Job 38:10 kjv
And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,
Job 38:10 nkjv
When I fixed My limit for it, And set bars and doors;
Job 38:10 niv
when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place,
Job 38:10 esv
and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors,
Job 38:10 nlt
For I locked it behind barred gates,
limiting its shores.
Job 38 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:9-10 | And God said, "Let the waters… be gathered… and let dry land appear." | God establishes dry land by separating waters. |
| Ps 33:7 | He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deep in storehouses. | God's control over the vast waters. |
| Ps 104:9 | You set a boundary that they may not pass over, that they may not again cover the earth. | God's decree establishes permanent sea limits. |
| Prov 8:29 | when he assigned to the sea its limit so that the waters might not transgress his command | God's wisdom in creation, establishing sea limits by command. |
| Jer 5:22 | I have made the sand an everlasting boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass. | God's ongoing power maintaining sea boundaries. |
| Mk 4:39 | He woke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" | Jesus demonstrates divine power over natural forces. |
| Ps 19:1 | The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. | Creation generally speaks of God's glory. |
| Isa 40:12 | Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand…? | God's immeasurable scale and control over creation. |
| Col 1:16 | For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth… all things were created through him and for him. | Christ as the divine agent of all creation. |
| Rom 1:20 | For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities… have been clearly seen. | Creation reveals God's eternal power and nature. |
| Ps 148:6 | And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree that will not pass away. | God's eternal decrees uphold the cosmos. |
| Jer 31:35 | Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light… who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar… | God's fixed order in the natural world. |
| Hab 3:8 | Was your wrath against the rivers, O LORD? Or your anger against the sea…? | God's dominion over waters, symbolic of His might. |
| Ps 74:13-14 | You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters. | God triumphs over primeval chaos. |
| Ps 89:9 | You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. | God calms and controls turbulent seas. |
| Ps 93:3-4 | Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty! | God's supreme power over all powerful natural forces. |
| Isa 27:1 | …he will slay the dragon that is in the sea. | God's ultimate victory over forces of chaos. |
| Rev 21:1 | …and the sea was no more. | Symbolic end of chaos and rebellion in the new creation. |
| Job 40:2 | Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God had better answer it! | God's challenge to Job's limited understanding. |
| Rom 11:33 | Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments… | Humanity's inability to fully grasp God's ways. |
| 1 Cor 1:25 | For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom… | God's wisdom infinitely surpasses human understanding. |
Job 38 verses
Job 38 10 Meaning
Job 38:10 is part of God's first discourse to Job, where the Creator highlights His unparalleled wisdom, power, and sovereign control over creation. The verse depicts God setting the specific boundaries for the raging sea, employing vivid imagery of securely closing off a powerful force. This act underscores God's singular dominion, establishing a divinely appointed limit (a "decreed place") for the potentially chaotic waters and enforcing that limit with absolute security, as if with "bars and doors." It reveals an orderly cosmos meticulously established and maintained by the Almighty, a reality far beyond Job's comprehension or control.
Job 38 10 Context
Job 38:10 is situated within God's grand inaugural speech to Job, which begins in chapter 38 and extends through chapter 41. Up until this point, Job and his friends have debated the cause of Job's suffering, primarily focusing on human understanding of justice and God's ways. Suddenly, God breaks the silence, not with an explanation for Job's suffering, but with a series of unanswerable rhetorical questions about creation.
The immediate context (Job 38:8-11) specifically addresses the creation and control of the sea. God asks Job who "shut up the sea with doors" (v. 8), then describes His act of dressing it with clouds and darkness (v. 9). Verse 10 explicitly states how God set its limits, culminating in the powerful declaration of verse 11: "Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed." Historically and culturally, the ancient world often perceived the sea as a chaotic, untamable, and even threatening force. Many ancient Near Eastern cosmologies depicted deities battling or struggling with primeval waters to establish order. Job 38:10 serves as a powerful polemic against such beliefs, showing Yahweh effortlessly and absolutely setting boundaries by His decree alone, without any struggle, merely by His will.
