Job 38:4–11
God, from the storm, asks Job where he was when he founded the earth
Study it word by word4Where were you when I founded the earth? Declare it, if you know understanding.
5Who set its measurements, if you know? Or who stretched over it a line?
6On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone,
7when the stars of the morning shouted for joy together, and all the sons of Elohim shouted in acclamation?
8And who shut in the sea with doors when it burst forth, coming out from the womb,
9when I made the cloud its garment and thick cloud its swaddling band,
10and I imposed on it my limit, and set a bar and doors,
11and said, ‘As far as here you may come, and no farther; and here a limit shall be set to the haughtiness of your waves’?
In its context
2“Who is this that darkens counsel with words without knowledge?
3Gird up, please, your loins like a man; I will ask you, and you make known to me.
…
12Have you, since your days began, commanded the morning, made known to the dawn its place,
13so that it may seize the edges of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it?
Its words in the original
- אֵיפֹהefo· where?
Where? From what place?
- הָיִיתָhayita· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- יָסְדִyasdi· found, establish
Found, lay the foundations; also appoint, establish.
- אָרֶץarets· earth, land
The earth, in two senses: the whole world in contrast with the heavens, or a particular country or region ("the land of Egypt").
- הַגֵּדhaged· tell, declare
Tell, make known, report, declare; also explain.
- יָדַעְתָּyadata· know
Know. Not only having a fact: it is knowing by experience and closely; also recognize, care for, make known. So Hebrew also uses it for the intimate union of a man and his wife ("he knew his wife").
- בִינָהvina· understanding
Understanding: the ability to comprehend and to tell one thing from another.
- שָׂםsam· put, set
Put, place, set; appoint, establish; make something into something.
- מְמַדֶּיmemade· measurement
A measure, a measurement. It appears only once in the Bible (Job 38:5).
- נָטָהnata· stretch out, turn aside
Stretch out, spread; pitch a tent. Also bend, incline; turn aside, pervert (justice).
- קָּוkav· measuring line, rule
A measuring line, the cord stretched to lay out or check a work (2 Kings 21:13; Isaiah 34:11; Zechariah 1:16). Hence, measure or rule (Isaiah 28:10).
- אֲדָנֶיadane· base
Base, pedestal on which a board or a pillar rests; also the foundations of the earth (Job 38:6).
- הָטְבָּעוּhatbau· sink
Sink.
- יָרָהyara· shoot, throw; teach
Throw, cast, shoot arrows; also set or lay. From the same root comes "teach" (point out the way).
- אֶבֶןeven· stone
Stone; also a weight for scales.
- פִּנָּתָpinata· corner
Corner; also the chief stone of a corner or, figuratively, a leader.
- רָןran· shout for joy
Shout for joy, sing joyfully.
- יַחַדyachad· together
Together, at the same time.
- כּוֹכְבֵיkochve· star
Star.
- בֹקֶרvoker· morning
Morning, dawn.
- יָּרִיעוּyariu· shout, sound an alarm
Make a loud sound: shout for joy or in alarm, acclaim, sound the signal with the trumpet.
- בְּנֵיbene· son
Son. In the plural it can include sons and daughters, and also grandsons and descendants. "Son of..." also says what group someone belongs to ("sons of Israel" = Israelites).
- אֱלֹהִיםelohim· Elohim, God, gods
The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.
- יָּסֶךְyasech· cover, shelter
Cover to protect, screen; shelter.
- דְלָתַיִםdelatayim· door
Door: the leaf that closes an entrance.
- יָםyam· sea, west
Sea, or any great body of water (also a lake). Since the Mediterranean lies west of Israel, the word also means "west".
- גִיחgich· burst out
Burst out, break forth suddenly, like water that bursts out.
- רֶחֶםrechem· womb
Womb.
- יֵצֵאyetse· go out, bring out
Go out, come out. In the causative form, "make go out", "bring out", "lead out", "produce".
- עָנָןanan· cloud
Cloud.
- לְבֻשׁlevush· garment
Garment, clothing.
- עֲרָפֶלarafel· thick darkness
Thick, dark cloud; deep darkness.
- חֲתֻלָּתchatulat· swaddling band
A swaddling band, the strip of cloth wrapped around a newborn. It appears only once in the Bible (Job 38:9).
- אֶשְׁבֹּרeshbor· break
Break, shatter; break down.
- חֻקִּchuki· statute, allotted portion
What is fixed: an allotted portion, a rule, a statute; a limit.
- בְּרִיחַberiach· bar, bolt
Bar, crossbar; also the bolt of a gate.
- אֹמַרomar· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- תָבוֹאtavo· come, go in, bring
Come, arrive, go in, enter. In the causative form, "bring" or "carry in". "Go in to" a woman is to have marital relations with her.
- תֹסִיףtosif· add, do again
Add; do again, keep doing.
- יָשִׁיתyashit· put, set
Put, place, set; appoint.
- גְאוֹןgeon· majesty, pride
Majesty, greatness; in people, pride.
- גַּלֶּיgale· heap, wave
Heap of stones. In other passages, wave.