign the Divine counsels; it is but little he can do, therefore he ought not to oppose the ways of Providence. See the all-sufficiency of the Divine Providence; it has wherewithal to satisfy the desire of every living thing. And he that takes care of the young ravens, certainly will not be wanting to his people. This being but one instance of the Divine compassion out of many, gives us occasion to think how much good our God does, every day, beyond what we are aware of. Every view we take of his infinite perfections, should remind us of his right to our love, the evil of sinning against him, and our need of his mercy and salvation.
Recent Comments for Job Chapter 38...
Brian's Job Chapter 38 comment about verse 32 on 5/18/2013, 9:48am...
[see Job 38:31a] - "Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades,...? Constellations are seen by those on the Earth as a "snap-shot" of the movement of stars, which may be seen to stay in the same relative positions for centuries, because of their distance from Earth. Most stars move in random directions relative to each other, even though they're moving away from the center of the "Big Bang"; they DON'T move in groups. The Pleiades, however, is a group of about 250 stars which ALL MOVE TOGETHER, in the same direction, and at the same speed! It's the only star group of its type in existance - and it's mentioned, by name, by God. (Things that make you say, "Hmm...".)
Brian's Job Chapter 38 comment about verse 32 on 5/18/2013, 9:37am...
Arcturus is also a "run away" star system; it's travelling at about 12 times the speed of other stars in its local area - interesting that God just happens to mention this star, isn't it?
Joanne's Job Chapter 38 comment on 5/15/2013, 11:49am...
I love this chapter of God speaking to Job. God shows Job his infinite wisdom, power, and control over everything. If we put ourselves in Job's place, we get a taste of how Job felt kneeling before the creator. Awesome!!!! Yet he loves us. God has the forces of nature at his command and he can use them to help us {his children}. These forces of nature are not just for revelation. Throughout history there are accounts of God helping his children with forces of nature. Three accounts are Washington, Joshua, and Israel during the six day war, and many more.
ChudiObiesie's Job Chapter 38 comment about verse 12 on 1/02/2013, 8:06pm...
The greatest weapon we have is prayer. The days are evil and we need to take charge of situations around us which calls for the need to rise early and call upon HIM who is able to help us. We need to posses the gates of our enemies.
David's Job Chapter 38 comment about verse 7 on 1/02/2013, 12:28pm...
Actually the angels did assist Him in creation.
Timothy Wayne George's Job Chapter 38 comment about verse 23 on 12/25/2012, 10:51am...
God wants Job to know that He rules in the affairs of men, even in war. God directs the hearts of men to accomplish His will. There will always be wars, and rumors of wars. Nevertheless, there will come in the battle of Armageddon a war to end all wars, where God will judge all the nations of the world in the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there will God sit to judge all the heathen round about. Multitudes, multitudes will be in the valley of decision, for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. Just before the Lord's second Advent the sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. Then the Lord shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and earth shall shake, but the Lord shall be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
Walter's Job Chapter 38 comment on 12/25/2012, 7:39am...
I have thoughts about the snow and hail being reserved for the day of battle and war. Could this be the war Armageddon as mentioned in the book of Revelation 16:16?
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