Job 38 8

Job 38:8 kjv

Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

Job 38:8 nkjv

"Or who shut in the sea with doors, When it burst forth and issued from the womb;

Job 38:8 niv

"Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb,

Job 38:8 esv

"Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb,

Job 38:8 nlt

"Who kept the sea inside its boundaries
as it burst from the womb,

Job 38 verses

Job 38 8 Meaning

Job 38:8 presents God's rhetorical question to Job, challenging his comprehension of creation's foundational events. It highlights God's exclusive power and wisdom in sovereignly controlling the mighty, potentially chaotic, waters of the sea. By using the vivid imagery of "shutting up" with "doors" and its emergence "from the womb," God emphasizes His meticulous design and effortless command over forces far beyond human ability to comprehend or govern. The sea, a symbol of primal power, is shown to be completely subjected to the Creator's will, confined within precise boundaries as if given birth to and contained by Him.

Job 38 8 Context

Job chapter 38 marks the beginning of God's direct speech to Job from the whirlwind, breaking the silence after chapters of discourse between Job and his friends. This entire section (chapters 38-41) is not a direct answer to Job's questions about the "why" of his suffering, but rather a profound display of God's overwhelming wisdom, power, and sovereign control over creation. God challenges Job's limited understanding by presenting him with a series of rhetorical questions concerning the natural world, the heavens, and the animal kingdom, areas over which God alone possesses complete knowledge and authority. Job 38:8, specifically, centers on the formation and containment of the vast seas, emphasizing that this immense, seemingly wild element is precisely designed and strictly governed by divine decree. In the historical and cultural context of the ancient Near East, where raging waters and primeval oceans were often depicted as chaotic or even monstrous forces that had to be overcome through epic battles by various deities, God's question serves as a potent polemic. It asserts that Yahweh does not merely battle chaos but inherently and effortlessly subdues and orders it from its very inception, much like a creator overseeing a birth and establishing boundaries, without any struggle. This demonstrates a unique, supreme divine authority unmatched by any other.

Job 38 8 Word analysis

• Or who (וּמִי - u-mi): This is a direct rhetorical question, common in God's speech to Job, implying that only one being (God Himself) could accomplish such a feat. It emphasizes God's unique and solitary capacity.

• shut up (סָכַךְ - sakhakh): This verb means to hedge about, enclose, shut in, or protect. It denotes deliberate and forceful confinement, not a passive boundary. It highlights God's active, intentional control over the sea's expansion and movement, placing limits on its wild nature.

• the sea (יָם - yam): In ancient cultures, the sea often symbolized powerful, untamed, and sometimes chaotic forces, representing the edge of known civilization. God's ability to command and confine this immense, dynamic entity showcases His absolute supremacy over all creation, even its most formidable aspects.

• with doors (בִּדְלָתַיִם - bidlathayim): This term literally means "with two doors" or "with leaves of a door." It suggests not just an arbitrary boundary but a structured, designed enclosure, like fortified gates. This imagery evokes a sense of cosmic architecture and purposeful containment, reinforcing the idea of a Creator who actively designs and controls.

• when it burst forth (בְּגִיחוֹ - be'giykho): This verb describes a sudden, powerful, and gushing emergence, like a fluid explosion. It portrays the initial appearance of the vast waters as dynamic and unrestrained, making their subsequent containment by God even more impressive.

• as if from the womb (כְּיוֹצֵא מֵרָחַם - keyotzei meracham): This profound metaphor compares the sea's emergence to a birth. The term racham (womb) carries connotations of creation, origin, and deep affection/compassion. This connection emphasizes that the sea, despite its formidable power, is brought forth under God's careful design and intention, like a child brought into the world, demonstrating His intimate involvement in every aspect of creation's formation.

• "shut up... with doors": This phrase highlights divine sovereignty, deliberate design, and insurmountable power over even the most untamable natural forces. It implies God does not merely set a boundary but actively contains the sea.

• "burst forth as if from the womb": This vivid parallel links the natural origin of the sea to the process of birth, underscoring God as the ultimate source and architect of its emergence. It also softens the raw power with an image of deliberate, perhaps even tender, creation under divine oversight, rather than chaotic, uncontrolled sprawl. This connection suggests an intrinsic bond between the Creator and His creation, where even the largest forces originate intimately from Him.

Job 38 8 Bonus section

The "doors" imagery in this verse also speaks to the idea of a fixed and immutable order established by God in creation. This suggests that the natural laws governing the sea, such as tides and currents, are not random occurrences but are intricately woven into the fabric of creation by a divine Architect. The containment of the sea signifies divine control over potentially destructive forces, assuring order in the world. This serves as a powerful reminder that if God can command the untamable sea, He surely has ultimate power over all circumstances, providing comfort amidst chaos or confusion in life. It emphasizes that God's power extends beyond the visible creation into the sustaining power of all existence.

Job 38 8 Commentary

Job 38:8 reveals the awe-inspiring depth of God's creative power and the meticulous wisdom governing His ordering of the universe. Far from being a chaotic element, the sea, in all its primal energy, burst forth only under God's orchestrating hand, much like life emerging from a womb. He then, with absolute authority, "shut it up with doors"—not by brute force or a struggle against chaos, but through His inherent wisdom and decree, effortlessly imposing limits upon its vastness. This verse challenges Job, and indeed all humanity, to consider the incomprehensible greatness of the Creator who masters elements far beyond human control, prompting a realization of our finite knowledge and proper reverence before such a magnificent God. It calls us to trust in a God who commands even the waves, thereby capable of handling the intricacies of human life and suffering.