TRV
- English
- King James KJV
- Complete Jewish CJB
- World English WEBM
- Berean Standard BSB
- American Standard ASV
- Geneva GNV
- Young's Literal YLT
- Douay-Rheims DRC
- International
- Shqip ALB
- العربية SVD
- বাংলা BN-IRV
- မြန်မာ Judson
- 简体文 CUV-S
- 繁體中文 CUV-T
- Čeština BKR
- Nederlands STVE
- Français LSG
- Deutsch SCH
- Ελληνικά Vamvas
- ગુજરાતી GU-IRV
- Hausa HCB
- עברית Hebrew
- हिन्दी HCV
- Magyar KAROLI
- Bahasa Indonesia INDO-TB
- Italiano Diodati
- 日本語 Kougo
- 한국어 Korean
- മലയാളം MAL
- मराठी MRCV
- Norsk DNB
- فارسی OPV
- Polski BG
- Português Almeida
- Română Cornilescu
- Русский Synodal
- Español RVG
- Kiswahili Neno
- Svenska SV1917
- Tagalog TAG-ADB
- தமிழ் TCV
- తెలుగు TSA
- ภาษาไทย THAI-KJV
- Українська Ohienko
- Tiếng Việt CADMAN
- Yorùbá YCB
See on the biblical-era map
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 38:12–24. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
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: -
I.Of the springs of the morning, the day-spring from on high, Job 38:12-15.
As there is no visible being of which we may be more firmly assured that it is, so there is none which we are more puzzled in describing, nor more doubtful in determining what it is, than the light. We welcome the morning, and are glad of the day-spring; but,
1.It is not commanded since our days, but what it is it was long before we were born, so that it was neither made by us nor designed primarily for us, but we take it as we find it and as the many generations had it that went before us. The day-spring knew its place before we knew ours, for we are but of yesterday.
2.It was not we, it was not any man that commanded the morning-light at first, or appointed the place of its springing up and shining forth, or the time of it. The constant and regular succession of day and night was no contrivance of ours; it is the glory of God that it shows, and his handy work, not ours, Psa 19:1, Psa 19:2.
3.It is quite out of our power to alter this course: "Hast thou countermanded the morning since thy days? Hast thou at any time raised the morning light sooner than its appointed time, to serve thy purpose when thou hast waited for the morning, or ordered the day-spring for thy convenience to any other place than its own? No, never. Why then wilt thou pretend to direct the divine counsels, or expect to have the methods of Providence altered in favour of thee?" We may as soon break the covenant of the day and of the night as any part of God's covenant with his people, and particularly this, I will chasten them with the rod of men.
4.It is God that has appointed the day-spring to visit the earth, and diffuses the morning light through the air, which receives it as readily as the clay does the seal (Job 38:14), immediately admitting the impressions of it, so as of a sudden to be all over enlightened by it, as the seal stamps its image on the wax; and they stand as a garment, or as if they were clothed with a garment. The earth puts on a new face every morning, and dresses itself as we do, puts on light as a garment, and is then to be seen.
5.This is made a terror to evil-doers. Nothing is more comfortable to mankind than the light of the morning; it is pleasant to the eyes, it is serviceable to life and the business of it, and the favour of it is universally extended, for it takes hold of the ends of the earth (Job 38:13), and we should dwell, in our hymns to the light, on its advantages to the earth. But God here observes how unwelcome it is to those that do evil, and therefore hate the light. God makes the light a minister of his justice as well as of his mercy. It is designed to shake the wicked out of the earth, and for that purpose it takes hold of the ends of it, as we take hold of the ends of a garment to shake the dust and moths out of it. Job had observed what a terror the morning light is to criminals, because it discovers them (Job 24:13, etc.), and God here seconds the observation, and asks him whether the world was indebted to him for that kindness? No, the great Judge of the world sends forth the beams of the morning light as his messengers to detect criminals, that they may not only be defeated in their purposes and put to shame, but that they may be brought to condign punishment (Job 38:15), that their light may be withholden from them (that is, that they may lose their comfort, their confidence, their liberties, their lives) and that their high arm, which they have lifted up against God and man, may be broken, and they deprived of their power to do mischief. Whether what is here said of the morning light was designed to represent, as in a figure, the light of the gospel of Christ, and to give a type of it, I will not say; but I am sure it may serve to put us in mind of the encomiums given to the gospel just at the rising of its morning-star by Zecharias in his Benedictus (Luk 1:78, By the tender mercy of our God the day-spring from on high has visited us, to give light to those that sit in darkness, whose hearts are turned to it as clay to the seal, Co2 4:6), and by the virgin Mary in her Magnificat (Luk 1:51), showing that God, in his gospel, has shown strength with his arm, scattered the proud, and put down the mighty, by that light by which he designed to shake the wicked, to shake wickedness itself out of the earth, and break its high arm.
