Job 38:16

THE MESSAGE

"Have you ever gotten to the true bottom of things, explored the labyrinthine caves of deep ocean? Do you know the first thing about death? Do you have one clue regarding death's dark mysteries? And do you have any idea how large this earth is? Speak up if you have even the beginning of an answer.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Have you traveled to the sources of the seaor walked in the depths of the oceans?

Hebrew Names Version
"Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep?

King James Version
Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

English Standard Version
"Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep?

New Century Version
"Have you ever gone to where the sea begins or walked in the valleys under the sea?

New English Translation
Have you gone to the springs that fill the sea, or walked about in the recesses of the deep?

Amplified Bible
"Have you entered and explored the springs of the sea Or [have you] walked in the recesses of the deep?

New American Standard Bible
"Have you entered the springs of the sea, And walked in the depth of the ocean?

World English Bible
"Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Hast thou entred into the bottomes of the sea? or hast thou walked to seeke out the depth?

Legacy Standard Bible
"Have you entered into the springs of the seaOr walked in the recesses of the deep?

Berean Standard Bible
Have you journeyed to the vents of the sea or walked in the trenches of the deep?

Contemporary English Version
Job, have you ever walked on the ocean floor?

Complete Jewish Bible
"Have you gone down to the springs of the sea or explored the limits of the deep?

Darby Translation
Hast thou entered as far as the springs of the sea? and hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep?

Easy-to-Read Version
"Have you ever gone to the deepest parts of the sea? Have you ever walked on the ocean bottom?

George Lamsa Translation
Have you entered into the depths of the sea? Or have you walked in the foundations of the deep?

Good News Translation
Have you been to the springs in the depths of the sea? Have you walked on the floor of the ocean?

Lexham English Bible
"Have you entered into the sea's sources? Or have you walked around in the recesses of the deep?

Literal Translation
Have you gone to the springs of the sea; or have you walked in searching of the deep?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Camest thou euer into the groude of the see, Or, hast thou walked in ye lowe corners of ye depe?

American Standard Version
Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep?

Bible in Basic English
Have you come into the springs of the sea, walking in the secret places of the deep?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep?

King James Version (1611)
Hast thou entred into the springs of the sea? Or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Camest thou euer into the grounde of the sea, or walkedst in the lowe corners of the deepe?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Or hast thou gone to the source of the sea, and walked in the tracks of the deep?

English Revised Version
Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whethir thou entridist in to the depthe of the see, and walkidist in the laste partis of the occian?

Update Bible Version
Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep?

Webster's Bible Translation
Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

New King James Version
"Have you entered the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in search of the depths?

New Living Translation
"Have you explored the springs from which the seas come? Have you explored their depths?

New Life Bible
"Have you gone into the wells of the sea? Have you walked on the bottom of the deep sea?

New Revised Standard
"Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Hast thou entered as far as the springs of the sea? Or, through the secret recesses of the resounding deep, hast thou wandered?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Hast thou entered into the depths of the sea, and walked in the lowest parts of the deep?

Revised Standard Version
"Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep?

Young's Literal Translation
Hast thou come in to springs of the sea? And in searching the deep Hast thou walked up and down?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Have you entered into the springs of the sea Or walked in the recesses of the deep?

Contextual Overview

¹²"And have you ever ordered Morning, ‘Get up!' told Dawn, ‘Get to work!' So you could seize Earth like a blanket and shake out the wicked like cockroaches? As the sun brings everything to light, brings out all the colors and shapes, The cover of darkness is snatched from the wicked— they're caught in the very act! ¹⁶"Have you ever gotten to the true bottom of things, explored the labyrinthine caves of deep ocean? Do you know the first thing about death? Do you have one clue regarding death's dark mysteries? And do you have any idea how large this earth is? Speak up if you have even the beginning of an answer. ¹⁹"Do you know where Light comes from and where Darkness lives So you can take them by the hand and lead them home when they get lost? Why, of course you know that. You've known them all your life, grown up in the same neighborhood with them! ²²"Have you ever traveled to where snow is made, seen the vault where hail is stockpiled, The arsenals of hail and snow that I keep in readiness for times of trouble and battle and war? Can you find your way to where lightning is launched, or to the place from which the wind blows? Who do you suppose carves canyons for the downpours of rain, and charts the route of thunderstorms That bring water to unvisited fields, deserts no one ever lays eyes on, Drenching the useless wastelands so they're carpeted with wildflowers and grass? And who do you think is the father of rain and dew, the mother of ice and frost? You don't for a minute imagine these marvels of weather just happen, do you?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the springs: Psalms 77:19, Proverbs 8:24, Jeremiah 51:36

walked: Job 26:5, Job 26:6

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 14:20 - to know Job 28:3 - the stones Job 41:32 - deep

