Job 38:4-7

God’s questions to Job

38:4 “Where were you

when I laid the foundation ¹  of the earth?

Tell me, ²  if you possess understanding!

38:5 Who set its measurements – if ³  you know –

or who stretched a measuring line across it?

38:6 On what ⁴  were its bases ⁵  set,

or who laid its cornerstone –

38:7 when the morning stars ⁶  sang ⁷  in chorus, ⁸ 

and all the sons of God ⁹  shouted for joy?

Daniel 7:9-10

7:9 “While I was watching,

thrones were set up,

and the Ancient of Days ¹⁰  took his seat.

His attire was white like snow;

the hair of his head was like lamb’s ¹¹  wool.

His throne was ablaze with fire

and its wheels were all aflame. ¹² 

7:10 A river of fire was streaming forth

and proceeding from his presence.

Many thousands were ministering to him;

Many tens of thousands stood ready to serve him. ¹³ 

The court convened ¹⁴ 

and the books were opened.

Daniel 7:18

7:18 The holy ones ¹⁵  of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will take possession of the kingdom forever and ever.’

Daniel 7:27

7:27 Then the kingdom, authority,

and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven

will be delivered to the people of the holy ones ¹⁶  of the Most High.

His kingdom is an eternal kingdom;

all authorities will serve him and obey him.’

[38:4]  ¹ tn The construction is the infinitive construct in a temporal clause, using the preposition and the subjective genitive suffix.

[38:4]  ² tn The verb is the imperative; it has no object “me” in the text.

[38:5]  ³ tn The particle כּ (ki) is taken here for a conditional clause, “if you know” (see GKC 498 §159.dd). Others take it as “surely” with a biting irony.

[38:6]  ⁴ tn For the interrogative serving as a genitive, see GKC 442 §136.b.

[38:6]  ⁵ sn The world was conceived of as having bases and pillars, but these poetic descriptions should not be pressed too far (e.g., see Ps 24:2, which may be worded as much for its polemics against Canaanite mythology as anything).

[38:7]  ⁶ sn The expression “morning stars” (Heb “stars of the morning”) is here placed in parallelism to the angels, “the sons of God.” It may refer to the angels under the imagery of the stars, or, as some prefer, it may poetically include all creation. There is a parallel also with the foundation of the temple which was accompanied by song (see Ezra 3:10,11). But then the account of the building of the original tabernacle was designed to mirror creation (see M. Fishbane, Biblical Text and Texture).

[38:7]  ⁷ tn The construction, an adverbial clause of time, uses רָנָן (ranan), which is often a ringing cry, an exultation. The parallelism with “shout for joy” shows this to be enthusiastic acclamation. The infinitive is then continued in the next colon with the vav (ו) consecutive preterite.

[38:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “together.” This is Dhorme’s suggestion for expressing how they sang together.

[38:7]  ⁹ tn See Job 1:6.

[7:9]  ¹⁰ tn Or “the Ancient One” (NAB, NRSV, NLT), although the traditional expression has been retained in the present translation because it is familiar to many readers. Cf. TEV “One who had been living for ever”; CEV “the Eternal God.”

[7:9]  ¹¹ tn Traditionally the Aramaic word נְקֵא (nÿqe’) has been rendered “pure,” but here it more likely means “of a lamb.” Cf. the Syriac neqya’ (“a sheep, ewe”). On this word see further, M. Sokoloff, “’amar neqe’, ‘Lamb’s Wool’ (Dan 7:9),” JBL 95 (1976): 277-79.

[7:9]  ¹² tn Aram “a flaming fire.”

[7:10]  ¹³ tn Aram “were standing before him.”

[7:10]  ¹⁴ tn Aram “judgment sat.”

[7:18]  ¹⁵ sn The expression holy ones is either a reference to angels or to human beings devoted to God.

[7:27]  ¹⁶ tn If the “holy ones” are angels, then this probably refers to the angels as protectors of God’s people. If the “holy ones” are God’s people, then this is an appositional construction, “the people who are the holy ones.” See 8:24 for the corresponding Hebrew phrase and the note there.