II.Of the springs of the sea (Job 38:16):
"Hast thou entered into them, or hast thou walked in the search of the depth? Knowest thou what lies in the bottom of the sea, the treasures there hidden in the sands? Or canst thou give an account of the rise and original of the waters of the sea? Vapours are continually exhaled out of the sea. Dost thou know how the recruits are raised by which it is continually supplied? Rivers are constantly poured into the sea. Dost thou know how they are continually discharged, so as not to overflow the earth? Art thou acquainted with the secret subterraneous passages by which the waters circulate?" God's way in the government of the world is said to be in the sea, and in the great waters (Psa 77:19), intimating that it is hidden from us and not to be pried into by us.
III.Of the gates of death: Have these been open to thee? Job 38:16. Death is a grand secret.
1.We know not beforehand when, and how, and by what means, we or others shall be brought to death, by what road we must go the way whence we shall not return, what disease or what disaster will be the door to let us into the house appointed for all living. Man knows not his time.
2.We cannot describe what death is, how the knot is untied between body and soul, nor how the spirit of a man goes upward (Ecc 3:21), to be we know not what and live we know not how, as Mr. Norris expresses; with what dreadful curiosity (says he) does the soul launch out into the vast ocean of eternity and resign to an untried abyss! Let us make it sure that the gates of heaven shall be opened to us on the other side death, and then we need not fear the opening of the gates of death, though it is a way we are to go but once.
3.We have no correspondence at all with separate souls, nor any acquaintance with their state. It is an unknown undiscovered region to which they are removed; we can neither hear from them nor send to them. While we are here, in a world of sense, we speak of the world of spirits as blind men do of colours, and when we remove thither we shall be amazed to find how much we are mistaken.
IV.Of the breadth of the earth (Job 38:18):
Hast thou perceived that? The knowledge of this might seem most level to him and within his reach; yet he is challenged to declare this if he can. We have our residence on the earth, God has given it to the children of men. But who ever surveyed it, or could give an account of the number of its acres? It is but a point to the universe? yet, small as it is, we cannot be exact in declaring the dimensions of it. Job had never sailed round the world, nor any before him; so little did men know the breadth of the earth that it was but a few ages ago that the vast continent of America was discovered, which had, time out of mind, lain hidden. The divine perfection is longer than the earth and broader than the sea; it is therefore presumption for us, who perceive not the breadth of the earth, to dive into the depth of God's counsels.
V.Of the place and way of light and darkness.
Of the day-spring he had spoken before (Job 38:12) and he returns to speak of it again (Job 38:19): Where is the way where light dwells? And again (Job 38:24): By what way is the light parted? He challenges him to describe,
1.How the light and darkness were at first made. When God, in the beginning, first spread darkness upon the face of the deep, and afterwards commanded the light to shine out of darkness, by that mighty word, Let there be light, was Job a witness to the order, to the operation? can he tell where the fountains of light and darkness are, and where those mighty princes keep their courts distance, while in one world they rule alternately? Though we long ever so much either for the shining forth of the morning or the shadows of the evening, we know not whither to send, or go, to fetch them, nor can tell the paths to the house thereof, Job 38:20. We were not then born, nor is the number of our days so great that we can describe the birth of that first-born of the visible creation, Job 38:21. Shall we then undertake to discourse of God's counsels, which were from eternity, or to find out the paths to the house thereof, to solicit for the alteration of them? God glories in it that he forms the light and creates the darkness; and if we must take those as we find them, take those as they come, and quarrel with neither, but make the best of both, then we must, in like manner, accommodate ourselves to the peace and the evil which God likewise created. Isa 45:7.
