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Kretzmann's Popular Commentary

Job 38:17

Have the gates of death been opened unto thee, so that Job was familiar with the realm of the dead? Or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death, so that he could examine them and bring back the knowledge which is beyond death?

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See also Job 38:17 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Job 38:17. _HAVE THE GATES OF DEATH BEEN OPENED UNTO THEE?_] Dost thou know in what the article of _death_ consists? This is as inexplicable as the question, What is animal _life_? _THE DOORS...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    HAVE THE GATES OF DEATH BEEN OPENED UNTO THEE - That is, the gates of the world where death reigns; or the gates that lead to the abodes of the dead. The allusion here is to “Sheol,” or “Hades,” the d...

  • 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...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    DOORS. gates....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The deep and the underworld....

  • 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...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _have the gates of death_ Or, WERE the gates? Death is personified; it is Sheol, the place of the dead, ch. Job 28:22. This is a lower deep than the recesses of the sea; Job, no doubt, went down there...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    HAVE THE GATES OF DEATH BEEN OPENED UNTO THEE?— It has been objected against the famous passage in the 19th chapter, which we have interpreted of the doctrine of a resurrection, that neither Elihu nor...

  • 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.

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _HAVE THE GATES OF DEATH BEEN OPENED UNTO THEE? OR HAST THOU SEEN THE DOORS OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH?_ Seen. The second clause heightens the thought in the first. Man during life does not even "see" th...

  • 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...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    OPENED] RV 'revealed.' DEATH] Sheol, the place of the dead. 19-21. The abode of light and darkness....

  • 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 people go after their deaths. He thought that they remained in their graves (Job 3:16-19). Later, he thought about hell (Job 26:5-6). Job’s words seemed to confident. But Job di...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    הֲ נִגְל֣וּ לְ֭ךָ שַׁעֲרֵי ־מָ֑וֶת וְ שַׁעֲרֵ

  • 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

    DIVINE POWER AND HUMAN IGNORANCE Job 38:1 When the storm had ceased and the thunder was hushed, a voice spoke out of the golden splendor of the sky. See Job 37:21. Job had challenged God to answer hi...

  • 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...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Doors? Septuagint, "through fear; or have the porters of hell flown away at thy sight?" (Haydock)_...

  • 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

    HAVE THE GATES OF DEATH BEEN OPENED UNTO THEE?.... Meaning not by which death has entered into the world, and which have been the causes and occasion of it; as the sin of man, the appointment of God,...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death? Ver. 17. _Have the gates of death been opened unto thee_] _sc._ That thou shouldest know when, how,...

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

    _Have the gates of death been opened unto thee?_ Hath the earth opened all her dark caverns to thee? Or, hast thou ever gone down to the centre, or into the depths and bowels of that earth in which 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...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    Even far more mysterious and hidden is death itself, death here is pictured as having gates that open for its entrants. To this day modern man stands helpless and ignorant of death....

  • 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

    Hast thou seen, or dost thou perfectly know, the place and state of the dead, the depths and bowels of that earth in which the generality of dead men are buried, or the several ways and methods of dea...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 38:17 gates H8179 death H4194 revealed H1540 (H8738) seen H7200 (H8799) doors H8179 death H6757 the g

  • 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 Biblical Illustrator

    _Have the gates of death been opened unto thee?_ THE GATES OF DEATH The allusion here is to the state which in the Hebrew is called Sheol, and in the Greek, Hades; which means the dark abode of the...

  • 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

    Amos 5:8; Job 12:22; Job 3:5; Matthew 4:16; Psalms 107:10;...

  • 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

    Death — Hast thou seen, or dost thou know the place and state of the dead; the depths and bowels of that earth in which the generality of dead men are buried. Death is a grand secret? We know not when...

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