Lectionary Calendar
Friday, October 18th, 2024
the Week of Proper 23 / Ordinary 28
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Job 38:5

Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blessing;   Continents;   God;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Creation;   Miracles;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - God;   Mystery;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Providence;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Chaos;   Job, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Knowledge;   Nature;   World;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Angels;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Measuring Line;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Corner-Stone;  

Parallel Translations

New Living Translation
Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line?
English Revised Version
Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who stretched the line upon it?
Update Bible Version
Who determined the measures thereof, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it?
New Century Version
Who marked off how big it should be? Surely you know! Who stretched a ruler across it?
New English Translation
Who set its measurements—if you know— or who stretched a measuring line across it?
Webster's Bible Translation
Who hath laid the measures of it, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
World English Bible
Who determined the measures of it, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it?
Amplified Bible
"Who determined the measurements [of the earth], if you know? Or who stretched the [measuring] line on it?
English Standard Version
Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Who settide mesures therof, if thou knowist? ethir who stretchide forth a lyne theronne?
Berean Standard Bible
Who fixed its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched a measuring line across it?
Contemporary English Version
Doubtless you know who decided its length and width.
American Standard Version
Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched the line upon it?
Bible in Basic English
By whom were its measures fixed? Say, if you have wisdom; or by whom was the line stretched out over it?
Complete Jewish Bible
Do you know who determined its dimensions or who stretched the measuring line across it?
Darby Translation
Who set the measures thereof—if thou knowest? or who stretched a line upon it?
Easy-to-Read Version
And who decided how big the earth should be? Who measured it with a measuring line?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched the line upon it?
King James Version (1611)
Who hath layd the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched the line vpon it?
New Life Bible
Who decided how big it was to be, since you know? Who looked to see if it was as big as it should be?
New Revised Standard
Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?
Geneva Bible (1587)
Who hath layde the measures thereof, if thou knowest, or who hath stretched the line ouer it:
George Lamsa Translation
Who has laid its measures, if you know? Or who has stretched the line upon it?
Good News Translation
Who decided how large it would be? Who stretched the measuring line over it? Do you know all the answers?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Who set the measurements thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched out over it a line?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest or who hath stretched the line upon it?
Revised Standard Version
Who determined its measurements--surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Who hath measured it, knowest thou? or who hath spread the lyne vpon it?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
who set the measures of it, if thou knowest? or who stretched a line upon it?
Christian Standard Bible®
Who fixed its dimensions? Certainly you know!Who stretched a measuring line across it?
Hebrew Names Version
Who determined the measures of it, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it?
Lexham English Bible
Who determined its measurement? Yes, you do know. Or who stretched the measuring line upon it?
Literal Translation
Who has set its dimensions, for you know? Or who has stretched a line on it?
Young's Literal Translation
Who placed its measures -- if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched out upon it a line?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Who hath measured it, knowest thou? Or, who hath spred ye lyne vpon it?
New American Standard Bible
Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the measuring line over it?
New King James Version
Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it?
Legacy Standard Bible
Who set its measurements? Since you know.Or who stretched the line on it?

Contextual Overview

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?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

laid: Job 11:9, Job 28:25, Proverbs 8:27, Isaiah 40:12, Isaiah 40:22

who hath stretched: Psalms 19:4, Psalms 78:55, Isaiah 34:11, Zechariah 2:1, Zechariah 2:2, 2 Corinthians 10:16

Reciprocal: Zechariah 1:16 - and

Cross-References

Genesis 38:11
Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.
Genesis 38:26
And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.
Genesis 46:12
And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zarah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.
Numbers 26:20
And the sons of Judah after their families were; of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites: of Pharez, the family of the Pharzites: of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.
1 Chronicles 4:21
The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were, Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest?.... Did God or a creature? The Lord, no doubt. He laid them out in his divine mind, and laid them forth by his divine power; who does all things by weight and measure. He fixed the dimensions of the earth, how long, how thick, and how broad it should be; he settled the borders and boundaries of it. This Job might know that the Lord did; but he laid them, and what they are that are laid, he knew not. Mathematicians pretend to give us the circumference and diameter of the earth; but in their accounts are not agreed, but widely differ; which shows they are at no certainty about them e; and Job and the men of his age might be still less knowing: though the words may be rendered, "for thou knowest" f; surely such a knowing man as thou art must needs know this and so are a severe sarcasm upon him;

or who hath stretched the line upon it? The measuring line being formed according to rule, with exact symmetry and proportion. This may be the same with the circle of the earth, and the compass set upon the face of the deep or terraqueous globe, Proverbs 8:27. And with the same exactness and just proportion are the ways and works of Providence, which Job ought to have acquiesced in as being well and wisely done.

e The mathematicians in Aristotle's time reckoned the breadth of the earth a little less than forty myriads of furlongs, and the length of it seventy myriads. Aristot. de Mundo, c. 3. Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 108, 109. According to the moderns, the circumference of the earth is 25,031.5 of our statute miles, and its diameter 7967 such miles. See Chamber's Dictionary on the word "Earth". f כי "quadoquidem", Junius Tremellius, Piscator "quia", Michaelis; "nam", Schultens; so Broughton.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Who hath laid the measures thereof - That is, as an architect applies his measures when he rears a house.

If thou knowest - Or rather, “for thou knowest.” The expression is wholly ironical, and is designed to rebuke Job’s pretensions of being able to explain the divine administration.

Or who hath stretched the line upon it - As a carpenter uses a line to mark out his work; see the notes at Isaiah 28:17. The earth is represented as a building, the plan of which was laid out beforehand, and which was then made according to the sketch of the architect. It is not, therefore, the work of chance or fate. It is laid out and constructed according to a wise plan, and in a method evincing infinite skill.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 38:5. Who hath laid the measures thereof — Who hath adjusted its polar and equatorial distances from the centre?

Who hath stretched the line — Who hath formed its zones and its great circles, and adjusted the whole of its magnitude and gravity to the orbit in which it was to move, as well as its distance from that great centre about which it was to revolve? These questions show the difficulty of the subject; and that there was an unfathomable depth of counsel and design in the formation of the earth.


 
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