Job 38:12

12 Depuis que tu es au monde, as-tu commandé au matin, as-tu marqué à l'aurore sa place,

Job 38:12 Meaning and Commentary

Job 38:12

Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days;
&c.] Job had lived to see many a morning, but it never was in his power to command one; he had been in such circumstances as to wish for morning light before it was, but was obliged to wait for it, could not hasten it, or cause it to spring before its time; see ( Job 7:3 Job 7:4 ) ; one of the Targums is,

``wast thou in the days of the first creation, and commandedst the morning to be?''

he was not, God was; he was before the first morning, and commanded it into being, ( Genesis 1:3-5 ) ( Isaiah 43:13 ) ;

[and] caused the dayspring to know his place;
the first spring of light or dawn of day; which though it has a different place every day in the year, as the sun ascends or descends in the signs of the Zodiac, yet it knows and observes its exact place, being taught of God.

Job 38:12 In-Context

10 Quand j'établis ma loi sur elle, quand je lui mis des verrous et des portes,
11 Et que je lui dis: Tu viendras jusqu'ici, et tu n'iras pas plus loin; ici s'arrêtera l'orgueil de tes flots?
12 Depuis que tu es au monde, as-tu commandé au matin, as-tu marqué à l'aurore sa place,
13 Pour qu'elle saisisse les extrémités de la terre, et que les méchants soient chassés?
14 La terre change de forme comme l'argile sous le cachet, et toutes choses se lèvent comme pour la vêtir.
The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.