Dinosaurs and Dragons in the Bible?

Continuing a Bible study of Job:

(Job 40:1) Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said, (2) "Shall he who contends with the Almighty instruct Him? He who reproves God, let him answer it."

God gives Job an opportunity to answer Him.

(3) Then Job answered the LORD, and said, (4) "Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer You? I will lay my hand on my mouth. (5) Once have I spoken, but I will not answer; yes, twice, but I will proceed no further."

Job had argued boldly with his friends, and had supposed he would argue his case as boldly with God if given the chance, but when actually given the chance, he sees himself as guilty in the sight of God and will no longer attempt to justify himself.

(6) Then answered the LORD to Job out of the whirlwind, and said, (7) "Gird up your loins now like a man; I will demand of you, and you will answer Me."

Once again the Lord tells Job to prepare himself "like a man", and be prepared to answer Him.  Some scholars suggest that this is an accidental duplication of the verses in Job 38:1-3, but since it is not exactly the same, I think that takes too much speculation, and I'll just go with it as it is.

(8) "Will you also annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be righteous? (9) Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like Him? (10) Deck yourself now with majesty and excellency, and array yourself with glory and beauty."

John Wesley points out that every word in verse 8 is emphatical; the quotes are his.  Will (are you purposed upon it) you (you, Job, "whom I took to be one of a better mind") also (not only vindicate yourself, but also accuse Me) annul ("not only question, but even repeal and make void, as if it were unjust") my judgment?  Will Job condemn God so that he may be righteous?  So does Job have power like God, or a voice like God's?  The verse may refer to the actual thunder that is an expression of God's power, or as an illustration of an all-powerful creative voice that commands things out of nothing to action.  Either way, can Job do it?  If so, then come on and show himself as God.

(11) "Cast abroad the rage of your wrath; and behold everyone who is proud, and humble him. (12) Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place. (13) Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret. (14) Then will I also confess to you that your own right hand can save you."

If Job can show himself as God, then let him show his indignation on the world and humble the proud as only God can.  Taking down the wicked and bringing them to dust again sounds like killing them.  Binding their faces in secret may refer to the covering of the faces of the dead or those about to be executed.  If Job is able to perform these God-like actions, then God will admit that Job is as God and able to save himself.  As Albert Barnes put it, "If you can do all this, it will be full proof that you can save yourself, and that you do not need the divine interposition. If he could do all this, then it might be admitted that he was qualified to pronounce a judgment on the divine counsels and dealings. He would then show that he had qualifications for conducting the affairs of the universe."

(15) "Behold now behemoth, which I made with you; he eats grass like an ox."

The original word actually is "behemoth" and has not been translated, as the meaning is not clear.  Perhaps it was an animal that is now extinct.  Some scholars have speculated that it could even be a dinosaur.  We know that God created it "with (man)", and so far from the text we know that it was a grass-eater.  The only animals in our time that might come close to the description that follows are elephants or, more probably, hippopotamuses.  Whatever it was, it was a huge powerful beast.

(16) "Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly."

From this description, scholars have pointed out that "behemoth" seems more like a hippo than an elephant, as elephants are very tender in their belly region.

(17) "He moves his tail like a cedar; the sinews of his stones are wrapped together."

Wow!  More speculation than you might realize has been made about this one small verse.  Once again, the hippo's tail might fit this description better than the elephant's as it is short and thick and stronger.  But is a short tail like that of a cedar?  I am imagining the tail of a dinosaur as a true cedar-like tail.  Some have speculated that the tail is not what is being described here, but the penis, and indeed, the rest of the verse complements that idea.  "Stones" indeed means "testicles" here.  Some scholars point out that the ancients used to call the penis the tail.  I have read that the elephant's is small in proportion to the size of its body; and not in sight, and therefore can hardly be thought to be described in the verse.  I am not sure about the hippo, but perhaps either animal's would be considered large and rigid and tree-like to any other species of animal.  Another speculation is that it might be the elephant's trunk that is referenced here, but why talk about the "stones" in the same sentence?  Of course, it could be a now extinct animal that is referenced.

