The Meaning of Job 38:30 Explained

Job 38:30

KJV: The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

YLT: As a stone waters are hidden, And the face of the deep is captured.

Darby: When the waters lie hidden as in stone, and the face of the deep holdeth fast together.

ASV: The waters hide themselves and become like stone, And the face of the deep is frozen.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The waters  are hid  as [with] a stone,  and the face  of the deep  is frozen. 

What does Job 38:30 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 38:19-41 - What Man Cannot Do
In this chapter a number of nature-pictures pass before us. These include the creation of the earth, Job 38:4-7; the sea, Job 38:8-11; light, Job 38:12-15; the mysteries of the unseen, Job 38:16-18; snow and rain, Job 38:22-30; the constellations of heaven, Job 38:31-38; and the recesses of the forest-glades, Job 38:39-41.
What does it all mean? Ah! there are times when the voice of God through nature falls on our hearts like sweet music, and we hardly know whence or how, but we are comforted and strengthened. The peace passes understanding. Besides, the frequent question, Hast thou? was intended to turn Job's attention to the great mysteries contained in common and ordinary things. If he could not unravel these, how could he hope to fathom all the wonderful dealings of God with the human soul? His ways are above ours and His thoughts higher than ours; but we are sure from Calvary that He is love. Let us quiet ourselves, therefore, and trust. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 38

1  God challenges Job to answer
4  God, by his mighty works, convinces Job of ignorance
31  and weakness

What do the individual words in Job 38:30 mean?

Like stone the waters harden and the surface of the deep is frozen
כָּ֭אֶבֶן מַ֣יִם יִתְחַבָּ֑אוּ וּפְנֵ֥י תְ֝ה֗וֹם יִתְלַכָּֽדוּ

כָּ֭אֶבֶן  Like  stone 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
מַ֣יִם  the  waters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
יִתְחַבָּ֑אוּ  harden 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: חָבָא  
Sense: to withdraw, hide.
וּפְנֵ֥י  and  the  surface 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
תְ֝ה֗וֹם  of  the  deep 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: תְּהֹום  
Sense: deep, depths, deep places, abyss, the deep, sea.
יִתְלַכָּֽדוּ  is  frozen 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לָכַד  
Sense: to capture, take, seize.

What are the major concepts related to Job 38:30?

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