2.How they still keep their turns interchangeably. It is God that makes the outgoings of the morning and of the evening to rejoice (Psa 65:8); for it is his order, and no order of ours, that is executed by the outgoings of the morning light and the darkness of the night. We cannot so much as tell whence they come nor whither they go (Job 38:24): By what way is the light parted in the morning, when, in an instant, it shoots itself into all the parts of the air above the horizon, as if the morning light flew upon the wings of an east wind, so swiftly, so strongly, is it carried, scattering the darkness of the night, as the east wind does the clouds? Hence we read of the wings of the morning (Psa 139:9), on which the light is conveyed to the uttermost parts of the sea, and scattered like an east wind upon the earth. It is a marvellous change that passes over us every morning by the return of the light and every evening by the return of the darkness; but we expect them, and so they are no surprise nor uneasiness to us. If we would, in like manner, reckon upon changes in our outward condition, we should neither in the brightest noon expect perpetual day nor in the darkest midnight despair of the return of the morning. God has set the one over against the other, like the day and night; and so must we, Ecc 7:14.
VI.Of the treasures of the snow and hail (Job 38:22, Job 38:23):
"Hast thou entered into these and taken a view of them?" In the clouds the snow and hail are generated, and thence they come in such abundance that one would think there were treasures of them laid up in store there, whereas indeed they are produced extempore - suddenly, as I may say, and pro re nata - for the occasion. Sometimes they come so opportunely, to serve the purposes of Providence, in God's fighting for his people and against his and their enemies, that one would think they were laid up as magazines, or stores of arms, ammunition, and provisions, against the time of trouble, the day of battle and war, when God will either contend with the world in general (as in the deluge, when the windows of heaven were opened, and the waters fetched out of these treasures to drown a wicked world, that waged war with Heaven) or with some particular persons or parties, as when God out of these treasures fetched great hail-stones wherewith to fight against the Canaanites, Jos 10:11. See what folly it is to strive against God, who is thus prepared for battle and war, and how much it is our interest to make our peace with him and to keep ourselves in his love. God can fight as effectually with snow and hail, if he please, as with thunder and lightning or the sword of an angel!
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
“The seal shall be restored as clay and shall stand as a garment.” The Lord made humankind, whom he fashioned after his own likeness, as a kind of seal of his power. But it shall be restored as clay, because, though he may by conversion escape eternal sufferings, yet he is condemned by the death of the flesh in punishment for the pride he has committed. Humankind, who has been formed from clay and adorned with the likeness of the divine image, having received the gift of reason, forgets, when swelling with pride of heart, that it was formed of the basest materials. Hence it has been ordered by the marvelous justice of the Creator that because he [humanity] became proud in consequence of that reasonable sense which he received, he should again by death become earth which he was unwilling humbly to regard himself. And when the spirit is summoned from the body, it is stripped, as it were, of its kind of covering of flesh; it is fitly subjoined of the same clay. “The seal shall be restored as clay.” … He subjoins what is the special punishment of the proud by saying, “The light shall be taken away from the wicked, and their high arm shall be broken,” for the death of the flesh that restores the elect to their light takes away their light from the reprobate. The light of the proud is the glory of this present life, and that light is then withdrawn from it when it is called by the death of the flesh to the darkness of it own retributions. Then the high arm is there broken, because of the loftiness of the heart that has been violently seized upon beyond the order of nature, and it is scattered by the weight of divine justice, which overwhelms it.
8. Because, while they refuse to believe the truth, they lose for ever the knowledge of the Law, and while they boast of having received the Law, they are, doubtless, blinded by boasting of their knowledge. For it is written, Let their eyes be darkened that they see not. [Ps. 69, 23] And again it is written, Blind the hearts of this people, and make their ears heavy. [Is 6, 10] And again it is written, For judgment I have come into this world, that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be made blind. [John 9, 39] And because they boasted themselves in the works of the Law against the Giver of the Law, it is fitly subjoined;
And the high arm shall be broken.
9. For the high arm is broken, when the proud works of the Law are reproved, by preaching the grace of faith, when it is said, By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified. [Rom. 3, 20]
10. But all these words can be understood in another sense also. For Holy Scripture is wont to call the Church ‘earth.’ The Lord therefore holds and shakes the ends of the earth, because He allows the ends of His Church to be agitated by most cruel persecution through the coming of Antichrist, and yet forsakes her not, by permitting it. Sometimes the Lord holds this earth, and shakes it not; sometimes He holds and shakes it; because He possesses it at one time with the tranquil peace of faith, at another orders it to be disturbed with the assault of persecution.
