Discovery BoxPsalms 24:2
Context24:2 For he set its foundation upon the seas,
and established 1 it upon the ocean currents. 2
Psalms 33:9
Context33:9 For he spoke, and it 3 came into existence,
he issued the decree, 4 and it stood firm.
Psalms 136:6
Context136:6 to the one who spread out the earth over the water,
for his loyal love endures,
Job 26:7
Context26:7 He spreads out the northern skies 5 over empty space; 6
he suspends the earth on nothing. 7
Job 38:4-7
Context38:4 “Where were you
when I laid the foundation 8 of the earth?
Tell me, 9 if you possess understanding!
38:5 Who set its measurements – if 10 you know –
or who stretched a measuring line across it?
38:6 On what 11 were its bases 12 set,
or who laid its cornerstone –
38:7 when the morning stars 13 sang 14 in chorus, 15
and all the sons of God 16 shouted for joy?
[24:2] 1 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, referring to the creation of the world.
[24:2] 2 sn He…established it upon the ocean currents. The description reflects ancient Israelite prescientific cosmology, which is based on outward appearances. The language also suggests that God’s creative work involved the subjugation of chaos, symbolized by the sea.
[33:9] 3 tn That is, “all the earth” in the first line of v. 8. The apparent antecedent of the masculine subject of the verbs in v. 9 (note וַיֶּהִי [vayyehiy] and וַיַּעֲמֹד [vayya’amod]) is “earth” or “world,” both of which are feminine nouns. However, כָּל (kol, “all”) may be the antecedent, or the apparent lack of agreement may be explained by the collective nature of the nouns involved here (see GKC 463 §145.e).
[33:9] 4 tn Heb “he commanded.”
[26:7] 5 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.
[26:7] 6 sn There is an allusion to the creation account, for this word is תֹּהוּ (tohu), translated “without form” in Gen 1:2.
[26:7] 7 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.
[38:4] 8 tn The construction is the infinitive construct in a temporal clause, using the preposition and the subjective genitive suffix.
[38:4] 9 tn The verb is the imperative; it has no object “me” in the text.
[38:5] 10 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] 11 tn For the interrogative serving as a genitive, see GKC 442 §136.b.
[38:6] 12 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] 13 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] 14 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] 15 tn Heb “together.” This is Dhorme’s suggestion for expressing how they sang together.
