Job 38:7

When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

When the morning {H1242} stars {H3556} sang {H7442} together {H3162}, and all the sons {H1121} of God {H430} shouted {H7321} for joy?

when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Commentary

Job 38:7 is part of God's powerful address to Job from the whirlwind, where the Creator challenges Job's understanding of the universe and His divine wisdom. This particular verse poetically describes the jubilation that accompanied the very act of creation, specifically when the foundations of the earth were laid.

Context

In Job 38, God begins His first speech to Job, directly confronting Job's attempts to question divine justice and wisdom. God uses a series of rhetorical questions, drawing on the wonders of creation, to highlight His omnipotence, omniscience, and sovereignty. The questions about the earth's creation (verses 4-6) set the stage for verse 7, emphasizing that Job was not present at creation and therefore cannot comprehend God's grand design. This serves to humble Job and underscore the vast chasm between human understanding and divine knowledge.

Key Themes

  • Divine Sovereignty in Creation: The verse powerfully asserts God's sole authorship and masterful design of the cosmos. He is the ultimate architect, laying the earth's foundations while others merely observe and celebrate.
  • Cosmic Celebration of Creation: It portrays creation not as a sterile act, but as an event filled with immense joy and adoration from celestial beings. This highlights the inherent goodness and glory of God's work.
  • God's Unfathomable Wisdom: By asking Job if he was present or understood these events, God demonstrates that His wisdom transcends human comprehension, reinforcing the theme of Job's limited perspective compared to God's infinite knowledge.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "morning stars" (Hebrew: kokhevey boker) is a poetic expression that can refer to celestial bodies or, more likely in this context, personified angelic beings. They symbolize the dawning of creation, shining brightly in the new cosmic order. The "sons of God" (Hebrew: bene Elohim) is a common Old Testament term referring to angelic beings or members of the divine council. Their "singing together" and "shouting for joy" vividly describe their ecstatic praise and celebration as they witnessed God's magnificent creative power unfold. This imagery underscores the profound wonder and harmony of the original creation.

Related Scriptures

  • This picture of creation's joy resonates with other biblical accounts of God's creative work, such as in Genesis 1, though Job provides a unique angelic perspective.
  • The concept of God's wisdom being present at creation is also echoed in Proverbs 8:22-31, where Wisdom is depicted as being with God during the laying of the earth's foundations.
  • The angelic praise at creation can be paralleled with the angelic host praising God at other significant divine events, such as the birth of Christ in Luke 2:13-14.

Practical Application

Job 38:7 invites us to cultivate a sense of awe and wonder at the intricate beauty and vastness of God's creation. It reminds us that even before humanity, there was a heavenly host celebrating God's power and wisdom. This verse encourages humility, recognizing that our understanding is limited compared to God's infinite knowledge and sovereign control. It can also inspire us to find joy in God's ongoing work in the world and in our lives, just as the morning stars and sons of God rejoiced at the dawn of creation.

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Cross-References

  • Revelation 5:11

    And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

  • Job 1:6

    ¶ Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.

  • Revelation 22:16

    I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, [and] the bright and morning star.

  • Ezra 3:11

    And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because [he is] good, for his mercy [endureth] for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

  • Ezra 3:12

    But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, [who were] ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:

  • Job 2:1

    ¶ Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.

  • Psalms 104:4

    Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: