Job 38 11

Job 38:11 kjv

And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

Job 38:11 nkjv

When I said, 'This far you may come, but no farther, And here your proud waves must stop!'

Job 38:11 niv

when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt'?

Job 38:11 esv

and said, 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed'?

Job 38:11 nlt

I said, 'This far and no farther will you come.
Here your proud waves must stop!'

Job 38 verses

Job 38 11 Meaning

Job 38:11 is a powerful declaration by God to Job, spoken from the whirlwind. It describes God's absolute authority and control over the vast and powerful sea, commanding its raging waves to cease at a divinely appointed boundary. This verse asserts God's ultimate sovereignty over creation, demonstrating His unparalleled wisdom and power, and contrasting it with the limited understanding of humanity. It emphasizes that even the most formidable forces of nature are subject to His unchanging decree.

Job 38 11 Context

Job 38:11 is part of God's first direct address to Job, commencing in Job 38:1. After chapters of Job lamenting his suffering and questioning God's justice, and debates with his three friends, God finally intervenes, speaking out of a whirlwind. Instead of answering Job's specific complaints directly, God embarks on a series of rhetorical questions designed to highlight Job's ignorance regarding the complex order and miraculous phenomena of creation. The purpose is to demonstrate God's incomprehensible wisdom, power, and sovereignty, thereby challenging Job's human capacity to judge divine justice or understand divine actions. This particular verse fits within a larger sequence of questions about the natural world, specifically concerning the creation and control of the earth, sea, light, and natural processes, which are far beyond Job's ability to create, comprehend, or command. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the sea often symbolized chaotic, untamed forces or primordial chaos. God's ability to confine and command the sea directly counteracts any notion of such forces being independent or ungovernable, serving as a powerful polemic against polytheistic beliefs where the sea itself might be deified or embody a capricious force.

Job 38 11 Word analysis

• "Thus far" (עַד־פֹּ֖ה 'ad-po'):
  • 'Ad (עַד): "Up to," "until," "as far as." Signifies a clear boundary or limit in space or time.
  • Po (פֹּה): "Here." Indicates a specific, precisely defined point. Together, they powerfully convey an absolute and unbreachable line set by divine decree.
  • Significance: This phrase underlines the definitive nature of God's command, demonstrating His precise control and the unyielding character of the limits He imposes. It emphasizes a sovereign decision, not a natural phenomenon.
• "you may come" (תָּב֣וֹא tavo'):
  • Tavo (תָּב֣וֹא): Qal imperfect, 2nd masculine singular, of the verb bo (בּוֹא), "to come" or "to go."
  • Significance: A direct address from God to the sea itself (personified), indicating a personal command. It's a statement of permission that inherently carries the force of a strict limitation, meaning "you are permitted to come this far, and no more."
• "but no farther" (וְלֹֽא־תֹסִ֑יף vəlo’-tosef):
  • Velo (וְלֹא): "And not," a strong negative.
  • Tosef (תֹסִ֑יף): Hiphil imperfect, 2nd masculine singular, of the verb yasaf (יָסַף), "to add," "to continue," "to repeat."
  • Significance: This phrase is a forceful prohibition against transgression. The sea cannot "add" anything to its permitted advance, nor "continue" its motion beyond the set boundary. This directly contradicts any idea of nature's independent, unchecked power.
• "here" (פֹּה po'):
  • Po (פֹּה): "Here." Repetition of the exact geographical marker from the beginning of the verse.
  • Significance: Its re-iteration reinforces the immutability and precision of the boundary. It's not a general idea, but a specific, divinely established point on earth where the sea's might is compelled to yield.
• "your proud waves" (גְּאֹ֥ון גַּלֶּ֖יךָ gə'on gallayikha):
  • Gə'on (גְּאֹון): "Pride," "majesty," "arrogance," "exaltation." This noun often carries negative connotations of hubris when applied to entities opposing God (e.g., Pharaoh, Babylon, Assyria).
  • Gallayikha (גַּלֶּ֖יךָ): "Your waves," from gal (גַּל), "wave," "heap," with the 2nd masculine singular possessive suffix referring to the sea.
  • Significance: This powerful phrase personifies the sea, attributing "pride" to its immense and destructive power. It reflects how humanity perceives the sea's uncontrolled might. More profoundly, it highlights God's dominion not just over the physical waves, but over the pride or rebellious spirit inherent in such powerful forces. It serves as a direct challenge to ancient Near Eastern cosmologies that deified chaotic waters; God is sovereign even over their supposed "pride."
• "must stop" (יִתְהַלֵּ֑לוּ yithallelu):
  • Yithhallelu (יִתְהַלֵּ֑לוּ): Hithpael imperfect, 3rd masculine plural, of the verb halal (הָלַל), which primarily means "to praise," "to boast," or "to shine." In Hithpael, it can mean "to boast oneself" or "to rage."
  • Contextual Significance: While halal usually means praise, in this specific Hithpael form and context (with "pride" of waves being restrained), scholarly interpretation leans towards "to exhaust themselves," "to break themselves against something," "to be stayed," "to humble themselves," or "to dash against and cease." The meaning is that their prideful surging will cease and be broken at the divine boundary, compelled to yield their "boasting." It signifies the humbling of a powerful, seemingly untameable force before the Creator. This reflects the complete submission of even the "proud" aspects of creation to God's will.

Job 38 11 Bonus section

• The Hebrew verb yithallelu (יִתְהַלְּלוּ) connects the act of "praising" or "boasting" with the eventual "cessation" or "breaking" of the waves. This subtle linguistic connection suggests that the sea's "prideful" or "boastful" crashing against the shore is itself part of its involuntary acknowledgment (or praise) of the boundary set by its Creator, even if it is by ceasing its defiance. This highlights the inherent subjection of creation to God, even in its most rebellious or powerful aspects.
• The ancient Near Eastern worldview often personified natural elements and associated the sea with a deity (e.g., Yam in Ugaritic mythology) or a primordial chaos that battled other gods. God's declaration in Job 38:11 is a direct polemic, affirming Yahweh's sole and ultimate dominion over the "proud" and seemingly untamable forces of nature, without any cosmic struggle. He merely speaks, and it is so.
• This setting of boundaries is not just a one-time creative act but an ongoing sustainment. God continues to uphold these decrees daily, a testament to His unceasing involvement and providential care over the creation.

Job 38 11 Commentary

Job 38:11 encapsulates the awe-inspiring power and authority of God as the Creator and Sustainer of the cosmos. In response to Job's profound questions and expressions of despair, God does not offer an explanation of suffering but rather a majestic tour of His creation, demanding that Job acknowledge his limited perspective compared to divine omnipotence and omniscience. This verse vividly portrays God speaking a direct command to the formidable sea, traditionally a symbol of chaos and uncontrollable might in the ancient world, forcing its turbulent waves to submit to an unbreachable boundary. The idea of the "proud waves" highlights not just the sea's physical power, but its inherent defiance, yet even this "pride" is brought to a halt by God's decree. This powerful imagery underscores that God is the sole sovereign over all forces, visible or unseen, natural or spiritual. It serves as a stark reminder to Job, and to all humanity, that human wisdom pales in comparison to divine wisdom, and questioning God's ways is to misunderstand His absolute dominion. Ultimately, this verse functions as a profound lesson in humility, leading Job to repent and recognize the Creator's ineffable majesty.