(18) "His bones are as strong pieces of brass, his bones are like bars of iron. (19) He is the chief of the ways of God; He who made him can make His sword to approach him."

God is speaking about a very strong animal.  Once again I have read that the elephant may not live up to this description as his bones are porous, light, and spongy.  However, it could be his tusks that are referenced.  The hippo may have stronger bones.  The animal described is chief among the creations of God, probably because of his size and strength.  The second part of verse 19 sounds like only God can kill this animal.  Obviously, an elephant or a hippo could be killed by man, even if they are very large and strong.  So either a larger more formidable creature is meant, or perhaps the meaning of that part of the scripture is to be understood a little differently.  The KJV translators added the last word, "him"; actually it was "unto him" in the KJV text as written.  So we really just have "He who made him can make his sword to approach", so perhaps this refers to the sword-like feature that God created in the animal itself.  An elephant tusk might appear as a sword before the animal, or even more sword-like might be the huge teeth of the hippo.  How about the rhinoceros?  Now that looks like a sword!

(20) "Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play. (21) He lies under the shady trees, in the cover of the reed and fens. (22) The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook surround him. (23) Behold, he drinks up a river, and does not hasten; he trusts that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth. (24) He takes it with his eyes; his nose pierces through snares."

This description surely sounds more like the hippo than the elephant as the animal is found close to the water.  The picture of a hippo walking into a river with the greatest of ease and unconcern, opening his huge mouth and drinking in huge amounts of water, even going under and holding his breath for long periods of time, seems to fit very well.  I believe the meaning of verse 24 is that the animal sees the water, wants it, and saunters in, letting nothing stand in his way, his nose piercing through any snags or traps.  Now that sounds like the "nose" of an elephant or maybe a rhino.

It's no wonder there is so much speculation and disagreement on just what behemoth is!  I think I may agree with those who think it was an animal now extinct, probably the mastodon or the mammoth.

(Job 41:1) "Can you draw out leviathan with a hook, or his tongue with a cord which you let down?"

Chapter 41 begins with God talking about another of His impressive creations, another beast hard to identify with certainty.  Adam Clarke writes, "We come now to a subject...on which learned men are less agreed than on the preceding (behemoth). What is leviathan?"  Leviathan is mentioned in the Bible in a few places.  Strong's points out it is from the root word, "lavah", which means "to twine", so the assumption has always been that it is a type of coiling serpent.  Strong's and Brown-Driver-Briggs define "leviathan" as "a wreathed animal, that is, a serpent (especially the crocodile or some other large sea monster); figuratively the constellation of the dragon; also as a symbol of Babylon: - leviathan, mourning" (Strong's), and "leviathan, sea monster, dragon, large aquatic animal, perhaps the extinct dinosaur, plesiosaurus, exact meaning unknown" (BDB). Whatever this animal is, it is apparent it is large and impressive and not likely to be caught on a fishing line by man.

(2) "Can you put an hook into his nose? Or bore his jaw through with a thorn? (3) Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak soft words to you? (4) Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him for a servant forever? (5) Will you play with him as with a bird, or will you bind him for your maidens?"

Putting a hook in his nose or boring a hole into his jaw might have to do with putting him on a stringer like smaller fish.  Some scholars in the older commentaries believe that leviathan was a crocodile, as it is very strong with a huge fierce mouth and teeth, and is a fast swimmer and has "a coat of mail (that) cannot be pierced".  However, Albert Barnes points out that that the crocodile was led about by the Egyptians as a divinity.  The object of the passage above is to impress upon Job the strength and untameableness of the beast, so a crocodile doesn't fit well if it could be led around on a leash.  The leviathan cannot be tamed and kept as a pet for amusement.

(6) "Will the companions make a banquet of him? Will they part him among the merchants?"

