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Read Job Chapter 38

Up and down arrows move from one verse to the next.

1Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

2Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

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

4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

5Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

6Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

7When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

8Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

9When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

10And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,

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

12Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;

13That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?

14It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.

15And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.

16Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

17Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

18Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.

19Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,

20That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?

21Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?

22Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,

23Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

24By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?

25Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;

26To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;

27To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?

28Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

29Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?

30The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

31Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?

32Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?

33Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

34Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

35Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?

36Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?

37Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,

38When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

39Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,

40When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?

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

You are readingKing James Version

Explanation

Job 38

In short

After Job has complained that God is unfair, God speaks to him directly from a whirlwind. God does not answer Job's questions about suffering. Instead, God challenges Job with question after question about nature, creation, and the forces of the world, making the point that Job does not understand how the world works.

What the text says

In verses 1 to 3, the LORD speaks to Job and tells him to listen carefully because God will now ask Job questions and expects answers. Verse 2 says Job has "darkened counsel by words without knowledge," meaning he has spoken about matters he does not understand.

From verse 4 onward, God asks Job a series of questions. Was Job present when God laid "the foundations of the earth"? Who measured the earth, or who set its boundaries (verses 4 to 6)? Who was there "when the morning stars sang together" (verse 7)? These questions refer to the time of creation.

Verses 8 to 11 ask about the sea: who shut it up with doors, gave it limits, and made it stay within bounds? Verses 12 to 15 ask if Job has commanded the morning or dawn to appear. Verses 16 to 20 ask if Job has explored the depths of the sea or found where light and darkness dwell. Verses 21 to 30 ask about snow, hail, rain, ice, and frost, asking if Job knows where these are stored or how they form.

Verses 31 to 33 ask about stars and heaven's laws. Verses 34 to 38 ask if Job can control lightning, clouds, and rain. Verses 39 to 41 shift to animals: can Job hunt for lions or provide food for the raven? The point of all these questions is that Job cannot do these things.

Takeaways

  • God does not defend himself or explain why Job suffers, but shows that Job is ignorant of how creation and nature work.
  • The questions pile up to show Job how small his understanding is compared to God's knowledge and power.
  • Job's complaint assumes he understands the world well enough to judge God, but God suggests this assumption is false.

Explanation written with the help of AI. The Bible text above is not changed. Context and interpretation are flagged as such; always come back to the text itself.