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Commentary Critical and Explanatory

Job 38:20

That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?

Dost thou know their place (the place of darkness and light) so well as to be able to guide ("take" х laaqach (H3947)], as in Isaiah 36:17) them to (but Umbreit, 'reach it in') their own boundary? - i:e., the limit between light and darkness (Job 26:10).

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See also Job 38:20 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Job 38:20. _SHOULDEST TAKE IT TO THE BOUND THEREOF?_] Or, as Mr. _Good_, translates, "That thou shouldest lay hold of it in its boundary." That thou shouldest go to the very spot where _light_...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THAT THOU SHOULDEST TAKE IT TO THE BOUNDS THEREOF - Margin, “or, at.” The sense seems to be this: God asks Job whether he was so well acquainted with the sources of light, and the place where it dwelt...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    V. THE LORD'S TESTIMONY TO JOB AND CONTROVERSY WITH HIM CHAPTER 38:1-38 _ 1. The Lord speaks to Job (Job 38:1)_ 2. The questions of the Lord (Job 38:4) Job 38:1. The voice of man is hushed; the voi...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    THE WONDERS OF THE INANIMATE CREATION. Where was Job when the earth was made? The work of creation is described as the building of a house. In Job 38:7 the stars, which are older than the world (contr...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _take it to the bound thereof_ The second clause, the path _to_its house, suggests that the _bound_or border of light is not the furthest limit _to_which it flows forth, but its own place of abode, th...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The wonders of the heavens....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Light and darkness....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    A survey of the inanimate creation, the wonders of earth and sky the earth, Job 38:4; the heavens, Job 38:18...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THAT THOU SHOULDEST TAKE IT TO THE BOUND THEREOF— _Surely thou canst guide us to its border: yea, certainly thou canst shew the roads which lead to its dwelling._...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    _THE SHATTERING OF SILENCE_ VI. THE PRESENCE OF GOD AND THE PENITENCE OF JOB (Job 38:1, Job 42:6) A. INTEGRITY, CERTAINTY, AND KNOWLEDGE (Job 38:1, Job 40:2) 1.

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    TAKE IT TO THE BOUND THEREOF] i.e. track it....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE FIRST SPEECH OF THE ALMIGHTY (JOB 38:39) The marvels of creation, which witness to the infinite wisdom, power, and watchful care of the Creator, are presented to Job in such a way as to force fro...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    JOB, A SERVANT OF GOD Job _KEITH SIMONS_ Words in boxes (except for words in brackets) are from the Bible. This commentary has been through Advanced Checking. CHAPTER 38 GOD BEGINS HIS SPEECH...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Job did not know where the sun went after nightfall. Today we know that the sun is lighting the opposite side of the world. And Job did not know what happens to the darkness during the day....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THAT THOU SHOULDEST TAKE _IT_ — i.e., go with or track it....

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    כִּ֣י תִ֭קָּחֶנּוּ אֶל ־גְּבוּלֹ֑ו וְ כִֽי ־ת

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    XXVII. "MUSIC IN THE BOUNDS OF LAW" Job 38:1 OVER the shadowed life of Job, and the world shadowed for him by his own intellectual and moral gloom, a storm sweeps, and from the storm issues a voice....

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    WHAT MAN CANNOT DO Job 38:19 In this chapter a number of nature-pictures pass before us. These include the creation of the earth, Job 38:4; the sea, Job 38:8; light,...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Here begins the third movement in the great drama, that which deals with the controversy between Jehovah and Job. Out of the midst of the whirlwind the divine voice speaks. Its first word is a challen...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    That thou (n) shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths [to] the house thereof? (n) That you might appoint its highways and limits....

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (4) В¶ Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. (5) Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? ...

  • John Brown Commentaries Selected Books of the Bible

    God Speaks Job Repents I. INTRODUCTION A. Last week we covered a lot of territory! 1. We finished with Elihu's speeches to Job and found that, although he was a lot more accurate in what he had to...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 38 THROUGH 42. Jehovah then speaks, and addressing Job, carries on the subject. He makes Job sensible of his nothingness. Job confesses himself to be vile, an...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THAT THOU SHOULDEST TAKE IT TO THE BOUND THEREOF,.... Either darkness, or rather the light; take it as it were by the hand, and guide and direct its course to its utmost bound. This only the Lord can...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths [to] the house thereof? Ver. 20. _That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof_] That thou shouldest take...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _That thou shouldest take it_ That is, _bring_, or _lead_ it, namely, principally the light, and secondarily the darkness, as the consequent of it, _to the bound thereof?_ That is, through its whole c...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    that thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, tracing both light and darkness to the place where they originated, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof? In spite of the most...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    GOD'S MAJESTY IN THE FORCES OF NATUREV. 16. HAST THOU ENTERED INTO THE SPRINGS OF THE SEA, the great fountains of the deep, Genesis 7, 11? OR HAST THOU WALKED IN THE SEARCH OF THE DEPTH, to examine th...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    Marvellously, God Himself directly intervenes in this discussion so early in the history of man. The storm that had been brewing as Elihu spoke becomes a whirlwind, and God spoke to Job out of the whi...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    TO: Or, at...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    12-24 The Lord questions Job, to convince him of his ignorance, and shame him for his folly in prescribing to God. If we thus try ourselves, we shall soon be brought to own that what we know is nothi...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THAT THOU SHOULDEST TAKE IT, i.e. taking, bring or lead it, as this verb is oft used, as EXODUS 25:2 PSALMS 68:29, compared with Ephesians 4:11...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 38:20 take H3947 (H8799) territory H1366 know H995 (H8799) paths H5410 home H1004 it to - or, it at the bound -...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: God's challenge to Job. CHARACTERS: God, Job. CONCLUSION: Those who try to call God to account, will be called to account. Seeking to establish one's own character and darkening the counse...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Job 38:1. _The whirlwind._ Clouds and flames are the chariots of the Lord, in deigning to speak with men. When he spake to Elijah in Horeb, it was with wind, and fire, and earthquake. Likewise in Psal...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 38:12 The Lord reminds Job that he cannot see fully what the Lord is doing about justice and judgment (see vv. Job 38:13,...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _JEHOVAH’S ADDRESS TO JOB_ Elihu had now said all he intended. Possibly interrupted by the storm which had been gathering during his speech. Out of the storm-cloud, from which already issued thunders...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    CLOSE OF THE CONTROVERSY BY THE INTERFERENCE OF THE ALMIGHTY. EXPOSITION The discourse, by which the Almighty answers Job and rebukes his "friends," occupies four chapters (ch. 38-41.). It is broken...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou m...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Genesis 10:19; Genesis 23:17...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    GOD SPEAKS TO JOB Job 38:1 _to Job 42:1_ INTRODUCTORY WORDS God's words to Job do not carry much by way of the explanation of redemption. Job was a child of God, and well-instructed on those lines....

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Take it — Bring or lead it: and this it refers principally to the light, and to darkness, as the consequent of the other. Bound — Its whole course from the place of its abode whence it is supposed to...

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