The word that is translated as "banquet" is more often used as a form of the word "dig".  I believe the sense is that Job and his companions would not be able to open up the leviathan and divide it up.  The KJV translators thought of digging into the leviathan as having a banquet of him.  The leviathan cannot be parceled out for sale.

(7) "Can you fill his skin with barbed irons? Or his head with fish spears? (8) Lay your hand on him; remember the battle, do it no more. (9) Behold, the hope of him is in vain; will not one be cast down even at the sight of him?"

This creature's skin is thick and impenetrable, and it puts up a fight one will not soon forget.  The hope of conquering this creature is in vain, and his appearance is so formidable, that courage may wane in the presence of him.  Although a crocodile might fit this description as he has tough skin and is certainly a fighter, the fact that it is known that crocodiles were occasionally led around, makes me believe this has to be a larger and more ferocious creature, possibly a creature now extinct.  Could it be a dinosaur of some sort?  After all, God created all creatures, and there is conclusive evidence that dinosaurs were indeed on the earth, so God created them.  Our biggest question is when they inhabited the earth and were they here when man was here?  If you believe the creation description from Genesis is a literal six days, then it stands to reason that dinosaurs were created at the same time.  Scientists believe that dinosaurs were here hundreds of thousands of years before man, but they also believe stars were here then, too, and the Bible is clear about when God created the sun and moon and stars.  God is outside of time, and He is perfectly capable of creating something that appears to have been here a longer time than it has.  Man has his rules and measures, but God doesn't have to adhere to those rules.  People are always trying to put God into their little human box to "perfectly" explain Him, but it just doesn't work that way.

I suppose one other explanation for when dinosaurs inhabited the earth might be during a time when the earth was "void", perhaps before other creations, as described in Genesis 1:2.

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

I don't really see how dinosaurs could have been here if there was no form to the earth, but then again, God is outside of time and space or any of those pesky things that confine us!

(10) "None is so fierce that dare stir him up; who then is able to stand before Me? (11) Who has prevented Me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine."

Verse 10, paraphrased, "If one of My creatures is so formidable that man dare not attack it, how then can he contend with the creature's Creator?"  In verse 11, the word translated as "prevented" means "to project oneself" or "to meet, come or be in front, confront, go before", and the word translated as "repay" is "shalam", which is more often thought of as "peace"; the meaning here is "to make peace with" or "to make whole or good, restore, make compensation".  Again paraphrased, "Who has come before Me with whom I am obligated to make amends?"

(12) "I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion."

Back to the leviathan, God begins a more detailed description of the creature.  The word transcribed as "comely" is "beauty" or "beauty and grace".  A crocodile certainly would never be accused of possessing beauty and grace.  However, the complete phrase is "comely proportion".  The word translated as "proportion" is most often translated something along the line of "estimation" or "value".  However, it can also mean "things that are set in order, layer, pile, order, row", which might be descriptive of its skin.   

(13) "Who can discover the face of his garment? Who can come to him with his double bridle? (14) Who can open the doors of his face; his teeth are terrible all around?"

This creature evidently has a tough outer covering, even on his head.  The "doors of his face" probably refers to his mouth.  Who dare open it, with his terrible teeth all around?  "His double bridle" might refer to the creature's double row of terrible teeth, rather than an actual bridle brought by a man trying to rein it.  The word can also mean "jaw".

(15) "His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal; (16) One is so near to another that no air can come between them. (17) They are joined one to another, they stick together that they cannot be separated."

The scales of this creature are strong and tight and impenetrable, leading many Biblical scholars to think the crocodile is what is meant here.  We shall see.  ;-)

(18) "By his sneezings a light does shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. (19) Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. (20) Out of his nostrils goes smoke, as out of a seething pot or cauldron. (21) His breath kindles coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth."

