God Speaks from the Storm
Study note
At last, the moment everyone has been waiting for -- God speaks. He answers Job out of a powerful whirlwind. But instead of explaining why Job suffered, God asks questions. His first words are: 'Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?' God tells Job to brace himself like a man, because God has questions for him.
1 Then the Lord himself answered Job right out of the middle of a whirlwind and said, Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
2 'Who is this person clouding up my plans with words that show no understanding?' Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
3 'Stand up and face me like a man. I am going to ask the questions now, and you are going to give me the answers.' Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
Where Were You When I Made the Earth?
Study note
God asks Job a breathtaking series of questions about creation. Where was Job when God laid the earth's foundations? Who measured it? Who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang and the angels shouted for joy? Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst from the womb? Has Job ever commanded the morning or shown the dawn its place? Has Job entered the springs of the sea or walked in the deepest depths?
4 'Where were you when I laid the very foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you truly understand.' Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 'Who decided its measurements? Surely you must know! Who ran the measuring line across it?' Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6 'What were its foundations sunk into? Who set its cornerstone in place,' Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7 'The morning stars sang together. Every angel shouted for joy!' When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 'Who built the doors to hold back the sea when it came bursting out like a baby from the womb,' Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
9 'when I dressed it in clouds and wrapped it up tight in thick darkness,' When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
10 'when I drew the line it could not cross and locked it behind doors and bars,' And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,
11 'when I told it, "You can come this far, but not one step further. Right here is where your proud waves will stop"?' And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
12 'Have you ever, at any point in your life, commanded the morning to start? Have you ever told the dawn exactly where to appear,' Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;
13 'so that it grabs the earth by the edges and shakes the wicked out of it like crumbs from a tablecloth?' That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
14 'The earth changes shape the way soft clay does when a seal is pressed into it. Its features stand out like the folds of a garment.' It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.
15 'The light that wicked people count on is taken from them, and the arm they raised to do harm is snapped.' And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.
16 'Have you ever traveled down to where the ocean springs come up? Have you walked along the deepest floor of the sea?' Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?
17 'Have the gates of death ever been swung open for you to look through? Have you seen the gates that guard the deepest darkness?' Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18 'Can you even begin to grasp how enormous the earth is? Tell me, if you know all of this.' Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.
Light, Weather, and Stars
Study note
God continues: Where does light live? Where does darkness reside? Has Job entered the storehouses of snow or hail? Can Job bind the beautiful Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion? Can Job bring out the constellations in their season? Does Job know the laws of the heavens? Can he command the clouds to pour out rain? Who puts wisdom in the mind or gives understanding to the heart?
19 'Where is the road that leads to the home of light? And where exactly does darkness live,' Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
20 'so that you could escort each one back to its own place and guide it safely home?' That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?
21 'You must know all this already, right? After all, you were born way back then! You have been around for so many years!' Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?
22 'Have you ever visited the warehouses where I store the snow? Have you seen the stockpiles of hail I keep,' Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
23 'which I have been saving up for times of crisis, for days of battle and war?' Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
24 'What path does lightning take as it splits apart? How does the east wind get spread out across the entire earth?' By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?
25 'Who digs the channels that floodwaters rush through? Who lays out the road for a thunderstorm,' Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
26 'He sends rain to places where no one lives, to deserts that are completely empty of people.' To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
27 'just to soak the dry, parched ground and coax tender green grass up out of the earth?' To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
28 'Does rain have a father? Who is responsible for making the drops of dew?' Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
29 'Whose body does ice come from? Who gives birth to the frost that falls from the sky?' Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
30 'Water turns hard as stone, and the surface of the deep ocean freezes solid.' The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
31 'Can you tie the beautiful Pleiades together in a chain? Can you undo the belts that hold Orion in place?' Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
32 'Can you bring out each group of stars on schedule? Can you guide the Great Bear and her little cubs across the sky?' Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?
33 'Do you understand the laws that run the heavens? Can you take those laws and apply them here on earth?' Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?
34 'Can you raise your voice to the clouds and make a wall of water come crashing down on you?' Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
35 'Can you launch bolts of lightning and have them come back and say, "Ready for duty"?' Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?
36 'Who planted wisdom deep inside the mind? Who gave the heart its ability to understand?' Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?
37 'Who is smart enough to count every cloud? Who can tip over the water jars of heaven' Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,
38 'when the dirt below bakes hard and all the clumps of earth stick together?' When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?
Who Feeds the Animals?
Study note
God turns to the animal world. Can Job hunt prey for the lion? Can Job feed the raven's young when they cry out to God and wander about for food? God's point is clear: he sustains all of creation in ways Job cannot even imagine.
39 'Can you go hunting to fill the belly of a mother lion? Can you satisfy the hunger of her young cubs' Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,
40 'while they crouch in their dens or lie in wait, hidden in the brush?' When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?
41 'Who puts food out for the ravens when their babies cry out to God, wandering around because they have nothing to eat?' Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.