11. But when saying, Hast thou held and shaken the ends of the earth, He rightly added immediately, And hast thou shaken the wicked out of it? For as Paul bears witness, there are many therein, who profess that they know God, but in works deny Him. [Tit. 1, 16] The Lord therefore shakes the wicked out of it, because those, whom deep-seated sins possess, will then fall into the gulph of open unbelief, and pass over to the heap of chaff, when moved by the breath of that temptation. And though they now conceal themselves within the bosom of the threshing floor, under the semblance of faith, they will then, doubtless, bound forth from the heap of grain, by the fan of strict judgment.
12. Whence it is also fitly subjoined, The seal shall be restored, as clay. As if he were openly saying; They who now appear in the bosom of the Church as a ‘seal,’ will then in the sight of all men be restored as ‘clay:’ that is, they deceive not the judgments of men concerning their profession of religion, but it is proved that they savour of earthly things. For Holy Scripture is wont to use the word ‘seal’ for faith, and ‘clay’ for iniquity. For the younger son, who returned to his father, having consumed his substance, received a ring as a present. [Luke 15, 22] For the Gentile people, which returns to ‘God, by penitence, having lost its immortality, is defended by the seal of faith. Whence also it is said to the Church by its Bridegroom, Set Me as a seal upon thine heart. [Cant. 8, 6] For a seal is placed on things for the very purpose that they may not be violated by any boldness of plunderers. The Bridegroom therefore is placed as a seal on the heart, when the mystery of His faith is imprinted for the safe keeping of our thought; in order that that unfaithful servant, namely our adversary, observing our hearts sealed by faith, may not presume to break in upon them with temptation. But by ‘clay’ worldly infection is set forth, as the Psalmist bears witness, who says, He brought me up out of the pit of misery, and the deepest clay. [Ps. 40, 2] Because many then who are found in worldly infection, are sealed, when brought to the Church, with the sacrament of heavenly faith, and yet depart not from their wicked deeds, and conceal themselves now under the cloke of faith, and yet show what they really are, when they have found an opportunity, it is rightly said, The seal shall he restored as clay. For those whom we now believe to be faithful, we shall then find to be the very enemies of the faith; and though, when not tempted, they appear to be a ‘seal,’ they will doubtless, when tempted, be ‘clay.’ Whence also it is rightly said, Shall be restored: for their reprobate life proves them afterwards to be such, as their conscience could have done before their faith. Of whom it is fitly subjoined, And shall stand as a garment.
13. For Holy Church is now clothed as it were with garments, as many in number as the faithful, by whose veneration she is honoured. Whence also when the Gentiles were shown to her, it is said by the Lord through the Prophet; As I live, saith the Lord, thou shall surely be clothed with all these, as with an ornament. [Is. 49, 18] But she is now arrayed, in appearance only, with many who seem to be faithful, but when the assault of persecution strikes them, she will be stripped of them and laid bare; of whose fate it is said, And it shall stand as a garment. But to ‘stand’ is put in this place for persisting in sin. Whence it is written, And stood not in the way of sinners. [Ps. 1, 1] Or certainly every reprobate is said to ‘stand as a garment,’ to show that he cannot stand at all. Because, as a garment, when put on, is stretched by the body, in displaying its appearance, but when taken off is bent and folded together; so every one, who has fallen back from the stability of Holy Church, was stretched out, as it were, and beautiful, while being worn, but will lie afterwards, when stripped off, broken down and cast aside. But if by ‘standing’ we understand ‘continuance,’ every reprobate person who endures a short time in this life, which he loves, stands as a garment. Whence also it is said by the Prophet, All shall wax old as a garment, and as a covering shall thou change them, and they shall be changed. [Ps. 102, 26] These points therefore, which he introduced veiled in a cloud of allegory, he now makes known in plainer words, adding, From the wicked their light shall be taken away.
14. For neither does the light of God now illumine those, who veil the malice of their iniquity with the name of faith. For while they neglect to live according to the preaching of faith, and yet in appearance reverence it, they seek for the honour of this present life under the name of religion; and they gain this light from faith, as faith cherishes them in the sight of men. But there are some who sincerely believe the eternal truths which they hear, and yet contradict by evil living the very faith which they profess. These also have their light in darkness, for while they act perversely and yet think rightly about God, they are illumined in a measure by the shining of a light, so as not to be quite in darkness. And while they love the things of earth more than those of heaven, those that they see more than those they hear of, when the season of persecution assaults them, they lose that sound belief they seemed to possess. And this is specially the case, in a greater degree, at that time, when the head of the wicked himself arising, in the last persecution, against Holy Church, his boldness attacks it with unrestrained strength. Then is the heart of each one laid open, when whatever lay concealed is exposed, and they who are now holy in words, but unholy in heart, fall headlong, on their wickedness being made public, and lose the light of faith which they had in appearance possessed. But it is necessary, amidst all this, for each of us to return to the hidden recess of his heart, and to fear at the fatal results of his doings, lest he fall, as his merits demand, into the number of such men, by the strict justice of the judgments of God.
