Second Sunday after Easter
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JPS Old Testament
Job 38:36
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
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- InternationalParallel Translations
Who put wisdom in the heartor gave the mind understanding?
Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind?
Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?
Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind?
Who put wisdom inside the mind or understanding in the heart?
Who has put wisdom in the heart, or has imparted understanding to the mind?
"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]?
"Who has put wisdom in the innermost being, Or given understanding to the mind?
Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind?
Who hath put wisedome in the reines? or who hath giuen the heart vnderstanding?
Who has given wisdom in the innermost beingOr given understanding to the mind?
Who has put wisdom in the heart or given understanding to the mind?
Did you teach birds to know that rain or floods are on their way?
"Who put wisdom in people's inner parts? Who gave understanding to the mind?
Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the mind?
"Who makes people wise? Who puts wisdom deep inside them?
Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given vision to understanding?
Who tells the ibis when the Nile will flood, or who tells the rooster that rain will fall?
Who has put wisdom in the ibis, or who has given understanding to the rooster?
Who has put wisdom in the inward parts; or who has given understanding to the mind?
Who geueth sure wisdome, or stedfast vnderstodinge?
Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who hath given understanding to the mind?
Who has put wisdom in the high clouds, or given knowledge to the lights of the north?
Who hath put wisedome in the inward parts? Or who hath giuen vnderstanding to the heart?
Who hath put wysdome in the reynes? or who hath geuen the heart vnderstanding?
And who has given to women skill in weaving, or knowledge of embroidery?
Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the mind?
Who puttide wisdoom in the entrailis of man, ethir who yaf vndurstondyng to the cok?
Who has put wisdom in the ibis? Or who has given understanding to the rooster?
Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?
Who has put wisdom in the mind? [fn] Or who has given understanding to the heart?
Who gives intuition to the heart and instinct to the mind?
Who has given wisdom to the heart? Who has given understanding to the mind?
Who has put wisdom in the inward parts, or given understanding to the mind?
Who hath put - into cloud-forms - wisdom? Or who hath given - to the meteor - understanding?
Who hath put wisdom in the heart of man? or who gave the cock understanding?
Who has put wisdom in the clouds, or given understanding to the mists?
Who hath put in the inward parts wisdom? Or who hath given To the covered part understanding?
"Who do you think gave weather-wisdom to the ibis, and storm-savvy to the rooster? Does anyone know enough to number all the clouds or tip over the rain barrels of heaven When the earth is cracked and dry, the ground baked hard as a brick?
"Who has put wisdom in the innermost being Or given understanding to the mind?
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Who hath put: Job 32:8, Psalms 51:6, Proverbs 2:6, Ecclesiastes 2:26, James 1:5, James 1:17
who hath given: Exodus 31:3, Exodus 36:1, Exodus 36:2, Isaiah 28:26
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts?.... That is, of man, in his heart, as explained in the next clause; such wisdom as to guide the stars, know the ordinances of heaven, set their dominion on earth, manage and direct the clouds and lightning; no such wisdom is put in man:
or who hath, given understanding to the heart? to understand all the above things, and answer to the several questions put in this chapter; though, as these clauses may respect much one and the same thing, they may be understood of wisdom and understanding in man, whether natural or spiritual; and seeing they are found there, the question is, who put them there, or how came they there? who gave them to him? the answer must be, God himself, and no other; man has his rational soul, his intellectual powers, the light of nature and reason in him; all his understanding in arts and sciences, trades and manufactures, is of the Lord, and not of himself or another, see Job 32:8; all spiritual wisdom and understanding which lies in a man's concern for his eternal welfare in the knowledge of himself, and of his state and condition by nature, and of the way of life and salvation by Christ, and of the truths and doctrines of the Gospel, is all of God and Christ, and by the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; no man, therefore, has any reason to glory in his wisdom and knowledge, of whatsoever kind, as though he had not received it; nor should he dare to arraign the wisdom of God in his providential dealings with men; since he that teaches man knowledge must needs know better than man how to govern the world he has made, and dispose of all things in it. The last clause is in the Vulgate Latin rendered, "who hath given to the cock understanding?" and so the Targums and other Jewish writers p interpret it; and they observe q, that in Arabia a cock is called by the word that is here used; and in their morning prayers, and at hearing a cock crow r,
"Blessed be the Lord, who giveth to the cock understanding to distinguish between the day and the night:''
but however remarkable the understanding of this creature is, which God has given it, and which is even taken notice of by Heathen writers s; that it should know the stars, distinguish the hours of the night by crowing, and express its joy at the rising of the sun and moon; yet such a sense of the text seems impertinent, as well as that of the Septuagint version, of giving to women the wisdom and knowledge of weaving and embroidery.
