Job 38 14

Job 38:14 kjv

It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.

Job 38:14 nkjv

It takes on form like clay under a seal, And stands out like a garment.

Job 38:14 niv

The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment.

Job 38:14 esv

It is changed like clay under the seal, and its features stand out like a garment.

Job 38:14 nlt

As the light approaches,
the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal;
it is robed in brilliant colors.

Job 38 verses

Job 38 14 Meaning

Job 38:14 is part of God's direct challenge to Job from a whirlwind, demonstrating His incomparable wisdom and power by describing His sovereign control over creation. The verse vividly portrays how the earth transforms with the arrival of dawn. Just as formless clay takes on a precise, distinct impression under a seal, and just as a garment reveals its full array of patterns and colors when light shines upon it, so too the landscape emerges from darkness into defined shape, contour, and detail at morning's first light. It speaks to the instant, precise, and beautiful ordering God imparts daily to the world.

Job 38 14 Context

Job 38 begins God's direct response to Job from a whirlwind, initiating a series of rhetorical questions designed to reveal God's infinite wisdom, power, and sovereign control over creation, contrasting it with Job's limited human understanding. In the preceding verses (Job 38:12-13), God asks if Job has ever commanded the morning or guided the dawn to illuminate the "corners of the earth" and shake out the wicked. Verse 14 elaborates on this phenomenon of dawn, using two similes to describe how the earth is transformed by light. The overall aim is to humble Job, shift his perspective from human suffering to divine majesty, and demonstrate that God's ways are beyond human judgment or full comprehension, rooted in His creative work.

Job 38 14 Word analysis

• It: Refers to the earth or the land, which has been obscured by darkness and is now revealed by the morning light. The subject is implied from the preceding verses that speak of the dawn's action upon the earth.
• is changed: הֻפָּךְ (huppāḵ) from the Hebrew root הָפַךְ (hāphak). This is a Pual passive participle meaning "to be turned, overthrown, transformed, changed." It signifies a dramatic and active transformation rather than a mere passive alteration. The suddenness and completeness of the change from formless darkness to distinct contours are emphasized.
• like clay: כְּחֹמֶר (kəḥōmer). "Clay" (חֹמֶר - ḥōmer) refers to soft, malleable earth. This highlights the readiness of the unseen, unformed landscape to receive shape and detail when light appears. It is pliable and receptive.
• under the seal: חֹתָם (ḥōṯām). "Seal" (חֹתָם) was a significant ancient tool, typically used to press an impression onto soft material like clay or wax. It imprints a distinct pattern, marking ownership, authority, or completion. The seal brings clear form and individuality to the formerly uniform clay, akin to how light reveals specific features and details on the land.
• and gets its color: תִּתְיַצֵּבוּ (tiṯyaṣṣəḇū) from the root יָצַב (yāṣaḇ) in the Hithpael conjugation. While often translated "gets its color," the core meaning of יָצַב is "to stand, to set oneself, to take a stand, to be presented." In the Hithpael, it conveys reflexivity or intensifies the action, implying something "making itself stand out" or "becoming distinct." It suggests the distinct features, patterns, and perhaps literal colors of the landscape "taking their stand" or becoming clearly visible. It's more about the appearance of defined structure and texture than just chromatic change.
• like a garment: כְּמוֹ לְבוּשׁ (kəmō ləḇûš). "Garment" (לְבוּשׁ - ləḇûš) refers to clothing. This simile illustrates how the distinct patterns, textures, and indeed, colors of a fabric become fully apparent and appreciated when light shines upon it. In the context of the landscape, it emphasizes how the various elements—hills, valleys, trees—become fully defined and aesthetically visible, as if the earth were adorned with a patterned cloth revealed by illumination.

• "It is changed like clay under the seal": This powerful simile illustrates the sovereign and instantaneous transformation enacted by God's light. The earth, initially dark and indistinct, becomes molded and patterned, receiving a clear, indelible form as if by a divine stamp. This conveys God's effortless imposition of order, detail, and identity upon creation. It stands in contrast to ancient cosmogonies that depicted chaotic beginnings or struggles to create form.
• "and gets its color like a garment": This second simile elaborates on the beauty and revelation. As the morning progresses, the detailed features and subtle nuances of the landscape become distinctly visible, much like a beautiful, intricate garment unfolds its full patterns and colors when seen in clear light. This speaks not just to structure, but to the aesthetic richness and diversity with which God adorns the world daily. It underscores the visual artistry inherent in God's creative process.

Job 38 14 Bonus section

• Divine Order vs. Chaos: The imagery of the seal and the garment implies that the created world, far from being a product of chance or chaos, is designed with meticulous purpose and artistic detail. This challenges any worldview that suggests the world's structure is random or lacking in divine intention.
• Everyday Theophany: The daily sunrise described is a consistent, visible demonstration of God's active involvement and creative power in the world. It transforms the mundane into a testament to His majesty, inviting constant awe and worship.
• Nature's Revelation of God: This verse supports the concept of general revelation, where God's attributes, such as His power, wisdom, and artistry, are clearly seen and understood through the things He has made (Rom 1:20), specifically in the dynamic display of the morning.

Job 38 14 Commentary

Job 38:14 eloquently describes the daily miracle of dawn as a testimony to God's profound power and artistry. Before sunrise, the world lies undifferentiated in shadow, akin to a formless mass of clay. Yet, at God's command for morning light (Job 38:12), the earth undergoes a precise and immediate transformation. The arrival of light acts like a seal pressed into soft clay, imprinting distinct patterns and giving definite form to what was previously indistinct. This signifies God's sovereign hand in establishing order, bringing structure and contour to the land. Simultaneously, the landscape becomes vibrant "like a garment," its valleys, mountains, forests, and streams emerging in full detail and varied hues as light unveils them. This demonstrates not only divine power but also divine attention to beauty and detail in creation. God uses the most familiar, daily occurrences—the sun's rising—to illustrate His incomprehensible control and detailed design, far surpassing Job's own limited capacities. This verse underscores that the regularity and beauty of creation are not merely natural processes but continuous acts of divine wisdom and command.