19 Where is the way H1870 where light H216 dwelleth? H7931 and as for darkness, H2822 where is the place H4725 thereof,
And God H430 said, H559 Let there be H1961 light: H216 and there was light. H216 And God H430 saw H7200 H853 the light, H216 that H3588 it was good: H2896 and God H430 divided H914 H996 the light H216 from H996 the darkness. H2822
And God H430 said, H559 Let there be lights H3974 in the firmament H7549 of the heaven H8064 to divide H914 the day H3117 from the night; H3915 and let them be for signs, H226 and for seasons, H4150 and for days, H3117 and years: H8141 And let them be for lights H3974 in the firmament H7549 of the heaven H8064 to give light H215 upon the earth: H776 and it was so. And God H430 made H6213 two H8147 great H1419 lights; H3974 the greater H1419 light H3974 to rule H4475 the day, H3117 and the lesser H6996 light H3974 to rule H4475 the night: H3915 he made the stars H3556 also. And God H430 set H5414 them in the firmament H7549 of the heaven H8064 to give light H215 upon the earth, H776 And to rule H4910 over the day H3117 and over the night, H3915 and to divide H914 the light H216 from the darkness: H2822 and God H430 saw H7200 that it was good. H2896
And lest thou lift up H5375 thine eyes H5869 unto heaven, H8064 and when thou seest H7200 the sun, H8121 and the moon, H3394 and the stars, H3556 even all the host H6635 of heaven, H8064 shouldest be driven H5080 to worship H7812 them, and serve H5647 them, which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hath divided H2505 unto all nations H5971 under the whole heaven. H8064
Hast thou commanded H6680 the morning H1242 since thy days; H3117 and caused the dayspring H7837 to know H3045 his place; H4725 That it might take hold H270 of the ends H3671 of the earth, H776 that the wicked H7563 might be shaken out H5287 of it?
He sent H7971 darkness, H2822 and made it dark; H2821 and they rebelled H4784 not against his word. H1697
I form H3335 the light, H216 and create H1254 darkness: H2822 I make H6213 peace, H7965 and create H1254 evil: H7451 I the LORD H3068 do H6213 all these things.
Give H5414 glory H3519 to the LORD H3068 your God, H430 before he cause darkness, H2821 and before your feet H7272 stumble H5062 upon the dark H5399 mountains, H2022 and, while ye look H6960 for light, H216 he turn H7760 it into the shadow of death, H6757 and make H7896 H7896 it gross darkness. H6205
All the bright H3974 lights H216 of heaven H8064 will I make dark H6937 over thee, and set H5414 darkness H2822 upon thy land, H776 saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD. H3069
For, lo, he that formeth H3335 the mountains, H2022 and createth H1254 the wind, H7307 and declareth H5046 unto man H120 what is his thought, H7808 that maketh H6213 the morning H7837 darkness, H5890 and treadeth H1869 upon the high places H1116 of the earth, H776 The LORD, H3068 The God H430 of hosts, H6635 is his name. H8034
That was G2258 the true G228 Light, G5457 which G3739 lighteth G5461 every man G3956 G444 that cometh G2064 into G1519 the world. G2889
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Job 38
Commentary on Job 38 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 38
In most disputes the strife is who shall have the last word. Job's friends had, in this controversy, tamely yielded it to Job, and then he to Elihu. But, after all the wranglings of the counsel at bar, the judge upon the bench must have the last word; so God had here, and so he will have in every controversy, for every man's judgment proceeds from him and by his definitive sentence every man must stand or fall and every cause be won or lost. Job had often appealed to God, and had talked boldly how he would order his cause before him, and as a prince would he go near unto him; but, when God took the throne, Job had nothing to say in his own defence, but was silent before him. It is not so easy a matter as some think it to contest with the Almighty. Job's friends had sometimes appealed to God too: "O that God would speak!' ch. 11:5. And now, at length, God does speak, when Job, by Elihu's clear and close arguings was mollified a little, and mortified, and so prepared to hear what God had to say. It is the office of ministers to prepare the way of the Lord. That which the great God designs in this discourse is to humble Job, and bring him to repent of, and to recant, his passionate indecent expressions concerning God's providential dealings with him; and this he does by calling upon Job to compare God's eternity with his own time, God's omniscience with his own ignorance, and God's omnipotence with his own impotency.
If, in these ordinary works of nature, Job was puzzled, how durst he pretend to dive into the counsels of God's government and to judge of them? In this (as bishop Patrick observes) God takes up the argument begun by Elihu (who came nearest to the truth) and prosecutes it in inimitable words, excelling his, and all other men's, in the loftiness of the style, as much as thunder does a whisper.
Job 38:1-3
Let us observe here,
Job 38:4-11
For the humbling of Job, God here shows him his ignorance even concerning the earth and the sea. Though so near, though so bulky, yet he could give no account of their origination, much less of heaven above or hell beneath, which are at such a distance, or of the several parts of matter which are so minute, and then, least of all, of the divine counsels.
Job 38:12-24
The Lord here proceeds to ask Job many puzzling questions, to convince him of his ignorance, and so to shame him for his folly in prescribing to God. If we will but try ourselves with such interrogatories as these, we shall soon be brought to own that what we know is nothing in comparison with what we know not. Job is here challenged to give an account of six things:-
Job 38:25-41
Hitherto God had put such questions to Job as were proper to convince him of his ignorance and short-sightedness. Now he comes, in the same manner, to show his impotency and weakness. As it is but little that he knows, and therefore he ought not to arraign the divine counsels, so it is but little that he can do, and therefore he ought not to oppose the proceedings of Providence. Let him consider what great things God does, and try whether he can do the like, or whether he thinks himself an equal match for him.