Bible Commentaries
Job 38

Verse 1

38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the {a} whirlwind, and said,

(a) That his words might have greater majesty, and that Job might know with whom he had to do.

Verse 2

38:2 Who [is] this that {b} darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

(b) Which by seeking out the secret counsel of God by man’s reason, makes it more obscure, and shows his own folly.

Verse 3

38:3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I {c} will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

(c) Because he wished to dispute with God, Job 23:3, God reasons with him, to declare his rashness.

Verse 4

38:4 Where wast thou when I {d} laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

(d) Seeing he could not judge those things which were done so long before he was born, he was not able to comprehend all God’s works: much less the secret causes of his judgments.

Verse 7

38:7 When the morning stars {e} sang together, and all the {f} sons of God shouted for joy?

(e) The stars and dumb creatures are said to praise God, because his power, wisdom and goodness is manifest and known in it.

(f) Meaning the angels.

Verse 9

38:9 When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a {g} swaddlingband for it,

(g) As though the great sea was but as a little baby in the hands of God to turn to and fro.

Verse 11

38:11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be {h} stayed?

(h) That is, God’s decree and commandment as in Job 38:10.

Verse 12

38:12 Hast thou commanded the {i} morning since thy days; [and] caused the dayspring to know his place;

(i) That is, to rise, since you were born?

Verse 13

38:13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be {k} shaken out of it?

(k) Who having in the night been given to wickedness, cannot abide the light, but hide themselves.

Verse 14

38:14 It is turned as clay [to] the seal; {l} and they stand as a garment.

(l) The earth which seemed in the night to have no form by the rising of the sun, is as it were created anew, and all things in it clad with new beauty.

Verse 16

38:16 Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the {m} depth?

(m) If you are not able to seek out the depth of the sea, how much less are you able to comprehend the counsel of God?

Verse 20

38:20 That thou {n} shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths [to] the house thereof?

(n) That you might appoint its highways and limits.

Verse 23

38:23 Which I have reserved {o} against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

(o) To punish my enemies with them, Exodus 9:18, Joshua 10:11.

Verse 30

38:30 The waters are hid {p} as [with] a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

(p) The ice covers it, as though it were paved with stone.

Verse 31

38:31 Canst thou bind the sweet influences {q} of Pleiades, or loose the bands of {r} Orion?

(q) Which rise when the sun is in Taurus, which is the spring, and brings flowers.

(r) Which comes in winter.

Verse 32

38:32 Canst thou bring forth {s} Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide {t} Arcturus with his sons?

(s) Certain stars so called, some think they were the twelve signs.

(t) The north star with those that are about him.

Verse 33

38:33 Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the {u} dominion thereof in the earth?

(u) Can you cause the heavenly bodies to have any power over the earthly bodies?

Verse 36

38:36 Who hath put wisdom in the {x} inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?

(x) In the secret parts of man.

Verse 37

38:37 Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the {y} bottles of heaven,

(y) That is, the clouds in which the water is contained as in bottles.

Verse 38

38:38 When the dust groweth into hardness, {z} and the clods cleave fast together?

(z) For when God does not open these bottles, the earth comes to this inconvenience.

Verse 39

38:39 Wilt {a} thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,

(a) After he had declared God’s works in the heavens, he shows his marvellous providence in earth, even toward the brute beasts.

Verse 41

38:41 Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones {b} cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.

(b) Read Psalms 147:9.