---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Job 38"
description: "CHAPTER 38   :-. 1. Jehovah appears unexpectedly
in a whirlwind (already gathering Job 37:1;
Job 37:2), the symbol of
\"judgment\" (Psalms 50:3;
Psalms 50:4"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/job/38"
---

CHAPTER 38

.

**1.** Jehovah appears unexpectedly
in a whirlwind (already gathering [Job 37:1](../../../kjv/job/37/1);
[Job 37:2](../../../kjv/job/37/2)), the symbol of
"judgment" ([Psalms 50:3](../../../kjv/psalms/50/3);
[Psalms 50:4](../../../kjv/psalms/50/4), c.), to which Job had
challenged Him. He asks him now to get himself ready for the contest.
Can he explain the phenomena of God's *natural* government? How
can he, then, hope to understand the principles of His *moral*
government? God thus confirms Elihu's sentiment, that *submission
to*, not *reasonings on,* God's ways is man's part. This and
the *disciplinary* design of trial to the godly is the great
lesson of this book. He does not solve the difficulty by reference to
future retribution: for this was not the immediate question *glimpses*
of that truth were already given in the fourteenth and nineteenth
chapters, the *full revelation* of it being reserved for Gospel
times. Yet even *now* we need to learn the lesson taught by
Elihu and God in Job.

**2. this**—Job.
**counsel**—impugning My
divine wisdom in the providential arrangements of the universe. Such
"words" (including those of the friends) rather obscure,
than throw light on My ways. God is about to be Job's Vindicator, but
must first bring him to a *right state of mind* for receiving
relief.

**3. a man**—*hero,* ready
for battle ([1 Corinthians 16:13](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/16/13)), as he
had wished ([Job 9:35](../../../kjv/job/9/35); [Job 13:22](../../../kjv/job/13/22);
[Job 31:37](../../../kjv/job/31/37)). The robe, usually
worn flowing, was girt up by a girdle when men ran, labored, or
fought ([1 Peter 1:13](../../../kjv/1-peter/1/13)).

**4.** To understand the cause of
things, man should have been present at their origin. The finite
creature cannot fathom the infinite wisdom of the Creator ([Job 28:12](../../../kjv/job/28/12);
[Job 15:7](../../../kjv/job/15/7); [Job 15:8](../../../kjv/job/15/8)).
**hast**—"knowest."
**understanding**— ([Job 15:8](../../../kjv/job/15/8)).

**5. measures**—of its
proportions. Image from an architect's plans of a building.
**line**—of measurement
([Isaiah 28:17](../../../kjv/isaiah/28/17)). The earth is
formed on an all-wise *plan.*

**6. foundations**—not "sockets,"
as *Margin.*
**fastened**—literally,
"made to sink," as a foundation-stone let down till it
settles firmly in the clay (). Gravitation makes and keeps the earth a sphere.

**7.** So at the founding of
Zerubbabel's temple (). So hereafter at the completion of the Church, the
temple of the Holy Ghost ([Zechariah 4:7](../../../kjv/zechariah/4/7));
as at its foundation ([Luke 2:13](../../../kjv/luke/2/13);
[Luke 2:14](../../../kjv/luke/2/14)).
**morning stars**—especially
beautiful. The creation *morn* is appropriately associated with
these, it being the *commencement* of this world's *day.*
The stars are figuratively said to sing God's praises, as in [Psalms 19:1](../../../kjv/psalms/19/1);
[Psalms 148:3](../../../kjv/psalms/148/3). They are symbols of
the angels, bearing the same relation to our earth, as angels do to
us. Therefore they answer to "sons of God," or angels, in
the parallel. See on [Job 38:2](../../../kjv/job/38/2).

**8. doors**—floodgates; these
when opened caused the flood (); or else, *the shores.*
**womb**—of chaos. The
bowels of the earth. Image from childbirth ([Job 38:8](../../../kjv/job/38/8);
[Job 38:9](../../../kjv/job/38/9); [Ezekiel 32:2](../../../kjv/ezekiel/32/2);
[Micah 4:10](../../../kjv/micah/4/10)). Ocean at its birth was
wrapped in clouds as its swaddling bands.