15. But let no one inconsiderately flatter himself, and believe that he therefore is exempt from such a fall, because he thinks that he does not reach to the storm of this tempest. O how many have beheld not the times of that temptation, and yet are involved in the storm of his temptation. Cain saw not the time of Antichrist, and yet was deservedly a limb of Antichrist. Judas knew not the fierceness of that persecution, and yet yielded to the might of his cruelty, by the persuasion of avarice. Simon was far removed from the times of Antichrist, and yet joined himself to his pride, by perversely seeking for the power of miracles. [Acts 8, 19. 20.] Thus a wicked body is united to its head, thus limbs to limbs, when they both know not each other in acquaintance, and yet are joined together by wicked doings. For neither had Pergamos known the books or the words of Balaam, and yet, following his wickedness, it heard in a voice of reproof from above; Thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat and to commit fornication. [Rev. 2, 14] Both times and places separated the Church of Thyatira from the knowledge of Jezebel; but because equal guilt of life had enthralled it, Jezebel is said to dwell therein, and to persist in perverse doings, as the Angel bears witness, who says; I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. [ib. 20] Behold, because they could be found, who followed the conduct of Jezebel in their reprobate deeds, Jezebel is said to have been found there: because an agreement of habits makes a corrupt body one, even if times or places sever it asunder. Whence it is that every wicked person, who has already gone by, survives in his perverse imitators, and that the author of iniquity, who has not yet come, is already visible in those who do his works. Hence John says; Now are there become many Antichrists, [1 John 2, 18] because all wicked persons are even now his members, which being in truth born in wickedness, have prevented their head, by evil living. Hence Paul says, That he might be revealed in his time; for the mystery of iniquity doth already work. [2 Thess. 2, 6. 7.] As if he were saying; Then Antichrist will be manifestly seen; for he now secretly works his hidden works in the hearts of the unrighteous. For, to say nothing of more open crimes, behold one man secretly envies his brother in his heart, and if he find an opportunity, strives to supplant him. Of what other is he a member, but of him, of whom it is written, Through envy of the devil came death into the world? [Wisd. 2, 24] Another, thinking himself a person of great desert, preferring himself to all, through swelling of heart, believes all to be inferior to him. Of what other is he a member, but of him of whom it is written, He beholdeth every high thing, and is a king over all the children of pride? [Job 41, 34] Another seeks for the power of this world, not that he may profit others, but that he may not be subject to another. Of what other is he a member, than of him, of whom it is written, Who said, I will sit in the mount of the testament, the sides of the north: I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the Most High? [Is. 14, 13. 14.] For the Most High alone so rules over all things, as to be unable to be subject to another. Whom the devil perversely wished to imitate, when seeking dominion of his own, he refused to be subject to Him. Whoever therefore seeks for power of his own, imitates the devil, because he loathes to submit to him who is placed over him by Divine ordinance.
16. There are many things besides, to proclaim certain persons to be faithless, though established in the peace of the Church. For I see that some persons so accept the person of the powerful, as not to hesitate, when requested by him, to deny, for his good will, the truth in the cause of a neighbour. And who is Truth, but He who said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life? [John 14, 6] For John the Baptist died not, when questioned about his confession of Christ, but about the truth of justice; but because Christ is the Truth, he therefore went even to death for Christ, because namely for the truth. Let us suppose that a person has, when questioned, accepted the person of the powerful, and has denied the truth, that he might not suffer the wrong even of a word. What, I pray you, would he do in the pain of punishments, who was ashamed of Christ among the scourges of words? Behold, even after this he is still a Christian before the eyes of men, and yet if God resolved to judge him strictly, he is one no longer.