Wow!  That doesn't sound like any crocodile this Louisiana girl has ever seen!  Sounds like a fire-breathing dragon to me!  Some of the scholars go to great lengths to explain why this is descriptive of the crocodile, but I just don't buy it.  God is describing His most powerful and formidable creations, and we've already learned that the crocodile was subdued and led around on a leash.  I really believe this creature is something more impressive than a crocodile - a sea serpent or dragon, or some other such creature, now extinct.  By the way, Animal Planet gives this explanation for how dragons could breathe fire:  "A dragon chews on platinum with its grinding teeth. When combined with hydrogen, it combusts, producing fire."

(22) "In his neck remains strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him."

The strength of this creature is in its neck, and nothing is painful or difficult for it.

(23) "The flakes of his flesh are joined together; they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved. (24) His heart is as firm as a stone; yes, as hard as a piece of the millstone. (25) When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; because of breakings they purify themselves."

The creature raises itself up and frightens the mighty; again the image of a crocodile doesn't fit to me.  Breaking, crashing, destruction - the terror of this creature makes men purge themselves by vomiting, urinating, or defecating, or because they so fear for their lives, they acknowledge their sins and beg for forgiveness from their Lord and Savior.

(26) "The sword of him that lays at him cannot hold; the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon."

The sword of the man who is able to get at this creature is either broken or cannot pierce it or stick in it.  A habergeon is a short, sleeveless coat of mail, and doesn't seem to apply here, and some scholars believe the "javelin" is meant.  Dr. John Gill writes that in the Arabic language a javelin or hand dart is expressed by the same word.  I will have to take his word for it.

(27) "He esteems iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. (28) The arrow cannot make him flee; slingstones are turned into stubble with him. (29) Darts are counted as stubble; he laughs at the shaking of a spear. (30) Sharp stones are under him; he spreads sharp pointed things upon the mire."

The creature is so strong that iron and metal seem as straw and broken wood to it.  It is not afraid of arrows or spears, and darts and stones are like stubble or straw.  I think the sense of verse 30 is that the creature does not regard sharp stones as anything; he makes a bed of them.

(31) "He makes the deep boil like a pot; he makes the sea like a pot of ointment. (32) He makes a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary."

This is obviously a large sea creature that can make the water churn; it makes such a trail of foamy waters behind it that one would think the sea was filled with white hair.

(33) "On earth there is nothing like him, who is made without fear. (34) He beholds all high things; he is a king over all the children of pride."

There is not another creature on earth like this leviathan, and it is without fear.  All the other of the greatest creatures are inferior to this one; it is chief among the boldest and proudest of animals, and people, for that matter.

God has described to Job two awesome and powerful creatures that were untouchable by man, and yet He was the Creator of them both, in order to give Job a jolt of reality as to the infinite power and sovereignty of his Lord.

Unique Creations of God

Continuing a Bible study in Job, God is still speaking to Job in chapter 39:

(Job 39:1) "Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young? Or can you mark when the deer gives birth? (2) Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they bear young? (3) They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows."

Knowing the time alone that these animals take to deliver their young is nothing extraordinary in itself, but Adam Clarke points out something else is his "Commentary on the Bible".  There are some peculiarities surrounding the birth of especially "hinds", or deer.  "The hind with young is by instinct directed to a certain herb, named seselis, which facilitates the birth. Thunder, also, which looks like the more immediate hand of Providence, has the same effect."  Mr. Clarke then refers to Psalms 29:9, “The voice of the Lord makes the hinds to calve."  The word translated as "sorrows" is actually one meaning "cords, bands, or rope"; it was used to mean the placenta or umbilical cord.  "Sorrows" was a nice way of expressing the pangs of birth.

(4) "Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and do not return to them."

To be in good liking is to be plump or healthy.  The word translated as corn can actually mean any grain or even open field or country.  The fawns and the young goats leave their mothers early.  I believe the idea is that even though most baby animals need considerable attention and care from their mothers for a time, the young of the mountain goats and deer are protected by God alone.  These young animals are exposed to so many dangers and predators in their young lives that if it weren't for the protection of God, none would make it to adulthood.

