rd

Job 38

God speaketh to Job, and declareth the weakenes of man in the consideration of his creatures, by whose excellencie the power, justice and providence of the Creator is knowen.
1.aThen answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirle winde, and said,
2.Who is this that bdarkeneth the counsel by wordes without knowledge?
3.Gird up now thy loynes like a man: I cwil demande of thee and declare thou unto me.
4.Where wast thou when I layed the dfundacions of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding,
5.Who hathe layed the measures thereof, if thou knowest, or who hathe stretched the line over it:
6.Where upon are the fundacions thereof set: or who layed the corner stone thereof:
7.When the starres of the morning epraised me together, and all the fchildren of God rejoyced:
8.Or who hathe shut up the sea with dores, when it yssued and came forthe as out of the wombe:
9.When I made the cloudes as a covering thereof, and darkenes as the gswadeling bandes thereof:
10.When I stablished my commandement upon it, and set barres and dores,
11.And said, Hetherto shalt thou come, but no farther, and here hshal it staye thy proude waves.
12.Hast thou commanded the imorning since thy dayes? hast thou caused the morning to knowe his place?
13.That it might take holde of the corners of the earth, and that the wicked might be kshaken out of it?
14.It is turned as clay to facion, l& all stand up as a garment.
15.And from the wicked their light shalbe taken away, and the hie arme shalbe broken.
16.Hast thou entred into the bottomes of the sea? or hast thou walked to seke out the mdepth?
17.Have the gates of death bene opened unto thee? or hast thou sene the gates of the shadow of death?
18.Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? tel if thou knowest all this.
19.Where is the way where light dwelleth? and where is the place of darkenes, The secret workes of God. Job. 38:
20.That thou nshuldest receive it in the boundes thereof, and that thou shuldest knowe the paths to the house thereof?
21.Knewest thou it, because thou wast then borne, and because the nomber of thy daies is great?
22.Hast thou entred into the treasures of the snowe? or hast thou sene the treasures of the hayle,
23.Which I have ohid against the time of trouble, against the day of warre and battel?
24.By what way is the light parted, which scatereth the East winde upon the earth?
25.Who hathe devided the spowtes for the raine? or the way for the lightening of the thunders,
26.To cause it to raine on the earth where no man is, and in the wildernes where there is no man?
27.To fulfil the wilde and waste place, and to cause the bud of the herbe to spring forthe?
28.Who is the father of the raine? or who hathe begotten the droppes of the dewe?
29.Out of whose wombe came the yce? who hathe ingendred the frost of the heaven?
30.The waters are hid pas with a stone: and the face of the depth is frosen.
31.Canst thou restraine the swete influences of qthe Pleiades? or loose the bands of rOríon?
32.Canst thou bring forthe sMazzaróth in their time? canst thou also guide tArctúrus with his sonnes?
33.Knowest thou the course of heaven, or canst thou set uthe rule thereof in the earth?
34.Canst thou lift up thy voyce to the cloudes that the abundance of water may cover thee?
35.Canst thou send the lightenings that thei may walke, and say unto thee, Lo, here we are?
36.Who hathe put wisdome in the xreines? or who hathe given the heart understanding?
37.Who can nomber cloudes by wisdome? or who can cause to cease the ybottels of heaven,
38.When the earth groweth into hardnes, zand the clottes are fast together?

Notes

1-a.
That his words might have greater majesty, and that Job might know with whom he had to do.
2-b.
Which by seeking out the secret counsel of God by man’s reason, makes it more obscure and shows his own folly.
3-c.
Because he had wished to dispute with God, Ch. 13.3, God reasons with him to declare his rashness.
4-d.
Seeing he could not judge of those things, which were done so long before he was born, he was not able to comprehend all God’s works: much less the secret causes of his judgements.
7-e.
The stars and dumb creatures are said to praise God, because his power, wisdom and goodness is manifest and known therein.
7-f.
Meaning, the Angels.
9-g.
As though the great sea were but as a little babe in the hands of God to turn to and fro.
11-h.
That is, God’s decree and commandment, as verse 10.
12-i.
To wit: to rise, since you were born?
13-k.
Who having in the night been given to wickedness, cannot abide the light but hide themselves.
14-l.
The earth which seemed in the night to have no form, by the rising of the sun is as it were created a new, and all things therein clad with new beauty.
16-m.
If you are not able to seek out the depth of the sea, how much less are you able to comprehend the counsel of God? 6
20-n.
That you might appoint it his way and limits.
23-o.
To punish my enemies with them, as Ex. 9.18, Josh. 10.11.
30-p.
The ice covers it, as though it were paved with stone.
31-q.
Which stars arise when the sun is in Taurus, which is the spring time, and bring flowers.
31-r.
Which star brings in winter.
32-s.
Certain stars so called: some think they were the twelve signs.
32-t.
The North star with those that are about him?
33-u.
Can you cause the heavenly bodies to have any power over the earthly bodies?
36-x.
In the secret parts of man.
37-y.
That is, the clouds, wherein the water is contained as in bottles.
38-z.
For when God does not open these bottles, the earth comes to this inconvenience.