9:8 he alone spreads out the heavens,
and treads 1 on the waves of the sea; 2
26:7 He spreads out the northern skies 3 over empty space; 4
he suspends the earth on nothing. 5
104:2 He covers himself with light as if it were a garment.
He stretches out the skies like a tent curtain,
104:24 How many living things you have made, O Lord! 6
You have exhibited great skill in making all of them; 7
the earth is full of the living things you have made.
40:22 He is the one who sits on the earth’s horizon; 8
its inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him. 9
He is the one who stretches out the sky like a thin curtain, 10
and spreads it out 11 like a pitched tent. 12
42:5 This is what the true God, 13 the Lord, says –
the one who created the sky and stretched it out,
the one who fashioned the earth and everything that lives on it, 14
the one who gives breath to the people on it,
and life to those who live on it: 15
44:24 This is what the Lord, your protector, 16 says,
the one who formed you in the womb:
“I am the Lord, who made everything,
who alone stretched out the sky,
who fashioned the earth all by myself, 17
45:12 I made the earth,
I created the people who live 18 on it.
It was me – my hands 19 stretched out the sky, 20
I give orders to all the heavenly lights. 21
48:13 Yes, my hand founded the earth;
my right hand spread out the sky.
I summon them;
they stand together.
12:1 The revelation of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: The Lord – he who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundations of the earth, who forms the human spirit within a person 22 – says,
1 tn Or “marches forth.”
2 tn The reference is probably to the waves of the sea. This is the reading preserved in NIV and NAB, as well as by J. Crenshaw, “Wÿdorek `al-bamote ‘ares,” CBQ 34 (1972): 39-53. But many see here a reference to Canaanite mythology. The marginal note in the RSV has “the back of the sea dragon.” The view would also see in “sea” the Ugaritic god Yammu.
3 sn The Hebrew word is צָפוֹן (tsafon). Some see here a reference to Mount Zaphon of the Ugaritic texts, the mountain that Baal made his home. The Hebrew writers often equate and contrast Mount Zion with this proud mountain of the north. Of course, the word just means north, and so in addition to any connotations for pagan mythology, it may just represent the northern skies – the stars. Since the parallel line speaks of the earth, that is probably all that was intended in this particular context.
4 sn There is an allusion to the creation account, for this word is תֹּהוּ (tohu), translated “without form” in Gen 1:2.
5 sn Buttenwieser suggests that Job had outgrown the idea of the earth on pillars, and was beginning to see it was suspended in space. But in v. 11 he will still refer to the pillars.
6 tn Heb “How many [are] your works, O
7 tn Heb “all of them with wisdom you have made.”
8 tn Heb “the circle of the earth” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
9 tn The words “before him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
10 tn The otherwise unattested noun דֹּק (doq), translated here “thin curtain,” is apparently derived from the verbal root דקק (“crush”) from which is derived the adjective דַּק (daq, “thin”; see HALOT 229 s.v. דקק). The nuance “curtain” is implied from the parallelism (see “tent” in the next line).
11 tn The meaning of the otherwise unattested verb מָתַח (matakh, “spread out”) is determined from the parallelism (note the corresponding verb “stretch out” in the previous line) and supported by later Hebrew and Aramaic cognates. See HALOT 654 s.v. *מתה.
12 tn Heb “like a tent [in which] to live”; NAB, NASB “like a tent to dwell (live NIV, NRSV) in.”
13 tn Heb “the God.” The definite article here indicates distinctiveness or uniqueness.
14 tn Heb “and its offspring” (so NASB); NIV “all that comes out of it.”
15 tn Heb “and spirit [i.e., “breath”] to the ones walking in it” (NAB, NASB, and NRSV all similar).
16 tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
17 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has “Who [was] with me?” The marginal reading (Qere) is “from with me,” i.e., “by myself.” See BDB 87 s.v. II אֵת 4.c.
18 tn The words “who live” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
19 tn Heb “I, even my hands”; NASB “I stretched out…with My hands”; NRSV “it was my hands that stretched out.” The same construction occurs at the beginning of v. 13.
20 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
21 tn Heb “and to all their host I commanded.” See the notes at 40:26.
22 tn Heb “who forms the spirit of man within him” (so NIV).