(5) "Who has sent out the wild ass free? Or who has loosed the bands of the wild ass, (6) Whose home I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings? (7) He scorns the multitude of the city; neither does he regard the crying of the driver. (8) The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searches after every green thing."

There are two different words both translated as "wild ass' in verse 5.  The first, "pereh" refers to "running wild" or the "onager" or "wild ass".  The second, "arod" is said to mean "onager" or "wild ass", but is only used once in the Bible here.  Perhaps there are two different types of wild animals discussed here, but the point is that the wild ass is untamed and unsubdued, and who has made him that way?  He doesn't regard any man and the vast wilderness and desert are his home. 

(9) "Will the unicorn be willing to serve you? Or abide by your crib? (10) Can you bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after you? (11) Will you trust him because his strength is great? Or will you leave your labor to him? (12) Will you believe him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather it into your barn?"

The word translated as "unicorn" was used several times in the Bible, but no one knows exactly what animal to which the word refers.  It may have been a type of wild bull now extinct, or some even wonder if it was a rhinoceros.  The image of the unicorn works just fine here.  Is it possible to tame the wild unicorn and train him to work for you and that you trust him to do your work? 

(13) "Did you give the goodly wings to the peacocks, or wings and feathers to the ostrich?"

The word translated as "peacocks" is used only once in the Bible, so speculation was probably used.  Most scholars think it refers to the ostrich.  However, the word that is translated as "ostrich" is a different word.  It is only translated as "ostrich" in this one verse, and is translated as "feathers" in three other places in the Bible.  Some scholars think the word should be "storks", but the next verse seems to describe an ostrich.  The word translated as "feathers" here is another word.  AND the two words translated as "wings" above are two different words!  Whew!  This is a tough one to translate certainly, but let's take it one word at a time and see if we can come up with the right context.

To begin with, "Did you give" was added by the KJV translators; actually their words were "Gavest thou".  So taking that out, we begin with "goodly".  That word is said to mean "to rejoice, to exult, to leap for joy, to wave or flap joyously, to delight oneself, to solace oneself".  When the word was used in the only two other times it occurred in the Bible, it was translated as "rejoice" and "solace".  The original word for the first "wings" above does seem to mean "wings" as it is used frequently that way.  Then we come to the word that is only used once and is said to mean "peacocks", however Strong's and Brown-Driver-Briggs both define it as something with a piercing cry or wail.  The KJV translators obviously connected goodly feathers and wails to the peacock. The second word that was translated as "wings" is not used nearly so often as the first "wings", but it does seem to mean "feathers" or "wings".  Interestingly, the word translated as "feather(s)" is most often translated as "stork".  The only place in the Bible it was ever used as "feathers" was here.  Finally is the word translated as "ostrich", which is more often translated as "feathers" or "plumage"; it is only translated as "ostrich" here.  Whew!

So with the translations above, we have something along the order of, "rejoicing wailing bird, feathers or wings and a stork and feathers or plumage".  Considering the next verses do seem to describe an ostrich, perhaps God is asking if Job created the ostrich in such a unique way; she cries and seems to flap joyously and has the feathers of the stork, but....

(14) "Which leaves her eggs in the earth, and warms them in dust; (15) And forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them. (16) She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers; her labor is in vain without fear; (17) Because God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has He imparted to her understanding. (18) When she lifts herself on high, she scorns the horse and its rider."

I do believe the point is that the ostrich is such a unique creation of God with its appearance and flapping wings and stature that makes it appear as if it thinks it can rival the horse and rider.  Yet it doesn't have the wisdom, concern, or maternal instincts to care for its eggs or its young.