17. But I see others, to whom are assigned, through their position as teachers, the duties of exhorting and reproving, who behold some unlawfulness committed, and who yet, when afraid of losing the good will of certain powerful persons, presume not to reprove it. What else doth he, whoever he be, but see the wolf coming, and flee away? He flies, because he was silent; he was silent, because he despised eternal grace, and preferred temporal glory. Behold he hid himself within the concealments of his silence before the face of a powerful man, and gave way as to open persecution, so also to secret fear. It is well said of such; They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. [John 12, 43] If these things are strictly judged, whoever is such, even though public persecution was wanting, yet denied Christ by his silence. There are not wanting then, even in the peace of the Church, the temptations of Antichrist. Let no one then dread those times of the last persecution, as though the only ones. For the cause of Antichrist is continually promoted among the ungodly, because he is even now secretly working his mystery in their hearts. And even if many, now seemingly established within the Church, pretend to be what they are not, they will yet at the coming of the Judge be exposed, as they are. Of whom Solomon well says, I saw the wicked buried, who even when they lived here, were in the holy place, and were praised in the city, as men of just works. [Eccles. 8, 10] After it was said then of the wicked; The seal shall be restored as clay, and shall stand as a garment, and their light shall be taken away from the wicked, (which is certainly to take place in that persecution of Antichrist,) he presently, consoling us concerning the destruction of the same Antichrist, says;
And the high arm shall be broken.
18. For, for what else is the high arm taken, but the proud loftiness of Antichrist, who is so exalted over the reprobate minds of men with the pride of worldly glory, that though a sinful man, and yet scorning to be counted a man, he pretends falsely that he is God above men? Whence the Apostle Paul says; So that he sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself, as if he were God. [2 Thess. 2, 4] And to show his pride more fully, he stated before, Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped. For even a man can sometimes be called God, according to that which is said to Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh. [Exod. 7, 1] But a mere man cannot be worshipped as God. But because Antichrist sets himself up over all holy men, and over the power of the Godhead Itself, he endeavours to surpass that which is called God, and that which is worshipped as God, by demanding for himself the name of glory. But we must observe into what a depth of pride he has fallen, who remained not in that degree of ruin, in which he fell. For both the devil and man fell, by pride, from the state of their own creation, either for him to say, I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the Most High, [Is. 14, 14] or for the other to hear and to believe, Your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods. [Gen. 3, 5] They fell, therefore, both of them, because they desired to be like God, not by righteousness, but by power. But man who had fallen, by perversely aiming at the likeness of God, discerning, when freed by grace, that he was very different from God, through the guilt of sin, exclaims, O Lord, who is like unto Thee? [Ps. 89, 8] But the devil, having been justly cast aside in his sinful lapse, continued not in his own degree of ruin; but the longer he was deprived of the grace of the Almighty, the more did he add to the guilt of his sins. For he who fell, because he wished, inverting the order of things, to be like God, was brought so far, that entering into Antichrist, he scorned to seem like God, and, when condemned, counts Him as his inferior, Whom he could not in his pride regard as his equal. For when this, which we have stated before, is said of him; Exalting himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; [2 Thess. 2, 4] it is openly shown, that by seeking at first the likeness of God, he wished, as it were, to exalt himself against God, but that increasing in the sin of pride, he now sets himself up above all that is called God, or that is worshipped. Because then this his pride will be smitten by the coming of the strict Judge, (as it is written, Whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming,) [1 Thess. 2, 8] it is rightly said, And the high arm shall be broken.
19. But all these expressions, which have been twice discussed, can be still understood in another sense. For the words of God are conserves [‘pigmenta’], as it were, to give us strength. And just as, the more a conserve is ground, the more does its virtue increase in the cup; so the more we bruise the Divine words by expounding them, the more, when we hear them, are we benefited, as if by the draught. Because therefore the merciful God long bears with the sins of men, and frequently converts the minds of sinners, when He sees the end now approaching, He rightly says of Himself, as suggesting the might of so great affection.
22. For the death of the flesh, which restores the Elect to their light, takes away their light from the reprobate. For the light of the proud is the glory of this present life. And that light is then withdrawn from it, when it is called by the death of the flesh, to the darkness of its own retributions. For then is the high arm there broken, because loftiness of heart, which has been violently seized on, beyond the order of nature, is scattered by the weight of Divine justice which overwhelms it, in order that how [Oxf. Mss. ‘quam’] wickedly it had exalted itself for a while, it may learn when it is crushed forever by the weight of judgment. But none of us would know what was to follow after death, did not the Creator of our life come even to the punishment of our death. For did He not of His own mercy seek the lowest condition, He could not justly bring back to the highest, us, who were lost after we had received His likeness.
