Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Surely you know, for you were already born! You have lived so many years! New Living Translation But of course you know all this! For you were born before it was all created, and you are so very experienced! English Standard Version You know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! Berean Standard Bible Surely you know, for you were already born! And the number of your days is great! King James Bible Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great? New King James Version Do you know it, because you were born then, Or because the number of your days is great? New American Standard Bible “You know, for you were born then, And the number of your days is great! NASB 1995 “You know, for you were born then, And the number of your days is great! NASB 1977 “You know, for you were born then, And the number of your days is great! Legacy Standard Bible You know, for you were born then, And the number of your days is great! Amplified Bible “You [must] know, since you were born then, And because you are so extremely old! Christian Standard Bible Don’t you know? You were already born; you have lived so long! Holman Christian Standard Bible Don’t you know? You were already born; you have lived so long! American Standard Version Doubtless, thou knowest, for thou wast then born, And the number of thy days is great! Contemporary English Version I'm certain you must be able to, since you were already born when I created everything. English Revised Version Doubtless, thou knowest, for thou wast then born, and the number of thy days is great! GOD'S WORD® Translation You must know because you were born then and have lived such a long time! Good News Translation I am sure you can, because you're so old and were there when the world was made! International Standard Version You should know! After all, you had been born back then, so the number of your days is great! NET Bible You know, for you were born before them; and the number of your days is great! New Heart English Bible Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great. Webster's Bible Translation Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great? Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleSurely you know, for you were already born! And the number of your days is great! World English Bible Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionYou have known—for then you are born, "" And the number of your days [are] many! Young's Literal Translation Thou hast known -- for then thou art born And the number of thy days are many! Smith's Literal Translation Knewest thou? for shalt thou then be born, and the number of thy days great? Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleDidst thou know then that thou shouldst be born ? and didst thou know the number of thy days? Catholic Public Domain Version So then, did you know when you were to be born? And did you know the number of your days? New American Bible You know, because you were born then, and the number of your days is great! New Revised Standard Version Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleDo you remember when you were born, and do you know if you will live many days? Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And if you know when you were conceived, and the number of your days, if they are many? OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Thou knowest it, for thou wast then born, And the number of thy days is great! Brenton Septuagint Translation I know then that thou wert born at that time, and the number of thy years is great. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context God Challenges Job…20so you can lead it back to its border? Do you know the paths to its home? 21Surely you know, for you were already born! And the number of your days is great! 22Have you entered the storehouses of snow or observed the storehouses of hail,… Cross References Isaiah 40:14 Whom did He consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the paths of justice? Who imparted knowledge to Him and showed Him the way of understanding? Proverbs 8:22-31 The LORD created me as His first course, before His works of old. / From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, before the earth began. / When there were no watery depths, I was brought forth, when no springs were overflowing with water. ... Psalm 104:5-9 He set the earth on its foundations, never to be moved. / You covered it with the deep like a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. / At Your rebuke the waters fled; at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away— ... Jeremiah 10:12-13 The LORD made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding. / When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses. Romans 11:33-36 O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways! / “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?” / “Who has first given to God, that God should repay him?” ... Isaiah 45:7-12 I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things. / Drip down, O heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open up that salvation may sprout and righteousness spring up with it; I, the LORD, have created it. / Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker—one clay pot among many. Does the clay ask the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’? ... Psalm 33:6-9 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth. / He piles up the waters of the sea; He puts the depths into storehouses. / Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere Him. ... Colossians 1:16-17 For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. / He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. / “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. Psalm 139:1-6 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me. / You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar. / You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways. ... 1 Corinthians 2:16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. Isaiah 46:9-10 Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. / I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’ Psalm 147:4-5 He determines the number of the stars; He calls them each by name. / Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit. Hebrews 1:10-12 And: “In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. / They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. / You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed; but You remain the same, and Your years will never end.” Proverbs 3:19-20 The LORD founded the earth by wisdom and established the heavens by understanding. / By His knowledge the watery depths were broken open, and the clouds dripped with dew. Treasury of Scripture Know you it, because you were then born? or because the number of your days is great? Job 38:4,12 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding… Job 15:7 Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills? Jump to Previous Already Birth Born Doubt Doubtless Great Surely WastJump to Next Already Birth Born Doubt Doubtless Great Surely WastJob 38 1. God challenges Job to answer4. God, by his mighty works, convinces Job of ignorance 31. and weakness Surely you know, This phrase is part of God's response to Job, highlighting Job's limited understanding compared to God's infinite wisdom. It emphasizes the theme of human limitation in comprehending divine mysteries. This rhetorical question underscores the irony, as Job, a mere human, cannot possibly know the intricacies of creation and the universe. This aligns with other biblical passages that stress God's omniscience, such as Isaiah 55:8-9, where God's thoughts and ways are higher than human understanding. for you were already born! And the number of your days is great! Persons / Places / Events 1. JobA man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central human figure in the Book of Job, experiencing intense suffering and questioning God's justice. 