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Sunday, September 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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Read the Bible

Douay-Rheims Bible

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

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?
King James Version
Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
English Standard Version
Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon 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?
Amplified Bible
"Who determined the measurements [of the earth], if you know? Or who stretched the [measuring] line on it?
New American Standard Bible
Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the measuring line over it?
World English Bible
Who determined the measures of it, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it?
Geneva Bible (1587)
Who hath layde the measures thereof, if thou knowest, or who hath stretched the line ouer it:
Legacy Standard Bible
Who set its measurements? Since you know.Or who stretched the line on it?
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.
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?
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?
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?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Who hath measured it, knowest thou? Or, who hath spred ye lyne vpon it?
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?
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?
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?
English Revised Version
Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who stretched the line upon it?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Who settide mesures therof, if thou knowist? ethir who stretchide forth a lyne theronne?
Update Bible Version
Who determined the measures thereof, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it?
Webster's Bible Translation
Who hath laid the measures of it, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
New King James Version
Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?
New Living Translation
Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line?
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?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Who set the measurements thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched out over it a line?
Revised Standard Version
Who determined its measurements--surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?
Young's Literal Translation
Who placed its measures -- if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched out upon it a line?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
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? tell me if thou hast understanding. 5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest or who hath stretched the line upon it? 6 Upon what are its bases grounded? or who laid the corner stone thereof, 7 When the morning stars praised me together, and all the sons of God made a joyful melody? 8 Who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth as issuing out of the womb: 9 When I made a cloud the garment thereof, and wrapped it in a mist as in swaddling bands? 10 I set my bounds around it, and made it bars and doors: 11 And I said: Hitherto thou shalt come, and shalt go no further, and here thou shalt break thy swelling waves.

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
Wherefore Juda said to Thamar his daughter-in-law: Remain a widow in thy father’s house, till Sela my son grow up: for he was afraid lest he also might die, as his brethren did. She went her way, and dwelt in her father’s house.
Genesis 38:26
But he acknowledging the gifts, said: She is juster than I: because I did not give her to Sela, my son. However he knew her no more.
Genesis 46:12
The sons of Juda: Her and Onan, and Sela, and Phares and Zara. And Her and Onan died in the land of Chanaan. And sons were born to Phares: Hesron and Hamul.
Numbers 26:20
And the sons of Juda by their kindreds were: Sela, of whom is the family of the Selaites: Phares, of whom is the family of the Pharesites: Zare, of whom is the family of the Zarites.
1 Chronicles 4:21
The sons of Sela the son of Juda: Her the father of Lecha, and Laada the father of Maresa, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen in the House of oath.

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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