Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. New Living Translation “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. English Standard Version “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Berean Standard Bible Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. King James Bible Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. New King James Version “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. New American Standard Bible “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, NASB 1995 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, NASB 1977 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Legacy Standard Bible Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you know understanding, Amplified Bible “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you know and have understanding. Christian Standard Bible Where were you when I established the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Holman Christian Standard Bible Where were you when I established the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. American Standard Version Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding. Contemporary English Version How did I lay the foundation for the earth? Were you there? English Revised Version Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. GOD'S WORD® Translation "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you have [such] insight. Good News Translation Were you there when I made the world? If you know so much, tell me about it. International Standard Version "Where were you when I laid the foundation of my earth? Tell me, since you're so informed! Majority Standard Bible Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. NET Bible "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you possess understanding! New Heart English Bible "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding. Webster's Bible Translation Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. World English Bible “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionWhere were you when I founded the earth? Declare, if you have known understanding. Young's Literal Translation Where wast thou when I founded earth? Declare, if thou hast known understanding. Smith's Literal Translation Where wert thou in my founding the earth? Announce, if thou knewest understanding. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleWhere wast thou when I laid up the foundations of the earth ? tell me if thou hast understanding. Catholic Public Domain Version Where were you, when I set the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. New American Bible Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. New Revised Standard Version “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleWhere were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Where were you when I was laying the foundations of the Earth? Show me, if you know understanding OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast the understanding. Brenton Septuagint Translation Where wast thou when I founded the earth? tell me now, if thou hast knowledge, Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context God Challenges Job…3Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me. 4Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. 5Who fixed its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched a measuring line across it?… Cross References Proverbs 8:27-29 I was there when He established the heavens, when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, / when He established the clouds above, when the fountains of the deep gushed forth, / when He set a boundary for the sea, so that the waters would not surpass His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth. Psalm 104:5 He set the earth on its foundations, never to be moved. Isaiah 40:21-22 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the foundation of the earth? / He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Genesis 1:1-10 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. / Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. / And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ... Jeremiah 10:12 The LORD made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding. 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. ... Isaiah 45:12 It is I who made the earth and created man upon it. It was My hands that stretched out the heavens, and I ordained all their host. 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. Psalm 102:25 In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. Isaiah 44:24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who by Myself spread out the earth, John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. / He was with God in the beginning. / Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. Nehemiah 9:6 You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You. Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse. Psalm 89:11 The heavens are Yours, and also the earth. The earth and its fullness You founded. Treasury of Scripture Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if you have understanding. Where Proverbs 8:22,29,30 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old… Proverbs 30:4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell? I Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Psalm 102:25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. Psalm 104:5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever. hast. Jump to Previous Base Declare Earth Earth's Foundation Foundations Founded Laid Understand Understanding WastJump to Next Base Declare Earth Earth's Foundation Foundations Founded Laid Understand Understanding WastJob 38 1. God challenges Job to answer4. God, by his mighty works, convinces Job of ignorance 31. and weakness Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? This phrase is part of God's response to Job, highlighting the vast difference between divine wisdom and human understanding. The "foundations of the earth" metaphorically refer to the creation of the world, emphasizing God's role as the Creator. This echoes Genesis 1:1, where God is depicted as the initiator of creation. The imagery of laying foundations suggests stability and order, contrasting with the chaos Job perceives in his life. This question challenges Job's limited perspective and reminds readers of the divine sovereignty and omnipotence. The rhetorical nature of the question underscores human limitations in comprehending the full scope of God's creation. Tell Me, if you have understanding. 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 Creator and Sustainer of the universe, who speaks to Job out of the whirlwind, challenging Job's understanding and perspective on divine wisdom and power. 3. The Foundations of the Earth A metaphorical reference to the creation of the world, emphasizing God's role as the architect and builder of the universe. 4. The Whirlwind The medium through which God speaks to Job, symbolizing divine power and majesty. 5. The Book of Job A poetic and philosophical text in the Old Testament that explores themes of suffering, justice, and the nature of God. Teaching Points God's Sovereignty and WisdomGod's question to Job underscores His unmatched wisdom and authority as the Creator. It reminds us of our limited understanding and the need to trust in His sovereign plan. Human Limitations The rhetorical nature of God's question highlights human limitations in comprehending divine mysteries. We are called to humility and faith in God's greater purposes. The Role of Creation in Revealing God The foundations of the earth serve as a testament to God's power and creativity. Observing creation can lead us to a deeper appreciation of His majesty and care. Trust in Times of Suffering Job's account encourages believers to trust in God's wisdom, even when His ways are beyond our understanding, especially during trials and suffering. The Importance of Perspective God's response to Job shifts the focus from human suffering to divine perspective, teaching us to seek God's viewpoint in our circumstances.(4) Where wast thou?--The comparison of the creation of the world to the building of an edifice is such a concession to the feebleness of man as serves of itself to heighten the effect of the inevitable answer to the question preferred.Verse 4. - Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Wast thou present? Didst thou witness it? If not, what canst thou know concerning it? And if thou knowest nothing of creation, what canst thou know of deeper things? The metaphor, by which the creation of the earth is compared to the foundation of an edifice, is a common one (Psalm 102:25; Psalm 104:5; Proverbs 8:29: Isaiah 48:13; Isaiah 51:13, 16; Zechariah 12:1; Hebrews 1:10, etc.), and is to be viewed as a concession to human weakness, creation itself, as it actually took place, being inconceivable. Declare, if thou hast understanding. That is, if thou hast any knowledge on the subject (comp. ver. 18). Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Whereאֵיפֹ֣ה (’ê·p̄ōh) Interrogative Strong's 375: What place?, when?, how? were you הָ֭יִיתָ (hā·yî·ṯā) Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be when I laid the foundations בְּיָסְדִי־ (bə·yā·sə·ḏî-) Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singular Strong's 3245: To set, to found, to sit down together, settle, consult of the earth? אָ֑רֶץ (’ā·reṣ) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 776: Earth, land Tell [Me], הַ֝גֵּ֗ד (hag·gêḏ) Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular Strong's 5046: To be conspicuous if אִם־ (’im-) Conjunction Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not you have understanding. יָדַ֥עְתָּ (yā·ḏa‘·tā) Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 3045: To know Links Job 38:4 NIVJob 38:4 NLT Job 38:4 ESV Job 38:4 NASB Job 38:4 KJV Job 38:4 BibleApps.com Job 38:4 Biblia Paralela Job 38:4 Chinese Bible Job 38:4 French Bible Job 38:4 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Job 38:4 Where were you when I laid (Jb) |
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