Job 9 9

Job 9:9 kjv

Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

Job 9:9 nkjv

He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;

Job 9:9 niv

He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.

Job 9:9 esv

who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south;

Job 9:9 nlt

He made all the stars ? the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky.

Job 9 verses

Job 9 9 Meaning

Job 9:9 declares God's supreme, comprehensive, and continuous power as the Creator. It highlights His specific and deliberate making of well-known celestial bodies — the constellations Bear (Ursa Major), Orion, and Pleiades — as well as the more mysterious, distant, or unseen starry regions known as the "chambers of the south." This verse emphasizes that God's creative dominion extends not only to what is visible and understood but also to what lies beyond human perception, demonstrating His unparalleled wisdom and might across the entirety of the cosmos.

Job 9 9 Context

Job 9:9 is part of Job’s passionate response to Bildad, one of his friends. In this speech (Job 9:1-12), Job wrestles with the overwhelming reality of God's incomparable power and wisdom, contrasting it sharply with humanity's utter inability to contend with Him. Job acknowledges God's absolute sovereignty, which he perceives as terrifying and arbitrary, given his own unmerited suffering. The immediate preceding verses (Job 9:4-8) describe God's destructive and formative power over the earth and natural phenomena, such as moving mountains, shaking the earth, and controlling the heavens and sea. Verse 9 specifically turns to the celestial sphere, emphasizing God's mastery over the stars and constellations. This deep dive into God’s cosmic creative power serves to underscore Job's central argument: no human, no matter how righteous, can argue, litigate, or even comprehend the ways of such an omnipotent God. It establishes God’s unchallengeable transcendence, setting the stage for Job’s despair over his seemingly hopeless predicament.

Job 9 9 Word Analysis

• He: Refers unequivocally to God, whose vast power and wisdom Job has been describing in Job 9:4-8. This pronoun centers the creative act squarely on the singular divine being.
• makes (עֹשֶׂה - 'ōśeh): This is a present participle, implying continuous or habitual action rather than a singular past event. While creation was an initial act, this word suggests God's ongoing involvement in sustaining, orchestrating, and perhaps even daily establishing these celestial bodies and their movements. It conveys not just the act of forming but of governing and administering their course.
• the Bear (עָשׁ - 'Āsh or 'Ayish): This term almost certainly refers to Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear or the Big Dipper, a prominent constellation visible in the northern sky. It was recognized and named in ancient cultures, symbolizing strength and permanence due to its fixed pattern in the heavens. Mentioning it demonstrates God's dominion over what was observable and named by humans.
• Orion (כְּסִיל - Kesiyl): This word refers to the constellation Orion, a bright and distinct formation of stars known in many ancient civilizations. The Hebrew word kesiyl can also mean "fool" or "giant," possibly carrying a polemic connotation against any mythical giant or fool who might presume to contend with God's power, highlighting God's supremacy over what humans might see as formidable or deified entities. Its mention emphasizes God's authority over formidable cosmic patterns.
• and Pleiades (כִּימָה - Kimah): This refers to the Pleiades star cluster, sometimes called the "Seven Sisters," which is small but distinctive. Its heliacal rising (visibility at sunrise) was often associated with the agricultural calendar and the changing seasons in ancient Near Eastern cultures, signifying divine order and control over earthly cycles through celestial phenomena. Including it emphasizes God's command over both prominent and subtle, agriculturally significant celestial bodies.
• and the chambers of the south (וְחַדְרֵי תֵמָן - wə·ḥaḏ·rê ṯê·mān): This phrase literally translates to "the chambers of the south" or "the hidden places of the south."
  • chambers: Implies hidden, secret, or deep recesses, suggesting regions of the heavens unknown or invisible to human eyes from Job’s latitude.
  • south: Refers to the southern celestial hemisphere. This broad term contrasts with the specific northern and equatorial constellations (Bear, Orion, Pleiades) previously named.
  • Significance: This points to God’s comprehensive knowledge and creation extending beyond the easily observed. It suggests that even the distant, hidden, or mysterious parts of the cosmos are intricately made and governed by Him. This emphasizes the limitlessness of God’s domain and knowledge, asserting His power over not only what is known but also what is unknown or unseen by humanity. This can also be seen as an assertion that God's power encompasses everything, including things we cannot even comprehend or perceive, serving as a powerful counterpoint to Job’s limited understanding.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "He makes the Bear, Orion, and Pleiades": This phrase highlights God's specific and deliberate formation of particular, well-known constellations. It's an affirmation of divine craftsmanship and sovereign control over distinct features of the night sky, countering any notion that these celestial bodies are deities or random occurrences. It uses familiar examples to anchor God's vast creative power in observable reality.
• "and the chambers of the south": This expands the scope of God's creation to include parts of the cosmos beyond common observation or even knowledge. It signifies the immeasurable and mysterious extent of God’s dominion. This phrase underscores God’s omnipotence and omniscience, covering both the visible and the veiled, suggesting a depth of cosmic power that is unfathomable to humanity.

Job 9 9 Bonus Section

• Polemical Significance: This verse functions as a subtle yet potent polemic against astral worship prevalent in the ancient Near East. While civilizations like Babylonians and Egyptians often deified celestial bodies and sought to discern fate through them, Job unequivocally asserts that these are merely "made" by God, positioning Him as superior to any perceived celestial deity.
• A Scientific Foreshadowing: The phrase "chambers of the south" is sometimes interpreted as a metaphorical nod to regions or phenomena in space that are beyond current human ken, potentially including dark matter, dark energy, or other astronomical mysteries that remain "hidden" from full observation. It speaks to God's complete grasp of all existence, visible or invisible.
• Consistency with Later Revelation: This verse finds echoes throughout the Bible, notably in God’s challenge to Job himself later in Job 38, where God asks Job whether he can control the very constellations mentioned. This rhetorical questioning emphasizes humanity's absolute lack of control over the creation that God effortlessly commands. The theme is reiterated in Amos 5:8, which also explicitly states that the Lord is the one "who made the Pleiades and Orion."

Job 9 9 Commentary

Job 9:9 stands as a powerful declaration of God's absolute sovereignty and creative mastery over the cosmos. In the context of Job's struggle, it serves as a crucial acknowledgment of the divine omnipotence he confronts. By citing familiar constellations like the Bear, Orion, and Pleiades, Job illustrates that even the seemingly permanent and grand celestial patterns, revered or perhaps feared by ancient peoples, are merely God's handiwork, fully subject to His command. These references directly confront the prevailing pagan beliefs of the time, where stars and planets were often deified or thought to be independent powers influencing human destiny. Job firmly establishes that the God of Israel is the sole, active Creator who "makes" and orchestrates them.

Furthermore, the inclusion of "the chambers of the south" profoundly deepens this assertion. This phrase extends God’s creative power to regions unseen or poorly understood from the ancient world, representing the hidden and unfathomable reaches of the universe. It points to a divine knowledge and control that transcends human observation and comprehension. For Job, this overwhelming understanding of God’s limitless power reinforces his dilemma: how can a finite human, suffering and perplexed, possibly contend with or comprehend a Being whose dominion extends even to the hidden corners of the universe? The verse powerfully depicts a God who is both intricately involved in the visible order of the heavens and majestically sovereign over the cosmic unknown, affirming His unrivaled transcendence.