**10. brake up for**—that is,
appointed it. Shores are generally broken and abrupt cliffs. The
*Greek* for "shore" means "a broken place."
I *broke off* or measured off for it *my limit,* that is,
the limit which I thought fit ().

**11. stayed**—*Hebrew,* "a
limit shall be set to."

**12-15.** Passing from creation to
phenomena in the existing inanimate world.
**Hast thou**—as God daily
does.
**commanded the morning**—to
rise.
**since thy days**—since
thou hast come into being.
**his place**—It varies in
its place of rising from day to day, and yet it has its place each
day according to fixed laws.

**13. take hold of the ends,**
&c.—spread itself over the earth to its utmost bounds in a
moment.
**wicked**—who hate the
light, and do their evil works in the dark ().
**shaken out of it**—The
corners (*Hebrew,* "wings" or "skirts") of
it, as of a garment, are taken hold of by the dayspring, so as to
shake off the wicked.

**14.** Explaining the first clause
of [Job 38:13](../../../kjv/job/38/13), as [Job 38:13](../../../kjv/job/38/13) does the second clause. As the plastic clay presents the
various figures impressed on it by a seal, so the earth, which in the
dark was void of all form, when illuminated by the dayspring,
presents a variety of forms, hills, valleys, c.
**turned**—(*Hebrew,*
"turns itself") alludes to the rolling cylinder seal, such
as is found in Babylon, which leaves its impressions on the clay, as
it is turned about so the morning light rolling on over the earth.
**they stand**—The forms of
beauty, unfolded by the dawn, stand forth as a garment, in which the
earth is clad.

**15. their light**—by which they
work; namely, darkness, which is *their day* (), is extinguished by daylight.
**high**—Rather, "The
arm uplifted" for murder or other crime is broken; it falls down
suddenly, powerless, through their fear of light.

**16. springs**—fountains beneath
the sea ([Psalms 95:4](../../../kjv/psalms/95/4); [Psalms 95:5](../../../kjv/psalms/95/5)).
**search**—Rather, "the
inmost recesses"; literally, "that which is only found by
searching," the deep caverns of ocean.

**17. seen**—The second clause
heightens the thought in the first. Man during life does not even
"see" the gates of the realm of the dead ("death,"
[Job 10:21](../../../kjv/job/10/21)); much less are they
"opened" to him. But those are "naked before God"
([Job 26:6](../../../kjv/job/26/6)).

**18. Hast thou**—as God doth ().

**19-38.** The marvels in heaven.
"What is the way (to the place wherein) light dwelleth?"
The origin of light and darkness. In [Genesis 1:3-5](../../../kjv/genesis/1/3-5);
[Genesis 1:14-18](../../../kjv/genesis/1/14-18), "light"
is created distinct from, and previous to, light-emitting bodies, the
luminaries of heaven.

**20.** Dost thou know its place so
well as to be able to *guide,* ("take" as in ) it to (but UMBREIT,
"*reach* it in") its own boundary, that is, the limit
between light and darkness ()?

**21.** Or without the
interrogation, in an ironical sense [UMBREIT].
**then**—when I created
light and darkness ([Job 15:7](../../../kjv/job/15/7)).

**22. treasures**—storehouses,
from which God draws forth snow and hail. Snow is vapor congealed in
the air before it is collected in drops large enough to form hail.
Its shape is that of a crystal in endless variety of beautiful
figures. Hail is formed by rain falling through dry cold air.

**23. against the time of trouble**—the
time when I design to chastise men ([Exodus 9:18](../../../kjv/exodus/9/18);
[Joshua 10:11](../../../kjv/joshua/10/11); [Revelation 16:21](../../../kjv/revelation/16/21);
[Isaiah 28:17](../../../kjv/isaiah/28/17); [Psalms 18:12](../../../kjv/psalms/18/12);
[Psalms 18:13](../../../kjv/psalms/18/13); [Haggai 2:17](../../../kjv/haggai/2/17)).

**24. is . . . parted**—parts, so
as to diffuse itself over the whole earth, though seeming to come
from one point. Light travels from the sun to the earth, ninety
millions of miles, in eight minutes.
**which scattereth**—rather,
"And by what way the east wind (personified) spreads
(scattereth) itself." The light and east wind are associated
together, as both come from one quarter, and often arise together
([Jonah 4:8](../../../kjv/jonah/4/8)).

