Job 38

1 respondens autem Dominus Iob de turbine dixit

2 quis est iste involvens sententias sermonibus inperitis

3 accinge sicut vir lumbos tuos interrogabo te et responde mihi

4 ubi eras quando ponebam fundamenta terrae indica mihi si habes intellegentiam

5 quis posuit mensuras eius si nosti vel quis tetendit super eam lineam

6 super quo bases illius solidatae sunt aut quis dimisit lapidem angularem eius

7 cum me laudarent simul astra matutina et iubilarent omnes filii Dei

8 quis conclusit ostiis mare quando erumpebat quasi de vulva procedens

9 cum ponerem nubem vestimentum eius et caligine illud quasi pannis infantiae obvolverem

10 circumdedi illud terminis meis et posui vectem et ostia

11 et dixi usque huc venies et non procedes amplius et hic confringes tumentes fluctus tuos

12 numquid post ortum tuum praecepisti diluculo et ostendisti aurorae locum suum

13 et tenuisti concutiens extrema terrae et excussisti impios ex ea

14 restituetur ut lutum signaculum et stabit sicut vestimentum

15 auferetur ab impiis lux sua et brachium excelsum confringetur

16 numquid ingressus es profunda maris et in novissimis abyssis deambulasti

17 numquid apertae tibi sunt portae mortis et ostia tenebrosa vidisti

18 numquid considerasti latitudines terrae indica mihi si nosti omnia

19 in qua via habitet lux et tenebrarum quis locus sit

20 ut ducas unumquodque ad terminos suos et intellegas semitas domus eius

21 sciebas tunc quod nasciturus esses et numerum dierum tuorum noveras

22 numquid ingressus es thesauros nivis aut thesauros grandinis aspexisti

23 quae praeparavi in tempus hostis in diem pugnae et belli

24 per quam viam spargitur lux dividitur aestus super terram

25 quis dedit vehementissimo imbri cursum et viam sonantis tonitrui

26 ut plueret super terram absque homine in deserto ubi nullus mortalium commoratur

27 ut impleret inviam et desolatam et produceret herbas virentes

28 quis est pluviae pater vel quis genuit stillas roris

29 de cuius utero egressa est glacies et gelu de caelo quis genuit

30 in similitudinem lapidis aquae durantur et superficies abyssi constringitur

31 numquid coniungere valebis micantes stellas Pliadis aut gyrum Arcturi poteris dissipare

32 numquid producis luciferum in tempore suo et vesperum super filios terrae consurgere facis

33 numquid nosti ordinem caeli et pones rationem eius in terra

34 numquid elevabis in nebula vocem tuam et impetus aquarum operiet te

35 numquid mittes fulgura et ibunt et revertentia dicent tibi adsumus

36 quis posuit in visceribus hominis sapientiam vel quis dedit gallo intellegentiam

37 quis enarravit caelorum rationem et concentum caeli quis dormire faciet

38 quando fundebatur pulvis in terram et glebae conpingebantur

39 numquid capies leaenae praedam et animam catulorum eius implebis

40 quando cubant in antris et in specubus insidiantur

41 quis praeparat corvo escam suam quando pulli eius ad Deum clamant vagantes eo quod non habeant cibos

Job 38 Commentary

Chapter 38

God calls upon Job to answer. (1-3) God questions Job. (4-11) Concerning the light and darkness. (12-24) Concerning other mighty works. (25-41)

Verses 1-3 Job had silenced, but had not convinced his friends. Elihu had silenced Job, but had not brought him to admit his guilt before God. It pleased the Lord to interpose. The Lord, in this discourse, humbles Job, and brings him to repent of his passionate expressions concerning God's providential dealings with him; and this he does, by calling upon Job to compare God's being from everlasting to everlasting, with his own time; God's knowledge of all things, with his own ignorance; and God's almighty power, with his own weakness. Our darkening the counsels of God's wisdom with our folly, is a great provocation to God. Humble faith and sincere obedience see farthest and best into the will of the Lord.

Verses 4-11 For the humbling of Job, God here shows him his ignorance, even concerning the earth and the sea. As we cannot find fault with God's work, so we need not fear concerning it. The works of his providence, as well as the work of creation, never can be broken; and the work of redemption is no less firm, of which Christ himself is both the Foundation and the Corner-stone. The church stands as firm as the earth.

Verses 12-24 The Lord questions Job, to convince him of his ignorance, and shame him for his folly in prescribing to God. If we thus try ourselves, we shall soon be brought to own that what we know is nothing in comparison with what we know not. By the tender mercy of our God, the Day-spring from on high has visited us, to give light to those that sit in darkness, whose hearts are ( 2 Corinthians. 4:6 ) government of the world is said to be in the sea; this means, that it is hid from us. Let us make sure that the gates of heaven shall be opened to us on the other side of death, and then we need not fear the opening of the gates of death. It is presumptuous for us, who perceive not the breadth of the earth, to dive into the depth of God's counsels. We should neither in the brightest noon count upon perpetual day, nor in the darkest midnight despair of the return of the morning; and this applies to our inward as well as to our outward condition. What folly it is to strive against God! How much is it our interest to seek peace with him, and to keep in his love!

Verses 25-41 Hitherto God had put questions to Job to show him his ignorance; now God shows his weakness. As it is but little that he knows, he ought not to arraign the Divine counsels; it is but little he can do, therefore he ought not to oppose the ways of Providence. See the all-sufficiency of the Divine Providence; it has wherewithal to satisfy the desire of every living thing. And he that takes care of the young ravens, certainly will not be wanting to his people. This being but one instance of the Divine compassion out of many, gives us occasion to think how much good our God does, every day, beyond what we are aware of. Every view we take of his infinite perfections, should remind us of his right to our love, the evil of sinning against him, and our need of his mercy and salvation.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 38

In this chapter the Lord takes up the controversy with Job; calls upon him to prepare to engage with him in it, and demands an answer to posing questions he puts to him, concerning the earth and the fabric of it, Job 38:1-7; concerning the sea, compared to an infant in embryo, at its birth, in its swaddling bands and cradle, Job 38:8-11; concerning the morning light, its spread and influence, Job 38:12-15; concerning the springs of the sea, the dark parts of the earth, the place both of light and darkness, Job 38:16-21; concerning the various meteors, snow, hail, rain, thunder, lightning, and the influences of the stars, Job 38:22-38; and concerning provision for lions and ravens, Job 38:40,41.