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Kretzmann's Popular Commentary

Job 38:21

Knowest thou it because thou wast then born? Was Job present at the creation of light, so that he understood all its secrets, or because the number of thy days is great? In a sharply ironical veil the Lord reminds Job of the fact that he is not eternal and therefore could not possess the information to which reference is here made.

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See also Job 38:21 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Job 38:21. _KNOWEST THOU_] This is another strong and biting irony, and the literal translation proves it: "Thou knowest, because thou was then born; and the number of thy days is great," or _mu...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    KNOWEST THOU IT, BECAUSE THOU WAST THEN BORN? - This may either be a question, or it may be spoken ironically. According to the former mode of rendering it, it is the same as asking Job whether he had...

  • 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

    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

    Light and darkness....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The verse is ironical, Thou knowest; for thou wast then born, And the number of thy days is great. The words "thou knowest" refer to the question, Job 38:19, Which is the way …? Job knows the way t...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The wonders of the heavens....

  • 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

    _KNOWEST THOU IT, BECAUSE THOU WAST THEN BORN? OR BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF THY DAYS IS GREAT?_ Or, without the interrogation, in an ironical sense (Umbreit). THEN - when I created light and darkness ...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    KNOWEST THOU _it_] RV '_Doubtless_ thou knowest': spoken ironically. 22-30. The secrets of show and hail, rain and frost....

  • 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

    God was using humour in this verse. The men thought that older people would be wiser (Job 12:12). Job spoke as if he was a very wise man. God joked that Job could not be old enough to be that wise! G...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    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!”...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    יָ֭דַעְתָּ כִּי ־אָ֣ז תִּוָּלֵ֑ד וּ מִסְפַּ֖ר...

  • 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...

  • 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

    KNOWEST THOU [IT], BECAUSE THOU WAST THEN BORN?.... When light and darkness were first separated, and had their several apartments assigned them; their laws and rules given them, and their bounds and...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Knowest thou [it], because thou wast then born? or [because] the number of thy days [is] great? Ver. 21. _Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born?_] Beza readeth it thus, These things, forsooth,...

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

    _Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born?_ An ironical question. If thou pretendest that thou knowest these things, how camest thou by this knowledge? Was it because thou didst then exist in the...

  • 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

    Here is God's way of ironically affirming that Job did not know, since he was not around, when God set the earth's rotation in motion. His years were few compared to God's eternal nature. Note that if...

  • 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

    An ironical question: If thou pretendest that thou knowest these things, and canst readily answer these questions, how comest thou by this knowledge? Was it from hence, because thou wast born when I m...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 38:21 know H3045 (H8804) born H3205 (H8735) number H4557 days H3117 great H7227...

  • 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

    Job 15:7; Job 38:12; Job 38:4...

  • 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....

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