Bible Commentaries
Job 38

Verse 1

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .

answered. See note on Job 4:1 . We now have Jehovah ' s own ministry, and the theme is Himself. Elihu ' s ministry furnishes the text: "God is greater than man "(Job 33:12 ). This leads up to "the end of the Lord" (James 5:11 ). "How should mortal man be just with God? "See Job 4:17 ; Job 9:2 ; Job 15:14 ; Job 33:9 ; Job 34:5 . How different from the ministry of the three friends, which, like most ministries of to-day, consists in the effort to make men "good" by persuasion.

Verse 2

Who is this . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .

darkeneth. Hebrew. hashak. See note on Job 3:6 .

Verse 3

man. Hebrew. geber . App-14 .

answer thou Me = cause Me to know.

Verse 4

hast understanding = knowest.

Verse 6

foundations = sockets.

fastened = sunk.

Verse 7

stars sang. Figure of speech Prosopopoeia. App-6 . See App-12 .

sons of God = angels. See note on Genesis 6:2 , and the eight occurrences of the expression in O.T. See also App-23 and App-25 .

Verse 9

thick darkness. Hebrew. 'araphel. See note on Job 3:6 .

Verse 10

brake up = assigned.

Verse 12

the morning. See the Alternation below, verses: Job 38:12-14 .

Verse 13

the wicked = lawless. All the ancient versions and early printed editions read "the lawless"

Verse 16

search = secret.

Verse 17

doors = gates.

Verse 19

way. Supply Ellipsis: "Where is the way [to the place where] light", &c.

Verse 22

treasures = treasuries.

Verse 23

against the day, &c. . - e.g. as in Joshua 10:10 .

Verse 24

part = divide up into parts: as the rays of light in a prism.

Verse 26

man. Hebrew ' ish . App-14 .

man. Hebrew. 'adam. App-14 .

Verse 28

dew = night mist. See note on Psalms 133:3 .

Verse 31

Pleiades. Hebrew. kimah. See App-12 .

Orion. Hebrew kesil. App-12 .

Verse 32

Mazzarotli = the twelve signs of the Zodiac marking the path of the sun in the heavens. App-12 . Arcturus. Hebrew. 'ayish the greater sheepfold: known to day as "the great bear". See App-12 .

Verse 33

ordinances = statutes.

the = his.

Verse 36

in the inward parts. Hebrew. tuchoth: Occurs only here and Psalms 51:6 . See note on Job 28:28 and Proverbs 1:7 .