**25. waters**—Rain falls, not in
a mass on one spot, but in countless separate canals in the air
marked out for them.
**way for the lightning**—
([Job 28:26](../../../kjv/job/28/26)).

**26.** Since rain fails also on
places uninhabited by man, it cannot be that *man* guides its
course. Such rain, though man cannot explain the reason for it, is
not lost. *God* has some wise design in it.

**27.** As though the desolate
ground thirsted for God's showers. Personification. The beauty
imparted to the uninhabited desert pleases God, for whom primarily
all things exist, and He has ulterior designs in it.

**28.** Can any visible origin of
rain and dew be assigned by man? Dew is moisture, which was suspended
in the air, but becomes condensed on reaching the—in the
night—lower temperature of objects on the earth.

**29.** .

**30.** The unfrozen *waters are
hid* under the frozen, as *with* a covering of *stone.*
**frozen**—literally, "is
taken"; the particles take hold of one another so as to cohere.

**31. sweet influences**—the joy
diffused by spring, the time when the Pleiades appear. The Eastern
poets, Hafiz, Sadi, &c., describe them as "brilliant
rosettes." GESENIUS
translates: "bands" or "knot," which answers
better the parallelism. But *English Version* agrees better with
the *Hebrew.* The seven stars are closely "bound"
together (see on [Job 9:9](../../../kjv/job/9/9)).
"Canst thou bind or loose the tie?" "Canst thou loose
the bonds by which the constellation Orion (represented in the East
as an impious giant chained to the sky) is held fast?" (See on
[Job 9:9](../../../kjv/job/9/9)).

**32.** *Canst thou bring forth*
from their places or *houses* (*Mazzaloth,* , *Margin;* to which *Mazzaroth* here is
equivalent) into the sky the signs of the Zodiac at their respective
seasons—the twelve lodgings in which the sun successively stays, or
appears, in the sky?
**Arcturus**—Ursa Major.
**his sons?**—the three
stars in his tail. Canst thou make them appear in the sky? (). The great and less Bear are called by the Arabs "Daughters
of the Bier," the quadrangle being the bier, the three others
the mourners.

**33. ordinances**—which regulate
the alternations of seasons, c. ().
**dominion**—*controlling
influence* of the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon, &c., on the
earth (on the tides, weather) ([Genesis 1:16](../../../kjv/genesis/1/16)
[Psalms 136:7-9](../../../kjv/psalms/136/7-9)).

**34.** ; above [Job 22:11](../../../kjv/job/22/11),
metaphorically.

**35. Here we are**—at thy
disposal ([Isaiah 6:8](../../../kjv/isaiah/6/8)).

**36. inward parts . . . heart**—But
"dark clouds" ("shining phenomena") [UMBREIT];
"meteor" [MAURER],
referring to the consultation of these as signs of weather by the
husbandman ([Ecclesiastes 11:4](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/11/4)). But
*Hebrew* supports *English Version.* The connection is,
"Who hath given thee the intelligence to comprehend in any
degree the phenomena just specified?"
**heart**—not the usual
*Hebrew* word, but one from a root "to view";
perception.

**37.** Who appoints by his wisdom
the due measure of the clouds?
**stay**—rather, "empty";
literally, "lay down" or "incline" so as to pour
out.
**bottles of heaven**—rain-filled
clouds.

**38. groweth,** c.—rather, pour
itself into a mass by the rain, like molten metal then translate , "Who is it that *empties,*" c., "when,"
&c.? The *English Version,* however, is tenable: "*Is
caked into a mass*" by heat, like molten metal, *before*
the rain falls "Who is it that *can empty* the rain
vessels, and bring down rain *at such a time?*" ().

**39.** At , the instincts of animals. Is it thou that givest it
the instinct to hunt its prey? ().
**appetite**—literally,
"life," which depends on the *appetite*" ().

**40. lie in wait?**—for their
prey ([Psalms 10:9](../../../kjv/psalms/10/9)).

**41.** . Transition from the noble lioness to the croaking raven.
Though man dislikes it, as of ill omen, God cares for it, as for all
His creatures.

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