Job 38 10 Word analysis
- when I broke (וָאֶשְׁבֹּר, vā'ešš'bōr): This verb, from the root שָׁבַר (shavar), primarily means "to break." In this context, it signifies "breaking off" or "setting a breaking point" for the sea's advance. It indicates a decisive act of imposing a limit and restricting expansion, rather than breaking forth. It denotes a sharp, final act of control by God against chaos.
- for it (עָלָיו, ʿālāyw): "Upon it" or "over it." This directly refers to the sea mentioned in verse 8, specifying the object of God's boundary-setting action.
- my decreed place (חוּקִּי, ḥuqqi): This is a crucial term, derived from חֹק (choq), meaning "statute," "ordinance," or "decree." It indicates not merely a physical location but a boundary established by divine, unchangeable law or decree. It emphasizes God as the supreme Lawgiver, whose decrees govern both the moral order and the physical cosmos.
- and set (וָאָשִׂים, vā'āśîm): A simple, direct verb meaning "and I placed" or "and I put." It signifies an intentional and deliberate action by God, asserting His will.
- bars (בְּרִיחַ, bəriyakh): Literal bars used for locking doors. This imagery conveys immense strength, security, and an impenetrable barrier. It emphasizes that the boundary God set is absolute and unyielding.
- and doors (דְּלָתָיִם, dəlātāyim): Double doors or leaves of a door. Paired with "bars," this metaphor reinforces the concept of containment and secure enclosure. It portrays God sealing off the sea, ensuring it cannot exceed its appointed limits.
Words-group analysis:
- "when I broke for it my decreed place": This phrase encapsulates the establishment of God's cosmic law. God, by His sovereign decree (choq), did not simply allow the sea to settle, but actively confined it, "breaking" its natural tendency to engulf everything. This highlights divine intentionality and power in shaping the very fabric of existence, demonstrating that even chaotic forces are subject to God's ordained order.
- "and set bars and doors": This powerful anthropomorphic image illustrates the impenetrable nature of the divine boundaries. It personifies the sea as something that needs to be securely locked away, not through physical struggle but by God's decree. The "bars and doors" represent absolute, unwavering containment, showcasing God's meticulous and unwavering control over creation's wild, formidable elements. This communicates total, effortless mastery.
Job 38 10 Bonus section
The active and forceful verbs used by God concerning the sea – "broke" and "set" – convey an immediate, effective, and unchallengeable command. Unlike pagan creation myths where deities engage in struggle or battle with primordial forces of chaos (like the Babylonian Marduk battling Tiamat), the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob simply acts, decrees, and it is so. This highlights the unique effortlessness and omnipotence of the biblical Creator. Furthermore, the firm establishment of the sea's boundaries in this verse mirrors God's establishment of the moral boundaries and decrees for humanity, underscoring that the same unchanging, omnipotent God is the source of both natural and spiritual laws. The security provided by these "bars and doors" for the vast and turbulent ocean offers a profound sense of security for humanity living within the bounds of God's orderly creation.
Job 38 10 Commentary
Job 38:10 presents a core assertion of God's unmatched sovereignty over creation, directly challenging Job's limited perspective. Through this rhetorical question, God reveals Himself as the meticulous Architect of the cosmos, whose wisdom and power far exceed human comprehension. The "sea," often symbolic of chaos, untamed power, or destructive forces in ancient thought, is shown to be completely subservient to God's decree.
The imagery of "bars and doors" powerfully conveys God's absolute control, not merely establishing limits, but actively securing them against any transgression. This isn't a temporary or weak boundary but a divinely ordained, unbreachable barrier. The phrase "my decreed place" signifies that this order is rooted in God's immutable character and wisdom, linking His physical governance to His moral law-giving. God's ability to confine the sea speaks to His capacity to govern all things, whether natural phenomena, human destiny, or even Job's own chaotic suffering. This revelation serves to humble Job, shift his focus from personal complaint to divine majesty, and ultimately instill a deep sense of awe and trust in a God who sovereignly orders all of creation. It demonstrates that the world is not random but carefully designed and controlled by a loving and all-powerful Creator.