Job – Chapter 38

Old Testament41 Verses

Chapter Summary

Chapter 38 of Job begins: "Then the Lord answered Job out of a whirlwind, and said:" Job stands at the center of this chapter. Across its 41 verses, two threads run through the text: wisdom for daily living and family and covenant relationships. The Church invites us to read this chapter within the whole sweep of salvation history, where every page points toward Christ.

1Then the Lord answered Job out of a whirlwind, and said:

2Who is this that wrappeth up sentences in unskilful words?

3Gird up thy loins like a man: I will ask thee, and answer thou me.

4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? tell me if thou hast understanding.

5Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest or who hath stretched the line upon it?

6Upon what are its bases grounded? or who laid the corner stone thereof,

7When the morning stars praised me together, and all the sons of God made a joyful melody?

8Who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth as issuing out of the womb:

9When I made a cloud the garment thereof, and wrapped it in a mist as in swaddling bands?

10I set my bounds around it, and made it bars and doors:

11And I said: Hitherto thou shalt come, and shalt go no further, and here thou shalt break thy swelling waves.

12Didst thou since thy birth command the morning, and shew the dawning of the day its place?

13And didst thou hold the extremities of the earth shaking them, and hast thou shaken the ungodly out of it?

14The seal shall be restored as clay, and shall stand as a garment.

15From the wicked their light shall be taken away, and the high arm shall be broken.

16Hast thou entered into the depths of the sea, and walked in the lowest parts of the deep?

17Have the gates of death been opened to thee, and hast thou seen the darksome doors?

18Hast thou considered the breadth of the earth? tell me, if thou knowest all things.

19Where is the way where light dwelleth, and where is the place of darkness?

20That thou mayst bring every thing to its own bounds, and understand the paths of the house thereof.

21Didst thou know then that thou shouldst be born? and didst thou know the number of thy days?

22Hast thou entered into the storehouses of the snow, or hast thou beheld the treasures of the hail:

23Which I have prepared for the time of the enemy, against the day of battle and war?

24By what way is the light spread, and heat divided upon the earth?

25Who gave a course to violent showers, or a way for noisy thunder:

26That it should rain on the earth without man in the wilderness, where no mortal dwelleth:

27That it should fill the desert and desolate land, and should bring forth green grass?

28Who is the father of rain? or who begot the drops of dew?

29Out of whose womb came the ice? and the frost from heaven who hath gendered it?

30The waters are hardened like a stone, and the surface of the deep is congealed.

31Shalt thou be able to join together the shining stars the Pleiades, or canst thou stop the turning about of Arcturus?

32Canst thou bring forth the day star in its time, and make the evening star to rise upon the children of the earth?

33Dost thou know the order of heaven, and canst thou set down the reason thereof on the earth?

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

35Canst thou send lightnings, and will they go, and will they return and say to thee: Here we are?

36Who hath put wisdom in the heart of man? or who gave the cock understanding?

37Who can declare the order of the heavens, or who can make the harmony of heaven to sleep?

38When was the dust poured on the earth, and the clods fastened together?

39Wilt thou take the prey for the lioness, and satisfy the appetite of her whelps,

40When they couch in the dens and lie in wait in holes?

41Who provideth food for the raven, when her young ones cry to God, wandering about, because they have no meat?

Important Verses in Job 38

Then the Lord answered Job out of a whirlwind, and said:

Job 38:1

When the morning stars praised me together, and all the sons of God made a joyful melody?

Job 38:7

Who hath put wisdom in the heart of man? or who gave the cock understanding?

Job 38:36

Who provideth food for the raven, when her young ones cry to God, wandering about, because they have no meat?

Job 38:41

Historical Context

As a Old Testament book, Job was written with all who wrestle with the mystery of suffering and God's justice in view. Chapter 38 of 42 moves toward the climax of the book as earlier promises and conflicts converge. It is a wisdom instruction on how to live before God in ordinary circumstances with 41 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. The chapter focuses on Job, whose actions and words drive the passage forward. The passage starts with these words: "Then the Lord answered Job out of a whirlwind, and said:" The final verse reads: "Who provideth food for the raven, when her young ones cry to God, wandering about, because they have no meat? " Read against its original backdrop, Job confronts the deepest human question: why do the innocent suffer? Catholic tradition dates the book to the period described in its introduction: Uncertain; commonly dated between the 7th and 4th centuries BC.

Who Wrote It

Unknown inspired poet of Israel

When It Was Written

Uncertain; commonly dated between the 7th and 4th centuries BC

Catholic Commentary

The sage addresses concrete situations—speech, work, relationships, and fear of the Lord. A pivotal line is verse 1: "Then the Lord answered Job out of a whirlwind, and said:" The passage repeatedly touches on wisdom for daily living.

The Church teaches that every passage of Scripture must be read in light of Christ and the Magisterium (CIC 26). Here, the Church sees Job as prefiguring Christ in innocent suffering (CIC 1502). The spiritual sense invites believers to recognize wisdom for daily living as part of God's pedagogy of salvation.

The moral and spiritual import remains timely: True wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord and is a gift of the Holy Spirit.. St. Jerome insisted that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ; this chapter offers material for meditation, examination of conscience, and deeper love of God.

Main Teachings

  • True wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord and is a gift of the Holy Spirit.
  • The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.
  • Worship is the heart of the covenant: giving God the praise and adoration that are His due.

People in This Chapter

Job1 mention

Reflection for Today

Job Chapter 38 belongs to the Old Testament and forms part of the Catholic canon proclaimed in the liturgy of the Word.

Through typology, the Church often reads Old Testament passages as preparing for Christ, while New Testament passages reveal Him explicitly. the Church sees Job as prefiguring Christ in innocent suffering (CIC 1502). Here the believer is invited to ponder poverty of spirit and detachment.

Consider praying with this chapter again at day's end, offering God gratitude for one insight received. The Church encourages daily contact with Scripture (CIC 958) so that Christ's mind may be formed in us.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Job Chapter 38 about?

Job 38 contains 41 verses. It opens with "Then the Lord answered Job out of a whirlwind, and said:" and closes with "Who provideth food for the raven, when her young ones cry to God, wandering about, because they have no meat? ". The book as a whole is wisdom literature in poetic dialogue.

What is a key verse in Job 38?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "Then the Lord answered Job out of a whirlwind, and said:" It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Job Chapter 38?

This chapter mentions Job.

Who wrote Job and when?

Unknown inspired poet of Israel. Uncertain; commonly dated between the 7th and 4th centuries BC.

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