Job 38:31-41

31 Canst thou bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the bands of Orion?

32 Canst thou lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season? Or canst thou guide the Bear with her train?

33 Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth?

34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover thee?

35 Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go, And say unto thee, Here we are?

36 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who hath given understanding to the mind?

37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,

38 When the dust runneth into a mass, And the clods cleave fast together?

39 Canst thou hunt the prey for the lioness, Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

40 When they couch in their dens, [And] abide in the covert to lie in wait?

41 Who provideth for the raven his prey, When his young ones cry unto God, [And] wander for lack of food?

Job 38:31-41 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 38

In this chapter the Lord takes up the controversy with Job; calls upon him to prepare to engage with him in it, and demands an answer to posing questions he puts to him, concerning the earth and the fabric of it, Job 38:1-7; concerning the sea, compared to an infant in embryo, at its birth, in its swaddling bands and cradle, Job 38:8-11; concerning the morning light, its spread and influence, Job 38:12-15; concerning the springs of the sea, the dark parts of the earth, the place both of light and darkness, Job 38:16-21; concerning the various meteors, snow, hail, rain, thunder, lightning, and the influences of the stars, Job 38:22-38; and concerning provision for lions and ravens, Job 38:40,41.