2. God The Almighty Creator who speaks to Job out of the whirlwind, challenging Job's understanding and perspective on divine wisdom and creation. 3. Whirlwind The medium through which God speaks to Job, symbolizing God's power and majesty. 4. Creation The context of God's discourse, where He questions Job about the mysteries and wonders of the natural world, emphasizing His sovereignty and wisdom. 5. The Heavens Part of God's creation, often referenced in God's speeches to highlight His omnipotence and the limitations of human understanding. Teaching Points God's Omniscience and OmnipotenceGod possesses complete knowledge and power, far beyond human comprehension. This should lead us to humility and trust in His plans. Human Limitations Recognizing our limited understanding should drive us to rely on God's wisdom rather than our own insights. The Importance of Perspective God's questions to Job remind us to view our circumstances from a divine perspective, acknowledging that God's ways are higher than ours. Trust in God's Sovereignty Even when we do not understand our suffering or circumstances, we can trust that God is in control and His purposes are good. The Role of Faith in Uncertainty Faith involves trusting God even when we lack answers, believing that He knows the number of our days and has a plan for our lives. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Job 38:21?2. How does Job 38:21 challenge our understanding of God's omniscience and authority? 3. What does God's questioning in Job 38:21 reveal about human limitations? 4. How can Job 38:21 inspire humility in our daily walk with God? 5. Connect Job 38:21 with Proverbs 3:5-6 on trusting God's wisdom over ours. 6. How can acknowledging God's omniscience in Job 38:21 impact our decision-making process? 7. How does Job 38:21 challenge human understanding of God's omniscience and eternal nature? 8. What does Job 38:21 imply about human limitations in comprehending divine wisdom? 9. How does Job 38:21 reflect God's authority over creation and time? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Job 38? 11. What does the Bible say about climate change? 12. Will there be no more sea? 13. Jeremiah 32:18-19: How can God be described as both 'great in counsel' and 'mighty in deed' when injustice and tragedy are still prevalent in the world? 14. What does the Bible say about astronomy? What Does Job 38:21 Mean Surely you know• God’s opening words in Job 38:21 drip with gentle irony. After asking Job about the storehouses of snow and hail (Job 38:22–23), the Lord mockingly assumes Job must already grasp such mysteries. • The statement highlights the vast gap between divine and human understanding, echoing earlier confessions that “the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom” (Job 28:28) and that God’s thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8–9). • Similar divine challenges appear in Job 38:2, “Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge?” and in Romans 11:33, where Paul marvels, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!”—all underscoring that true knowledge begins with acknowledging God’s supremacy. for you were already born! • The Lord’s sarcasm underlines that Job was not present at creation. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” (Job 38:4) confronts Job with his temporal limits. • Bildad had earlier asked, “Are you the first man ever born?” (Job 8:8–9), and Eliphaz quipped, “Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills?” (Job 15:7). God now makes the same point: only the Creator witnessed the dawn of creation (Psalm 90:2; John 1:1–3; Colossians 1:16). • By exposing Job’s absence at creation, the Lord reminds every reader that all human insight is secondhand and derivative. And the number of your days is great! • The phrase keeps the ironic tone: compared to the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9; Psalm 102:25–27), our lives are fleeting. “For we are but of yesterday and know nothing” (Job 8:9) and “You have made my days a few handbreadths” (Psalm 39:4–5) echo this brevity. • God contrasts His eternal existence with Job’s finite lifespan: while human days might reach “seventy years, or eighty if we have strength” (Psalm 90:10), the Lord remains “from everlasting to everlasting” (Psalm 90:2). • Recognizing our mortality fuels humility and dependence on the God whose “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). summary Job 38:21 delivers a three–fold rhetorical sting: “Surely you know,” “for you were already born,” and “the number of your days is great.” Each phrase exposes the limitations of human knowledge, presence, and longevity when set beside the omniscience, omnipresence, and eternality of God. The verse calls believers to humble awe, trusting the Creator whose wisdom towers above every human insight and whose purposes—though often mysterious—are always righteous and true. (21) Knowest thou it?--It is better to read this verse without an interrogation, as sublime irony. "Doubtless thou knowest all this, for thou wast born then, and the number of thy days is so great!"Verse 21. - Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? The irony that has underlain the whole address comes here to the surface, and shows itself palpably. Job, of course, is as old as the Almighty, or, at any rate, coeval with creation; otherwise he could not presume to take the tone which he has taken, and arraign the moral government of the Creator. Or because the number of thy days is great! Compare the sarcasm of Eliphaz (Job 15:7).Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Surely you know,יָ֭דַעְתָּ (yā·ḏa‘·tā) Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 3045: To know for כִּי־ (kî-) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction you were already אָ֣ז (’āz) Adverb Strong's 227: At that time, place, therefore born! תִּוָּלֵ֑ד (tiw·wā·lêḏ) Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage And the number וּמִסְפַּ֖ר (ū·mis·par) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 4557: A number, definite, indefinite, narration of your days יָמֶ֣יךָ (yā·me·ḵā) Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 3117: A day is great! רַבִּֽים׃ (rab·bîm) Adjective - masculine plural Strong's 7227: Much, many, great Links Job 38:21 NIVJob 38:21 NLT Job 38:21 ESV Job 38:21 NASB Job 38:21 KJV Job 38:21 BibleApps.com Job 38:21 Biblia Paralela Job 38:21 Chinese Bible Job 38:21 French Bible Job 38:21 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Job 38:21 Surely you know for you were born (Jb) |
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