(19) "Have you given the horse strength? Have you clothed his neck with thunder? (20) Can you make him afraid as a grasshopper? The glory of his nostrils is terrible. (21) He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; he goes on to meet the armed men. (22) He mocks at fear, and is not frightened; neither does he turn back from the sword. (23) The quiver rattles against him, the glittering spear and the shield. (24) He swallows the ground with fierceness and rage; neither does he believe that it is the sound of the trumpet. (25) He says among the trumpets, 'Ha ha!'; and he smells the battle from afar, the thunder of the captains and the shouting."

Here is another poetic description of a unique creation of God, the strong horse with its blazing mane, here pictured as a warhorse with no fear, snorting fiercely and pawing the earth, undeterred by the sounds of war, but ready to charge.  Did Job create him this way?

(26) "Does the hawk fly by your wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south? (27) Does the eagle mount up at your command, and make her nest on high? (28) She dwells and abides on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place. (29) From there she seeks the prey, and her eyes behold from afar. (30) Her young ones also suck up blood, and where the slain are, there is she."

Here are two more awesome and unique creations of God, the hawk and the eagle.  Does Job manage them?

Where Were YOU When God Laid the Foundations of the Earth?

Continuing a Bible study of Job, we come to one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, when GOD appears on the scene!

(Job 38:1) Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, (2) "Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? (3) Gird up now your loins like a man; for I will demand of you, and you answer Me."

These words of God are said to be directed to Job, not his friends.  Job wanted his chance to take his cause directly to God; now he has it!  

(4) "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding."

This has always been one of my favorite passages in the Bible.  How quick we are to question why God would do this or that or allow this or that, as if WE would do and know better!  God really makes us feel pretty small and insignificant when He asks, "Just where were you when..."

(5) "Who has determined its measurements, if you know? Or who has stretched the line upon it? (6) Upon what are its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, (7) When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"

Who created the earth and its foundations when it appears to hang on nothing, when the angels sang praise and shouted for joy?  The morning stars might even be interpreted as the actual early stars of the universe, since it might seem redundant to be speaking of angels again.  But then again, it is poetic to speak of the angels singing and then the angels shouting for joy with two different descriptive terms.  The point is, who was there from the very beginning and created the earth?

(8) "Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth as if it had issued out of the womb? (9) When I made the cloud its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band; (10) And broke up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, (11) And said, 'This far you shall come, but no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed'?"

Who set the boundaries for the powerful oceans and created the clouds and set their limits?

(12) "Have you commanded the morning since your days, and caused the dayspring to know its place, (13) That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it? (14) It is turned as clay to the seal, and they stand as a garment."

God asks Job if he has been commanding dawn to break since he was born, that it might spread light from one end of the earth to the other, exposing the darkness where wickedness often takes place.  The earth is changed in appearance by daybreak as a seal makes a beautiful impression on clay, with plants and trees and the like standing as a beautiful garment on the earth.

(15) "And from the wicked their light is withheld, and the raised arm will be broken."

Because the wicked prefer darkness that hides their wickedness, "their" light is darkness, and daylight holds back their preferred "light".  Or maybe their light being withheld just means they don't enjoy the light as the righteous do because they prefer darkness.  Their upraised arms of strength will be broken when they are exposed by the light.

(16) "Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the search of the depths?"

I think the point here is that if Job has never even seen the depths of the seas, how much less could he see and understand God.

(17) "Have the gates of death been opened to you? Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?"

Death is one of the great unknown mysteries to man.  Does Job understand death, when and where men go when they die?

(18) "Have you perceived the breadth of the earth? Declare if you know it all. (19) Where is the way where light dwells? And darkness, where is its place, (20) That you should take it to its bounds, and that you should know the paths to its home? (21) Do you know it, because you were born then, or because the number of your days is great?"

Does Job know the width of the entire earth?  Does he know the source of light because he was there at the beginning?  Do any of us really know?  After all, light was created BEFORE the sun and stars.  God created light (day) on the first day, but He didn't create the sun and stars until the fourth day:

And God said, "Let there be light", and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. - Genesis 1:3-5

And God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years; And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth"; and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; He made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. - Genesis 1:14-19

(22) "Have you entered into the treasures of the snow? Or have you seen the treasures of the hail, (23) Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?"