Continue studying Job 38:15 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
Summary
Job 38:15, a powerful declaration from the whirlwind, encapsulates God's absolute sovereignty over creation and His unwavering commitment to justice. As part of a series of rhetorical questions designed to humble Job and expand his understanding of divine wisdom, this verse proclaims that the very dawn, a natural phenomenon, serves as an instrument of God's judgment. It reveals that the wicked's symbolic "light"—representing their prosperity, influence, or perceived success—is divinely withheld, and their "high arm," a potent metaphor for their oppressive power and arrogant might, is decisively broken, underscoring that no human authority, however formidable, can withstand the Creator's ultimate decree.
Context
Literary Context
Job 38 marks a dramatic and pivotal turning point in the book of Job, as God finally breaks His prolonged silence and addresses Job directly from a whirlwind. After chapters of Job's impassioned laments and his friends' theological debates concerning the nature of suffering and divine justice, God does not offer a direct explanation for Job's suffering. Instead, He embarks on a majestic, poetic discourse, challenging Job's finite wisdom by posing a series of unanswerable rhetorical questions about the profound intricacies of creation and the vastness of divine governance. This particular verse follows God's vivid description of the dawn and its ability to "shake out the wicked" from the corners of the earth, as detailed in Job 38:12-14. It functions as a direct consequence of this cosmic process, illustrating how God's meticulous control over the natural order seamlessly extends to the moral order, ensuring that evil deeds are exposed and their perpetrators are brought low.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, the interplay of light and darkness carried profound symbolic weight. Light frequently represented life, truth, prosperity, divine favor, and cosmic order, while darkness symbolized death, chaos, evil, and divine judgment. The "arm" was a universally understood idiom for strength, power, and authority; specifically, a "high arm" or "uplifted arm" often denoted arrogance, rebellion, or oppressive power. The concept of a divine judge who actively intervenes in human affairs to uphold justice and punish the wicked was central to the worldview of the Israelites and many surrounding cultures, though the nature of that justice was frequently debated, as evidenced throughout Job's dialogue with his friends. God's speech here masterfully taps into these widely understood symbols to convey His absolute sovereignty and moral governance over all creation, including human societies and their rulers.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes present in the book of Job and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it highlights Divine Justice, asserting God's active and unwavering role in judging and punishing the wicked. Their "light" is withheld, signifying a reversal of their fortunes and the cessation of their influence, aligning with the biblical truth that the way of the wicked is darkness, as seen in Proverbs 4:19. Secondly, it underscores the Exposure and Overthrow of Arrogance. The "high arm" is a potent metaphor for human power, pride, and oppressive strength, which God declares "shall be broken." This signifies the complete dismantling of the wicked's authority and ability to do harm, serving as a reminder that no human power can ultimately stand against the almighty arm of the Lord. Finally, the verse speaks to God's Sovereignty over Darkness and Evil. By withholding light and breaking power, God demonstrates His absolute control over the forces of darkness and the activities of those who oppose Him, revealing that the very dawn, a natural phenomenon, becomes an instrument of divine judgment, exposing those who prefer darkness rather than light, a theme echoed in John 3:19.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term (H7563) refers to those who are morally wrong, actively bad, or guilty. It denotes individuals whose actions and character are contrary to God's righteous standards, often characterized by injustice, oppression, and rebellion against divine authority. In this context, it emphasizes that God's judgment is directed specifically at those who actively choose evil.
"light" here is more than physical illumination; it is a profound metaphor. It encompasses well-being, prosperity, joy, success, divine favor, and moral uprightness. To have light "withholden" (H4513) implies a deprivation of these blessings, a reversal of fortune, and an exposure of their true, dark state, devoid of divine favor and true flourishing.
This word (H2220) refers to the physical arm, but figuratively, it represents strength, power, and authority. When coupled with "high" (H7311, rûwm'), which signifies being elevated, lofty, or haughty, "high arm" becomes a powerful idiom for arrogant, oppressive power—the self-sufficient might of the wicked that presumes to defy God.
Verse Breakdown
"And from the wicked their light is withholden"
This clause pronounces a divine act of judgment and deprivation. The "wicked" (רְשָׁעִים, r'sha'im), those whose lives are characterized by unrighteousness and opposition to God's ways, are subject to a divine removal or prevention of their "light." This "light" symbolizes their prosperity, influence, joy, or even their very life and perceived success. It indicates a reversal of their fortunes, a cessation of their ill-gotten gains, and an exposure of their true character as their deeds are brought into the unsparing light of divine scrutiny. It implies that their period of apparent success or hidden activity is brought to an abrupt end by God's direct intervention.
