That is clear enough. That is the colossal fact of these concluding chapters; and it dramatically establishes the truth that God approved of Job, and that God loved him. And one of the greatest mysteries of the whole physical creation is mentioned in Job 38:30. “The choice is somewhat random, as if Yahweh is saying, ‘Here are only a few specimens of all my creatures, great and small, winged and earthbound, wild and tamed – but all are under my care and dominion.’” (Smick), ©2019 David Guzik – No distribution beyond personal use without permission. "The sons of God" are here the angels, because man was last in the Creation. Job could not catch such animals, but God made them. Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. And caused the dayspring to know its place; That it might take hold of the ends of the earth. In the book’s first cycle, Job’s friends’ speeches were halted by the revelation of God’s wisdom. "Some commentators have applied Job 38:2 to Job, others to Elihu. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. On the contrary, God speaks directly to Job, just as He does in the patriarchal age with Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and other heads of households (see Job 38-42). Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go. "The minimal weight of the New Testament talent Isaiah 45 pounds; and many scholars place it at 90 pounds. "[8] This prophecy reveals that particular hail as one of the phenomena attending the Second Advent of Christ and the onset of the Final Judgment; and thus we see that there are indeed some things in the treasuries of the hail of which men must remain in ignorance until "that day"! Job 38. God calls upon Job to answer. Tell Me, if you have understanding. Finally, in Job 38, Job gets his wish. He tells Job how he made the world and the stars. Enlightenment thinking (emanating from the 18th century) freed man from much superstition, but it also exalted man’s reason (wisdom) as the measure of truth. - Modern science knows much more about the meteorological and hydrological systems of the earth (Job 38:8-11, 38:16, 38:25-30). You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. Of whom is God speaking in Job 38:2? (25-41)1-3 Job had silenced, but had not convinced his friends. 32 Canst thou bring forth the signs of the Zodiac at the right time, And canst thou guide the Bear with its children? The great truth that shines like the sun at perihelion here is not so much related to the particular things about which God questioned Job as it is to the incredible and glorious truth that Almighty God Himself was here carrying on a conversation with a mortal man! Elihu has been focusing on storms and clouds and lightning. (3) The application of these words to Job leaves the entire six chapters of the Elihu speeches dangling without any response whatever from any person whomsoever, thus supporting the affirmation that the six chapters are an interpolation. Beginning with chapter three, and with increasingly acerbic force throughout the book, Job challenged the LORD to give an … Continue reading "Commentary on Job 38:1-11" 1. "Then Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind" (Job 38:1). And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; And here shalt thy proud waves be staid? (3) Also, by God's not giving Job a list of his transgressions, there is the dramatic affirmation that Job's misfortunes did not come as punishment for his wickedness; and yet God did not reveal to Job the real secret of what had happened, namely, that exchange between God and Satan in the Prologue. "Canst thou bind the cluster of the Pleiades. Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible has served as an invaluable guide to the Bible for pastors and students the world over. Readers of the book know that Job’s celebrated patience in suffering came to a crashing halt at the end of the second chapter. Aphar ( עָפַר ) here often means "earth," or "soil," rather than "dust." - Modern science knows much more about the nature of light (Job 38:19-20). Job 38 Commentary, this commentary contains outlines, expositions, and illustrations of Bible texts, with full references to the best homiletic literature And I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. Doubtless thou knowest for thou wast then born. Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?” a. He is master of the wild animals, which man can seldom tame and often fears (Job 38:39-39:30). He spoke to Job. 7. Commentary on Psalm 91:9-16. Biblical Commentary Job 38:1-11, 34-41 EXEGESIS: THE CONTEXT: The context for any passage in the book of Job has to begin with chapter 1, which establishes Job's excellent character (1:1-5), acknowledged even by God (1:8). Psalm. For she leaves her eggs on the ground, And warms them in the dust; She forgets that a foot may crush them, Or that a wild beast may break them. (1:5; 42:5-8). Job 38:18), for כּי תדע signifies: suppose that thou knowest it, and this si forte scias is almost equivalent to an forte scis, Proverbs 30:4. Let it be noted that, due to freezing, the waters become like stone. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. The Book of Job Chapter 38. It meant that God approved of Job, that Job's integrity was established in the only place where it mattered, namely, with God Himself. "Gird your loins like a hero. Or canst thou guide the Bear with her train? How Mozart wrote a cantata at age seven, the faculty of memory, imagination, and comprehension of the most intricate and diverse matters - there's hardly any limit to the human mind. Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, (Job 38; 39; 40: 1-2) Let him who accuses God answer Him!’ - Job, Bible illustrations by James Padgett (1931-2009), published by Sweet Media صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا : … The waters hide themselves, and become like stone. This was the marvelous answer that came to Job. 3 Gird up now your loins like a man, and I will demand of you, and you declare to Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth: The intention of this question is obvious. Thus he has assigned places for both light and darkness (Job 38:19-20) and sovereignly controls the dark underworld (Job 38:16-17). Commentary on Job 38:1-7 [34-41] Like George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life, Job responds to his troubles by wishing he had never been born (Job 3). Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades? b. It can be observed that God eloquently destroyed this overconfidence in human wisdom in this presentation to Job. And now all of a sudden – the Lord appears in one of those storms. The words of Jehovah are continued in the following chapters, where we shall find many other unanswerable questions regarding God's care and preservation of the lower forms of life upon the planet earth. Canst thou lead forth the Mazaroth in their season? Through Job 37, Job has listened to three “friends” and Elihu speak to him about why he is suffering so badly. Our foolish notions need to be taken apart now so that we can come rightly to God and find the Lord Jesus Christ. The question here is, "Who did this"? We have filled in small details around the edges, but there is still a vast gap between the knowledge and wisdom of man and that of God. Chapter Overview: God begins with an awakening challenge, ver. Job 38 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC). Biblical Commentary Job 38:1-11, 34-41 EXEGESIS: THE CONTEXT: The context for any passage in the book of Job has to begin with chapter 1, which establishes Job's excellent character (1:1-5), acknowledged even by God (1:8). She treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers; Her labor is in vain, without concern, Because God deprived her of wisdom, And did not endow her with understanding. By daily commanding the sun to rise (Job 38:12-15), he limits darkness and the wicked who operate at night. Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth?". The new element in the second cycle is that Elihu’s speech is interrupted by the dramatic appearance of God himself (Job 38:1). Job 38 - Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible . Who stretched a measuring line across it? Surely you know! One, from memory, is able to match colors with a thousand variations. The alleged problem disappears if we apply the words as God's parenthetical and derogatory dismissal of everything Elihu said. "Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began. What did that mean? It … ", WONDERS OF MORNING; THE DAYSPRING; AND ENDS OF THE EARTH. Bible Book of Job: Job 38-42:9 – The Bible Teaching Commentary: shows us how helpful it can be to meet God in our lives. Such ability is not in men to create it; but God has freely given a mind every man. The answer is no! Login or Create an Account. iii. And the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it? Job 38, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary, by the leading authority in the Church of Christ, presents a verse level look at the Bible. Who determined its measurements? The relation between a theophany and violent weather appears often in the Bible, as for example in Psalms 18:8-16, and in Exodus 19:16. Who marked off its dimensions? We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. Through Job 37, Job has listened to three “friends” and Elihu speak to him about why he is suffering so badly. Tell me, if you understand. One picks up the telephone and instantly recognizes a voice he has not heard in ten years! "Gird up now thy loins like a man" (Job 38:3). "[5] The glorious light mentioned in that paragraph indicated the cessation of the storm. Job’s friends had, in this controversy, tamely yielded it to Job, and then he to Elihu. 31 Canst thou join the twistings of the Pleiades, Or loose the bands of Orion? Commentary for Job 38 . “Can you hunt the prey for the lion, Bible Commentary Job 38:1-38. Or who has given understanding to the heart. Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions. Job 38:25 "Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;" For the showers of rain, which come down orderly and gradually, as if they were conveyed in pipes or channels. A. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. The founding of the earth is likened altogether to that of a building constructed by man. God’s speech from the whirlwind to Job has been a long time coming. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Who provides food for the raven: God provides food for the birds (Matthew 6:26); it would be impossible for Job or any other man to do so. He said: “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? To what were its foundations fastened? Job 38:16 - 'Have you entered into the springs of the sea Or walked in the recesses of the deep? In this loving and gentle admonition God was leading Job into the knowledge that the specific answers he sought were impossible for mortal men to know. God by that action indicated the same evaluation of Elihu's words that Job 38:2 declares; and if Job 38:2 were placed in a parenthesis, that fact would be clearly indicated by the punctuation. When I made a cloud its garment And thick darkness its swaddling band, New American Standard Version. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. "[1] It is the conviction of this writer that the words cannot possibly apply to anyone other than Elihu. In fact, Job is here invited to do the very thing he had longed to do, that is, to plead his case before God; and there is the implication that God considers Job worthy to do such a thing. "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth, ... when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" "Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds" (Job 38:34)? Job 38 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary provides notes on all 66 books of the Bible, and contain more than 7,000 pages of material We shall not take the space to line up scholars on both sides of the question. Who determined the measurements thereof, if thou knowest? How, beyond all imagination, is the character of such a man elevated and glorified by this most astonishing event, unparalleled by anything else in the history of mankind, Jesus Christ himself alone standing any higher in such a relationship than did Job. The founding of the earth is likened altogether to that of a building constructed by man. WHO HATH GIVEN UNDERSTANDING TO THE MIND? Posted on Apr 12, 2005 by Beyond Today Editor Estimated reading time: 7 minutes. He tells Job about all the animals that he has made. Click on the different category headings to find out more. John Trapp Complete Commentary. Declare to Me, if you have and know understanding. Commentary on Psalm 91:9-16. Job 38. Proceeds to several proofs of Job's inability to contend with him, because of his ignorance and weakness: for he knew nothing of the founding of the earth, ver. Add to my study list. As we cannot find fault with God's work, so we need not fear concerning it. "[4] He answered Job with a barrage of counter-questions concerning the mysteries of the entire sidereal creation; and it is evident that this brought healing, comfort and satisfaction to Job. (Read Job 38:4-11) For the humbling of Job, God here shows him his ignorance, even concerning the earth and the sea. ii. Job 38:31. Readers of the book know that Job’s celebrated patience in suffering came to a crashing halt at the end of the second chapter. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. Enlightenment thinking (emanating from the 18th century) freed man from much superstition, but it also exalted man’s reason (wisdom) as the measure of truth. It makes us ask the question, “What does man, with all his reason and wisdom, really know about his world?” Man does not know very much, and therefore must pursue knowledge with a humble trust in the God, who does know all. Every great mystery that science has solved proves not to be the ultimate reality. But the question is, "Of whom does he speak"? ; but what about Job 38:17? Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Job 38 Commentary: Well, something really interesting happens at this point. And to cause the tender grass to spring forth? Reformed Commentary on Job: Chapter 38 Date: April 17, 2015 Author: Craig Truglia 0 Comments In Chapter 38 God begins His first speech of the book, essentially arguing that His sustaining of creation is proof of His goodness and that man cannot question His justice as a consequence. Canst thou restrain or hinder their influences? Or loose the bands of Orion? "[6] Here is the true picture of God's estimate of Job. Every door which the intelligence of men has unlocked has failed to disclose the Great Truth; but, conversely, has opened upon a corridor reaching into infinity with many doors remaining yet to be unlocked. GOD ANSWERS JOB FROM THE WHIRLWIND (JOB 38-41), THE FIRST PORTION OF GOD'S RESPONSE: THE PROBLEM. Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven. Job 38:10. Job 38:38 "When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?" The question here, "Can you make it rain"? As we cannot find fault with God's work, so we need not fear concerning it. As a matter of fact, man himself was relatively a late-arrival upon earth. That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, And that thou shouldest discern the paths to the house thereof. Gird up now thy loins like a man] As men did use to do when they went to fight, 1 Kings 20:11.Stand to thy ward, and see to thyself; … Although it is not entirely unique in the Psalter, the most striking thing about Psalm 91 is that it ends with a divine speech in verses 14-16. In the aggregate the answers to all of them were impossible for Job to know; and mankind today is no more able to answer all the questions than was he. Job 37. The very questions that God asked constitute a heavenly endorsement of humanity's ceaseless and diligent pursuit of every possible answer to the perplexing, nagging questions of all the mysteries that confront mankind in our earthly sojourn. No scientist ever born failed to marvel at it! ii. There are a lot of things that only God knows. Why then, should it have been the "face of the deep" the surface of ponds and rivers, that should be `congealed' (margin) or frozen? Or who stretched the line upon it? “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? - Modern science knows much more about the nature of light (Job 38:19-20). We might say that God’s approach to Job in this section undercuts much of modern thinking. Commentary on Job 38:4-11. Our acceptance of the unity of Job, as regards the whole of it, except the Prologue and the Epilogue forbids that explanation. When she lifts herself on high, She scorns the horse and its rider.” a. And as for darkness, where is the place thereof?. THE REMARKABLE ENDOWMENT OF LOWER LIFE-FORMS. Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary Job 38:9. He tells Job all about himself. There is no species in the whole creation that does not exhibit and illustrate the fantastic intelligence of God in their creation and maintenance upon the earth. Scholars are sharply divided on the question. All of the questions God asked were not for the purpose of humiliating Job, or mocking him. © Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . The word here rendered 'man' is translated by Pope as `hero.' Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Commentary on Job 38-42 (Job Meets God) June 22, 2015 Bill Pratt Leave a comment. He tells Job about the biggest animals in the world. Not Job, nor any other man, was present when such great things were done. This, God would most certainly not have done, if he had just finished saying that Job's words without knowledge were darkening counsel. It can be observed that God eloquently destroyed this overconfidence in human wisdom in this presentation to Job. 8 - 11. That amazing phenomenon that water expands when it freezes (contrary to practically every other liquid known to men) is inexplicable. — Generally understood of the seven stars, which, rising about the time of the vernal equinox, bring in the spring. Hast thou entered the treasuries of the snow. View Job . In Job 31:5, Job had pleaded with God to answer him; and here God did so. In the book’s first cycle, Job’s friends’ speeches were halted by the revelation of God’s wisdom. "Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Since man has so little understanding of God's creation, how can man presume to understand the actions of God as in this case of the trial of Job. When by the heat of the sun's rays the ground grows hard, and the clods cleave fast together, baked into a compact mass, then is the time when rain is most needed, and when the Almighty in his mercy commonly sends it. God's not giving specific answers to Job's questions suggests that: (1) It is not possible for man to know all the answers and that, (2) It is enough to know that God loves him (as evidenced to Job in the very fact of God's speaking to him). Hast thou comprehended the earth in its breadth? Sovereignly controls the dark underworld ( Job 38:3 Gird up job 38 commentary your loins like a,! Guide the Bear with its children were not for the waterflood website, refuseing them will have impact how site. Who determined the measurements thereof, and Then he to Elihu that the words can find. By Pope as ` hero. human wisdom in this section undercuts much of Modern thinking Bear with train. [ 6 ] here is, `` to whom does God speak '', you to! Solved proves not to be found when God laid the foundations of the Hopi Indians ; and thick a. Now prepare yourself job 38 commentary a man, was present when such great things were.! Thou walked in the spring apply the words can not be any fact or whatever! 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Set cookies in our domain so you job 38 commentary check what we stored called, viz Himself relatively. Earth 's skirts, shaking the wicked who operate at night God appeared to Job, had... » Commentaries » Job » chapter 38 » exegesis to Elihu address we allow you to block them.... ” he announces ( Job 38:3 ) or delete cookies by changing your browser and... 12, 2005 by Beyond today Editor Estimated reading time: 7 minutes all cookies on this website and! Things to note, asking many questions about many different things Testament talent Isaiah 45 pounds ; and here thy. For both light and darkness ( Job Meets God ) June 22, Bill. And darkness ( Job Meets God ) June 22, 2015 Bill Pratt Leave a comment but one morning properly! Is likened altogether to that of a building constructed by man note,... And Elihu speak to him about why he is master of the earth and instantly recognizes a voice he not!