Job

Job 38:4–11

⁴Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?

Tell Me, if you have understanding.

⁵Who fixed its measurements? Surely you know!

Or who stretched a measuring line across it?

⁶On what were its foundations set,

or who laid its cornerstone,^d

⁷while the morning stars sang together

and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

⁸Who enclosed the sea behind doors

when it burst forth from the womb,

⁹when I made the clouds its garment

and thick darkness its blanket,

¹⁰when I fixed its boundaries

and set in place its bars and doors,

¹¹and I declared: ‘You may come this far, but no farther;

here your proud waves must stop’?

Footnotes

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Where	אֵיפֹ֣ה	’ê·p̄ōh	Interrogative	H375 where?
were you	הָ֭יִיתָ	hā·yî·ṯā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
when I laid the foundations	בְּיָסְדִי־	bə·yā·sə·ḏî-	Preposition-b; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; first person common singular	H3245 establish, found, fix
of the earth	אָ֑רֶץ	’ā·reṣ	Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
Tell	הַ֝גֵּ֗ד	hag·gêḏ	Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular	H5046 be conspicuous
if	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
you have understanding	יָדַ֥עְתָּ	yā·ḏa‘·tā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H3045 know

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Who	מִי־	mî-	Interrogative	H4310 who?
fixed	שָׂ֣ם	śām	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7760 put, place, set
its measurements	מְ֭מַדֶּיהָ	mə·mad·de·hā	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H4461 measurement
Surely	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
you know	תֵדָ֑ע	ṯê·ḏā‘	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H3045 know
Or	א֤וֹ	’ōw	Conjunction	H176 or
who	מִֽי־	mî-	Interrogative	H4310 who?
stretched	נָטָ֖ה	nā·ṭāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
a measuring line	קָּֽו׃	qāw	Noun - masculine singular	H6957 line
across it	עָלֶ֣יהָ	‘ā·le·hā	Preposition; third person feminine singular	H5921 height

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
On what	מָ֭ה	māh	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
were its foundations	אֲדָנֶ֣יהָ	’ă·ḏā·ne·hā	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H134 base, pedestal
set	הָטְבָּ֑עוּ	hā·ṭə·bā·‘ū	Verb - Hofal - Perfect - third person common plural	H2883 sink, sink down
or	א֥וֹ	’ōw	Conjunction	H176 or
who	מִֽי־	mî-	Interrogative	H4310 who?
laid	יָ֝רָ֗ה	yā·rāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H3384 throw, shoot
its cornerstone	פִּנָּתָֽהּ׃	pin·nā·ṯāh	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H6438 corner

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
while the morning	בֹ֑קֶר	ḇō·qer	Noun - masculine singular	H1242 morning
stars	כּ֣וֹכְבֵי	kō·wḵ·ḇê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H3556 star
sang	בְּרָן־	bə·rān-	Preposition-b; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H7442 give a ringing cry
together	יַ֭חַד	ya·ḥaḏ	Adverb	H3162 unitedness
and all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the sons	בְּנֵ֥י	bə·nê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
of God	אֱלֹהִֽים׃	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
shouted for joy	וַ֝יָּרִ֗יעוּ	way·yā·rî·‘ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7321 raise a shout

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Who enclosed	וַיָּ֣סֶךְ	way·yā·seḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5526 overshadow, screen, cover
the sea	יָ֑ם	yām	Noun - masculine singular	H3220 sea
behind doors	בִּדְלָתַ֣יִם	biḏ·lā·ṯa·yim	Preposition-b; Noun - fd	H1817 door
when it burst forth	בְּ֝גִיח֗וֹ	bə·ḡî·ḥōw	Preposition-b; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person masculine singular	H1518 burst forth
from the womb	מֵרֶ֥חֶם	mê·re·ḥem	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H7358 womb

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
when I made	בְּשׂוּמִ֣י	bə·śū·mî	Preposition-b; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; first person common singular	H7760 put, place, set
the clouds	עָנָ֣ן	‘ā·nān	Noun - masculine singular	H6051 cloud-mass, cloud
its garment	לְבֻשׁ֑וֹ	lə·ḇu·šōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3830 garment, clothing, raiment
and thick darkness	וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל	wa·‘ă·rā·p̄el	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H6205 cloud, heavy cloud
its blanket	חֲתֻלָּתֽוֹ׃	ḥă·ṯul·lā·ṯōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H2854 swaddling-band

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
when I fixed	וָאֶשְׁבֹּ֣ר	wā·’eš·bōr	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular	H7665 break, break in pieces
its boundaries	חֻקִּ֑י	ḥuq·qî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H2706 something prescribed, a statute or due
and set in place	וָֽ֝אָשִׂ֗ים	wā·’ā·śîm	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular	H7760 put, place, set
its bars	בְּרִ֣יחַ	bə·rî·aḥ	Noun - masculine singular	H1280 bar
and doors	וּדְלָתָֽיִם׃	ū·ḏə·lā·ṯā·yim	Conjunctive waw; Noun - fd	H1817 door

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
and I declared	וָאֹמַ֗ר	wā·’ō·mar	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular	H559 utter, say
You may come	תָ֭בוֹא	ṯā·ḇō·w	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
this far	עַד־	‘aḏ-	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
but no	וְלֹ֣א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
farther	תֹסִ֑יף	ṯō·sîp̄	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H3254 add
here	וּפֹ֥א־	ū·p̄ō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H6311 here, hither
your proud	בִּגְא֥וֹן	biḡ·’ō·wn	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H1347 exaltation
waves	גַּלֶּֽיךָ׃	gal·le·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H1530 heap, wave, billow
must stop	יָ֝שִׁ֗ית	yā·šîṯ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7896 put, set