"and the high arm shall be broken"
This second clause describes the decisive shattering of the wicked's power and authority. The "high arm," representing their oppressive strength, arrogant authority, and capacity to execute their evil plans, is depicted as being "broken" (תִּשָּׁבֵר, tishshaver). This signifies a complete dismantling, a rendering powerless, and an utter defeat of their might. It is a powerful declaration that no human power, however formidable, proud, or seemingly invincible, can ultimately stand against the sovereign will and righteous judgment of God. This breaking is a direct and inevitable consequence of their wickedness and God's active intervention in the affairs of humanity.
Literary Devices
Job 38:15 is rich in metaphor and symbolism, effectively conveying its message of divine justice. "Light" serves as a profound symbol for prosperity, divine favor, and success, while its "withholding" metaphorically represents the deprivation of these blessings and the exposure of the wicked's true, dark state. The "high arm" is a vivid metaphor and symbol for human power, pride, and oppressive strength, often associated with rebellion against God. Its "breaking" is a clear metaphor for the complete dismantling and decisive defeat of this power. The verse, situated within God's larger discourse on creation, also subtly employs juxtaposition, contrasting the orderly, divinely controlled natural world (e.g., the dawn) with the chaotic and ultimately futile efforts of the wicked, whose power is subject to the same divine decree that governs the cosmos.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 38:15 stands as a profound declaration of God's active and unwavering commitment to justice within His creation. It underscores the biblical truth that while the wicked may appear to prosper for a time, their success is ultimately fleeting and subject to divine intervention. God is not a passive observer but an engaged sovereign who actively governs the moral order, ensuring that prideful power is dismantled and hidden evil is exposed. This verse resonates with the broader biblical narrative of God's righteous judgment against those who oppose Him and oppress others, offering both a warning to the unrepentant and comfort to the afflicted, affirming that ultimately, the Lord will vindicate the righteous and bring low the proud.
Reflection and Application
Job 38:15 offers profound comfort and reassurance to those who feel overwhelmed by pervasive injustice or oppressed by the powerful. It serves as a potent reminder that even when the wicked seem to flourish and their "high arm" appears unassailable, their dominion is temporary and ultimately subject to the sovereign decree of God. He sees every hidden deed, He knows every act of oppression, and in His perfect timing and manner, He will act to bring about justice, exposing hidden iniquity and dismantling oppressive structures. For those who might be tempted by pride, arrogance, or the misuse of power, this verse stands as a stark warning: all human strength is fragile before the Creator, and divine judgment will inevitably follow unrepentant evil. It calls believers to cultivate a deep and abiding trust in God's ultimate justice, even amidst seemingly bleak circumstances, knowing that He is the one who orchestrates both the cosmic dawn and the downfall of the proud, bringing low and lifting up according to His righteous will.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "their light is withholden" mean in a practical sense for the wicked?
Practically, "their light is withholden" signifies a cessation of the wicked's prosperity, influence, and perceived success. Just as the dawn exposes hidden deeds, God's judgment removes the "cover" under which the wicked operate, bringing their actions into the open. This can manifest as a loss of reputation, a failure of their schemes, a decline in their power, or even a literal end to their life or dynasty. It means their period of flourishing, often achieved through unjust means, is brought to an abrupt and divinely orchestrated halt, revealing their true, dark state before God and humanity. It contrasts sharply with the path of the righteous, whose "path is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day," as described in Proverbs 4:18.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job 38:15, with its declaration of God's sovereign judgment over the wicked and the breaking of their oppressive power, finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. He is the true Light of the world, who came not only to expose the deeds of darkness but also to bring salvation and eternal light to those who walk in it. The "withholding of light" from the wicked foreshadows Christ's righteous judgment upon those who "loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil," as recorded in John 3:19. Furthermore, the "breaking of the high arm" of the wicked finds its most profound expression in Christ's decisive victory over the ultimate oppressive powers: sin, death, and the devil. Through His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus disarmed the principalities and powers, triumphing over them publicly, as powerfully stated in Colossians 2:15. The "high arm" of human rebellion and satanic oppression was decisively broken by the almighty arm of the Lord manifested in Christ. His glorious return will bring the final and complete withholding of light from all unrepentant wickedness and the definitive breaking of every high arm that presumes to oppose God's righteous reign, establishing His eternal kingdom of light and justice (Revelation 19:11-16).