The Meaning of Job 9:7 Explained

Job 9:7

KJV: Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.

YLT: Who is speaking to the sun, and it riseth not, And the stars He sealeth up.

Darby: Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, and he sealeth up the stars;

ASV: That commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, And sealeth up the stars;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Which commandeth  the sun,  and it riseth  not; and sealeth up  the stars. 

What does Job 9:7 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 9:1-35 - "the Daysman"
Ponder the sublimity of the conceptions of God given in this magnificent passage. To God are attributed the earthquake that rocks the pillars on which the world rests, Job 9:6; the eclipse which hides the heavenly bodies, Job 9:7; the storm in which he bows the heavens and treads majestically on the waves, Job 9:8; and the creation of the constellations, Job 9:9. Who can dare to argue with or call to account so great a God as this? Job 9:10-19. Even if a man be outwardly and inwardly righteous (that is, so far as the measure of his light), yet in such a Presence the heart of the most perfect must condemn him. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves"¦. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." We cannot but feel that this old-world thinker had a truer view of that conscious imperfection and sin which must be experienced by every mortal who has a right appreciation of the holiness of God, than have those who refuse to say the Lord's Prayer because it contains a petition for forgiveness!
Truly we need that Daysman! But we have Him in Jesus our Mediator, who can lay His hand on God and us, Job 9:33; 1 Timothy 2:5. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 9

1  Job acknowledges God's justice
22  Man's innocence is not to be condemned by afflictions

What do the individual words in Job 9:7 mean?

He commands the sun and not it does rise and the stars He seals off
הָאֹמֵ֣ר לַ֭חֶרֶס וְלֹ֣א יִזְרָ֑ח וּבְעַ֖ד כּוֹכָבִ֣ים יַחְתֹּֽם

הָאֹמֵ֣ר  He  commands 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לַ֭חֶרֶס  the  sun 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֶרֶס 
Sense: itch, an eruptive disease.
וְלֹ֣א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִזְרָ֑ח  it  does  rise 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: זָרַח  
Sense: to rise, come forth, break out, arise, rise up, shine.
כּוֹכָבִ֣ים  the  stars 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּוכָב  
Sense: star.
יַחְתֹּֽם  He  seals  off 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָתַם  
Sense: to seal, seal up, affix a seal.