Cross-References

2 Samuel 13:11
Some time later, this happened: Absalom, David's son, had a sister who was very attractive. Her name was Tamar. Amnon, also David's son, was in love with her. Amnon was obsessed with his sister Tamar to the point of making himself sick over her. She was a virgin, so he couldn't see how he could get his hands on her. Amnon had a good friend, Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah. Jonadab was exceptionally streetwise. He said to Amnon, "Why are you moping around like this, day after day—you, the son of the king! Tell me what's eating at you." "In a word, Tamar," said Amnon. "My brother Absalom's sister. I'm in love with her." "Here's what you do," said Jonadab. "Go to bed and pretend you're sick. When your father comes to visit you, say, ‘Have my sister Tamar come and prepare some supper for me here where I can watch her and she can feed me.'" So Amnon took to his bed and acted sick. When the king came to visit, Amnon said, "Would you do me a favor? Have my sister Tamar come and make some nourishing dumplings here where I can watch her and be fed by her." David sent word to Tamar who was home at the time: "Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare a meal for him." So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house. She took dough, kneaded it, formed it into dumplings, and cooked them while he watched from his bed. But when she took the cooking pot and served him, he wouldn't eat. Amnon said, "Clear everyone out of the house," and they all cleared out. Then he said to Tamar, "Bring the food into my bedroom, where we can eat in privacy." She took the nourishing dumplings she had prepared and brought them to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. But when she got ready to feed him, he grabbed her and said, "Come to bed with me, sister!"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea?.... The subterraneous passages through which the waters flow into the sea and supply it; or the springs and fountains that rise up at the bottom of it i; and some tell us of springs of sweet water that rise there, even though the water at the bottom of the sea is saltier than on the surface k: some render it "the drops of the sea" l; hast thou considered them and counted them? art thou able to do it? no: others the "perplexities" of it m, so the Targum, the word being used in this sense, Exodus 14:3; the thickets of it; some speak of woods and forests in it, Exodus 14:3- :; others "rocks" and shelves n, and others the "borders" of it o; and the sense then is, hast thou entered into and travelled through the main ocean, observed the forests in it, the shelving rocks and sandy mountains in it, and gone to the utmost borders of it?

or hast thou walked in the search of the depth? to find out the deepest place of it, where no sounding line can reach p; or walked in quest of the curiosities of it, animals, plants and minerals, unknown to men; or of the riches that lie at the bottom of it, for which now the diving bell is used, but not invented and known in the times of Job; and if Job had not done and could not do all this, how should he be able to enter into the secret springs of Providence, or trace the ways of God, whose way is in the sea, and whose paths are in the great waters, and his footsteps not known? Psalms 77:19.

i According to Dr. Plot, the principal fountains have their origin, and are supplied with water through subterraneous passages from the sea. De Origine Fontium, c. apud Act. Erudit. Lips. A. M. 1685. p. 538. See Gen vii. 11. k Vid. Scheucbzer. Physic. Sacr. vol. 4. p. 803. l נבכי ים "guttas maris", Tigurine version, Grotius. m "Perplexitates maris", Munster. n "Scopulos maris", Michaelis "salebrosa maris", Schultens. o So Jarchi. p For though the greatest depth of the sea is said by Fabianus (apud Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 2, c. 102.) to be fifteen furlongs, or near two miles, this must be understood of that part of it which is fathomable and nearer land. But such as those, called Bathea Ponti, the depths of the Pontus, and are almost three hundred furlongs from the continent, they are said (Plin. ib.) to be of an immense depth, and the bottom not to be found. And if the Sardinian sea, the deepest in the Mediterranean (Aristot. Meteorolog. l. 2, c. 1.) is a thousand orgies or fathoms deep, (Posidonius apud Strabo. Geograph. l. 1, p. 37.) that is, one mile and a fifth, what must the depth of the vast ocean be?

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? - The word here rendered “springs” (נבך nêbek), occurs nowhere else in the Scriptures. It is rendered by the Vulgate “profunda,” the deep parts; and by the Septuagint πηγὴν pēgēn - “fountains.” The reference seems to be to the deep fountains at the bottom of the sea, which were supposed to supply it with water. A large portion of the water of the ocean is indeed conveyed to it by rivers and streams that run on the surface of the earth. But it is known, also, that there are fountains at the bottom of the ocean, and in some places the amount of water that flows from them is so great, that its action is perceptible at the surface. One such fountain exists in the Atlantic ocean near the coast of Florida.

Or hast thou walked in the search of the depth? - Or, rather, in the deep places or caverns of the ocean. The word rendered “search” here (חקר chêqer), means “searching,” investigation, and then an object that is to be searched out, and hence, that which is obscure, remote, hidden. Then it may be applied to the deep caverns of the ocean, or the bottom of the sea. This is to man unsearchable. No line has been found long enough to fathom the ocean, and of course what is there is unknown. It is adduced, therefore, with great propriety as a proof of the wisdom of God, that he could look on the deep caverns of the ocean, and was able to search out all that was there. A sentiment similar to this occurs in Homer, when speaking of Atlas:

Ὅατε θαλάσσης;

Πάσης βένθεα οἷδεν.

Hoate thalassēs;

Pasēs benthea oiden.

Odyssey Job 1:5.

“Who knows the depths of every sea.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 38:16. Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea?] Of these springs, inlets, or outlets of the sea, we know just as much as Job. There was prevalent among philosophers an opinion, that through a porous bottom fresh matter was constantly oozing by which the sea was supplied with new materials. But through such pores these materials might as well ooze out as ooze in.

Walked in the search of the depth? — Hast thou walked from the shallow beach through the great ocean's bed, till thou hast arrived at its profoundest depths? In other words, Dost thou know the depths of the sea? Job, we may presume, did not. No man since him has found them out. In multitudes of places they are unfathomed by any means hitherto used by man.