The Meaning of Job 38:38 Explained

Job 38:38

KJV: When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

YLT: In the hardening of dust into hardness, And clods cleave together?

Darby: When the dust runneth as into a molten mass, and the clods cleave fast together?

ASV: When the dust runneth into a mass, And the clods cleave fast together?

Discover Job 38:38

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Job 38:38?

MEANING: What does Job 38:38 Mean?

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

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Job 38:38?

What is the context of Job 38:38?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

What does Job 38:38 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 38:38 mean?

When hardens the dust in clumps and the clods cling together

בְּצֶ֣קֶת עָ֭פָר לַמּוּצָ֑ק וּרְגָבִ֥ים ؟ יְדֻבָּֽקוּ

בְּצֶ֣קֶת	When hardens
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct Root: יָצַק Sense: to pour, flow, cast, pour out.
עָ֭פָר	the dust
Parse: Noun, masculine singular Root: עָפָר Sense: dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish.
לַמּוּצָ֑ק	in clumps
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular Root: מוּצָק Sense: a casting.
וּרְגָבִ֥ים	and the clods
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural Root: רֶגֶב Sense: clod (of earth).
؟ יְדֻבָּֽקוּ	cling together
Parse: Verb, Pual, Imperfect, third person masculine plural Root: דָּבַק Sense: to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch.

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

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