Snow and hail are pictured as things God has stored up as treasures to use when He sees fit, such as at time of war when God often used especially hailstones to overwhelm the enemy.  It's not that God truly has the stuff piled high in storehouses, but it might as well be because it is so easily at his disposal.  Does Job really understand and know how to create and use snow and hailstones to have them at his disposal?

(24) "By what way is the light parted, which scatters the east wind upon the earth? (25) Who has divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder; (26) To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is, on the wilderness wherein there is no man; (27) To satisfy the desolate and waste ground, and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?"

So Job, just how is light diffused and distributed just so?  Who created channels for overflowing water or the path of a lightning bolt?  So just who causes it to rain on parts of the earth where there is no man, to water the ground for plant life; could it possibly be a man like you, Job?

(28) "Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew? (29) Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoary frost of heaven, who has gendered it? (30) The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen."

Is there any man who has produced rain, dew, or frost?  What man has produced solid ice that hides the water?  

(31) "Can you bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? (32) Can you bring forth Mazzaroth in its season? Or can you guide Arcturus with his sons?"

God is speaking of the constellations here.  Can Job move them at will?  Interestingly, even by early commentators, "Mazzaroth" was generally understood to mean the twelve signs of the zodiac.  This is the only place the word was ever used, so some speculation is used.  It is defined by Strong's as "apparently from 'nazar' (to set apart) in the sense of distinction; some noted constellation (only in the plural), perhaps collectively the zodiac".  In early commentaries, there are various similar meanings attributed to it, "celestial signs", "zodiac", or "morning star".  It is sometimes considered to be "Mazzaloth", which is translated as "planets" or "constellation of planets".     

(33) "Do you know the ordinances of heaven? Can you set its dominion in the earth?"

Does Job understand the laws governing the heavenly bodies and can he set up their proper places or dominions as they relate to the earth?  Perhaps this referred to the effect that some heavenly bodies have on the earth and the weather, such as the moon that affects the tides.

(34) "Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover you? (35) Can you send lightnings, that they may go, and say to you, 'Here we are!'?"

Can Job command the rain and lightning, that they answer him?

(36) "Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the heart?"

I found the interpretations of this scripture amusing.  Once again more recent translators of the NIV, NLT, and even NKJV, and others, decided that wisdom must be in the "mind".  But that is not what the original text said; it said, "inward parts".  Wisdom in the inward parts is what makes them function WITHOUT our minds or conscious effort!  That is the miraculous, awesome, God-only-created point of that question.  Did Job create the various parts of the body to function on their own?  THEN God asks if Job has given understanding to the mind.  The word translated as "heart" here is not the word that is generally used as "heart"; this word, "sekviy" means "observant" or "to look at, view", denoting the thinking mind, and indeed, is generally thought to mean the mind by most early commentaries.  This is a good place to mention an earlier fascinating study I did on translations of the Bible, and which ones are to be trusted, and which ones seek to diminish the word of God:  Which Version of the Truth Will You Use?

(37) "Who can number the clouds in wisdom? Or who can stay the bottles of heaven, (38) When the dust grows into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?"

The word translated as "clouds" here means more precisely the smaller particles that make up clouds, and in this case, the clouds being fine dust or powder clouds.  Who can number every particle of dust?  "The bottles of heaven" is an illustration of clouds as bottles holding all the smaller particles.  Who really understands how the tiny fine particles of dust become the solid ground, and the solid earth, for that matter?

(39) "Will you hunt the prey for the lion? Or fill the appetite of the young lions, (40) When they crouch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait? (41) Who provides food for the raven, when its young ones cry to God, they wander for lack of food?"

Does Job provide food and prey for all the animals and birds of the earth?

Whew!  It's already a very extensive list of things God alone does, but He is not yet finished speaking.  I'll continue the study in the next chapter in the next post.