p Jarchi, Ramban, Simeon Bar. Tzemach. q Vajikra Rabba, s. 25. fol. 166. 1. Vid. T. Roshhashanah, fol. 26. 1. r Seder Tephillot. fol. 2. 2. Ed. Basil. & Bab. Beracot, fol. 60. 2. s Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 21. Aelian. de Animal. l. 4. c. 29.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? - There is great variety in the interpretation of this passage. Jerome renders it, Quis posuit in visceribus heminis sapienttam? Vel quis dedit gallo intelligentiam? “Who hath put wisdom in the inner parts of man? Or who has given to the cock intelligence?” Just as strangely, the Septuagint has: “Who hath given to women skill in weaving, and a knowledge of the art of embroidering?.” One of the Targums renders it, “Who has given to the woodcock intelligence that he should praise his Master?” Herder renders it,
“Who gave understanding to the flying clouds,
Or intelligence to the meteors of the air?”
Umbreit,
“Who placed wisdom in the dark clouds?
Who gave understanding to the forms of the air?”
Schultens and Rosenmuller explain it of the various phenomena that appear in the sky - as lightning, thunder, meteoric lights, etc. So Prof. Lee explains the words as referring to the “tempest” and the “thunder-storm.” According to that interpretation, the idea is, that these phenomena appear to be endowed with intelligence, There is proof of plan and wisdom in their arrangement and connection, and they show that it is not by chance that they are directed. One reason assigned for this interpretation is, that it accords with the connection. The course of the argument, it is remarked, relates to the various phenomena that appear in the sky - to the lightnings, tempests, and clouds. It is unnatural to suppose that a remark would be interposed here respecting the intellectual endowments of man, when the appeal to the clouds is again Job 38:37 immediately resumed. There can be no doubt that there is much weight in this observation, and that the connection demands this interpretation, and that it should be adopted if the words which are used will admit of it.
The only difficulty relates to the words rendered “inward parts,” and “heart.” The former of these (טחות ṭûchôt) according to the Hebrew interpreters, is derived from טוח ṭûach, “to cover over, to spread, to besmear”; and is hence given to the veins, because covered with fat. It occurs only in this place, and in Psalms 51:6, “Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts,” where it undoubtedly refers to the seat of the affections or thoughts in man. The verb is often used as meaning to daub, overlay, or plaster, as in Leviticus 14:42; Ezekiel 22:28; Ezekiel 13:12, Ezekiel 13:14. Schultens, Lee, Umbreit, and others, have recourse in the explanation to the use of the Arabic word of the same letters with the Hebrew, meaning to wander, to make a random shot, etc., and thence, apply it to lightning, and to meteors. Umbreit supposes that there is allusion to the prevalent opinion in the East that the clouds and the phenomena of the air could be regarded as furnishing prophetic indications of what was to occur; or to the custom of predicting future events by the aspects of the sky.
It is a sufficient objection to this, however, that it cannot be supposed that the Almighty would lend his sanction to this opinion by appealing to it as if it were so. After all that bas been written on the passage, and all the force of the difficulty which is urged, I do not see evidence that we are to depart from the common interpretation, to wit, that God means to appeal to the fact that he has endowed man with intelligence as a proof of his greatness and supremacy. The connection is, indeed, not very apparent. It may be, however, as Noyes suggests, that the reference is to the mind of Job in particular, and to the intelligence with which he was able to perceive, and in some measure to comprehend, these various phenomena. The connection may be something like this: “Look to the heavens, and contemplate these wonders. Explain them, if possible; and then ask who it is that has so endowed the mind of man that it can trace in them such proofs of the wisdom and power of the Almighty. The phenomena themselves, and the capacity to contemplate them, and to be instructed by them, are alike demonstrations of the supremacy of the Most High.”
Understanding to the heart - To the mind. The common word to denote “heart” - לב lêb is not used here, but a word (שׂכוי śekvı̂y from שכה) meaning “to look at, to view”; and hence, denoting the mind; the intelligent soul. “Gesenius.”
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Job 38:36. Who hath put wisdom in the in ward parts? — Who has given לשכוי lasechvi, to the contemplative person, understanding? Even the most sedulous attention to a subject, and the deepest contemplation, are not sufficient to investigate truth, without the inspiration of the Almighty, which alone can give understanding. But who has given man the power to conceive and understand? A power which he knows he has, but which he cannot comprehend. Man knows nothing of his own mind, nor of the mode of its operations. This mind we possess, these operations we perform;-and of either do we know any thing? If we know not our own spirit, how can we comprehend that SPIRIT which is infinite and eternal?
Mr. Good thinks that this verse is a continuation of the subject above, relative to the lightnings, and therefore translates thus: -
Who putteth understanding into the vollies?
And who giveth to the shafts discernment?
All the versions, except the Septuagint, which trifles here, understand the place as we do. Either makes a good sense. The Septuagint has, "Who hath given the knowledge of weaving to women; or the science of embroidery?" Instead of understanding to the heart, the Vulgate has, understanding to the cock; that it might be able to distinguish and proclaim the watches of the night.
