Job 38 21

Job 38:21 kjv

Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?

Job 38:21 nkjv

Do you know it, because you were born then, Or because the number of your days is great?

Job 38:21 niv

Surely you know, for you were already born! You have lived so many years!

Job 38:21 esv

You know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!

Job 38:21 nlt

But of course you know all this!
For you were born before it was all created,
and you are so very experienced!

Job 38 verses

Job 38 21 Meaning

Job 38:21 is a powerful rhetorical question delivered by God to Job, dripping with divine sarcasm. God, having just detailed His incomprehensible work of creation, mocks Job's assumed wisdom by suggesting that for Job to know such things, he must have been present at the very beginning of creation and, therefore, incredibly ancient. It serves as a direct challenge to Job's limited human perspective and a rebuke to his presumption in questioning the Almighty.

Job 38 21 Context

Job 38:21 marks a pivotal moment in the Book of Job. After thirty-seven chapters of dialogue between Job and his three friends, then Elihu, God finally speaks from a whirlwind. Job had vehemently asserted his innocence and longed for an opportunity to present his case directly to God (Job 23:3-5). However, instead of offering an explanation for Job's suffering, God begins a magnificent monologue (Job 38-41) composed of overwhelming rhetorical questions concerning creation and the natural world. This opening challenges Job's assumed wisdom and capability to understand or control the universe, effectively dwarfing Job's individual suffering within the immensity of God's sovereignty. Verse 21 is a sharp, ironic jab intended to underscore Job's human limitations in contrast to divine omnipresence and omnipotence from the dawn of time.

Job 38 21 Word analysis

• You know (וְדַע, wə·ḏa‘): This is a command form ("and know!") used ironically, emphasizing the exact opposite. God is sarcastically telling Job that he "must know" these things, given his boldness in questioning divine wisdom. The underlying Hebrew root יָדַע (yada’) signifies experiential knowledge. God implies Job has experienced these events by being present.

• for (כִּי, kî): This conjunction indicates the reason or basis for the preceding sarcastic remark. It links Job's implied "knowledge" to his supposed existence at creation.

• you were born then (אָז תִּוָּלֵד, ’āz tî·wā·lēḏ):

  • then (אָז, ’āz): This temporal adverb points directly back to the moment of creation described in Job 38:4-7 ("when I laid the foundation of the earth"). It is the earliest point in cosmic history.
  • you were born (תִּוָּלֵד, tî·wā·lēḏ): This Hebrew verb is in the passive imperfect, suggesting "you came into being" or "you originated." The phrasing attributes an absurd, almost eternal, pre-existence to Job. This is the core of the divine irony, implying that to grasp God's creative acts, one would need to be present from the absolute beginning, a state impossible for any mere human.

• and the number of your days is great! (וּמִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ רַבִּים, ū·mis·par yā·me·ḵā rab·bîm):

  • and the number of your days (וּמִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ, ū·mis·par yā·me·ḵā): Refers to the span of Job's life.
  • is great! (רַבִּים, rab·bîm): Means "many" or "numerous." This reinforces the sarcasm. It is an exaggerated compliment that Job's lifespan must be astronomically long—reaching back to creation itself—for him to possess the knowledge to question the Creator. This exposes the brevity and limitation of human existence compared to God's eternity.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "You know, for you were born then": This phrase sets the stage for the sarcastic tone, directly challenging Job's self-perception. God implies Job must be omniscient, otherwise, his questions are impertinent.
  • "and the number of your days is great!": This continues the cutting irony, contrasting Job's fleeting mortality with God's eternality and limitless understanding. It underscores the profound chasm between finite human comprehension and infinite divine wisdom.

Job 38 21 Bonus section

• The divine irony in this verse is not dismissive but redemptive. It is part of God's pedagogical method to teach Job true humility and reverence.
• This verse indirectly sets up a polemic against any humanistic philosophy that elevates human reason to the level of ultimate arbiter or that suggests humans can fully grasp or critique divine justice without reference to God's infinite power and wisdom.
• God's speech in Job 38-41 serves to remind humanity that understanding often flows from an acknowledgement of our limited place in God's vast, wise, and sovereign plan, not from an exhaustive knowledge of all its details.

Job 38 21 Commentary

Job 38:21 is a masterclass in divine rhetoric, showcasing God's strategic use of irony to bring Job to a profound realization. Far from offering a logical defense, God exposes the vast intellectual chasm between the finite human mind and the infinite divine mind by demanding of Job a knowledge that only the Creator Himself could possess. The sarcasm highlights Job's human limitations, humbling him not through accusation of sin, but through demonstration of cosmic incomprehensibility. God implies that Job's presumption in demanding answers arises from a belief, however unconscious, in his own vast knowledge. By ironically affirming this presumed knowledge and an impossibly ancient lifespan, God systematically dismantles Job's human pride, forcing him to recognize his true place as a created being before the unsearchable wisdom of his Maker. This moment prepares Job for true repentance and humility, not based on a catalog of sins, but on the profound realization of who God truly is.