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Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Job 38:38

When the dust groweth into hardness - Margin, “is poured, or, is turned into mire.” The words used here relate often to metals, and to the act of pouring them out when fused, for the purpose of casting. The proper idea here is, “when the dust flows into a molten mass;” that is, when wet with rain it flows together and becomes hard. The sense is, that the rain operates on the clay as heat does on metals, and that when it is dissolved it flows together and thus becomes a solid mass. The object is... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Job 38:39

Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? - The appeal here is to the instincts with which God has endowed animals, and to the fact that he had so made them that they would secure their own food. He asks Job whether he would undertake to do what the lion did by instinct in finding his food, and by his power and skill in seizing his prey. There was a wise adaptation of the lion for this purpose which man could neither originate nor explain.Or fill the appetite of the young lions - Margin, as in... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Job 38:40

When they couch in their dens - For the purpose of springing upon their prey.And abide in the covert to lie in wait? - The usual posture of the lion when he seeks his prey. He places himself in some unobserved position in a dense thicket, or crouches upon the ground so as not to be seen, and then springs suddenly upon his victim. The common method of the lion in taking his prey is to spring or throw himself upon it from the place of his ambush, with one vast bound and to inflict the mortal blow... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Job 38:41

Who provideth for the raven his food? - The same thought is expressed in Psalms 147:9,He giveth to the beast his food,And to the young ravens which cry.Compare Matthew 6:26. Scbeutzer (in loc.) suggests that the reason why the raven is specified here rather than other fowls is, that it is an offensive bird, and that God means to state that no object, however regarded by man, is beneath his notice. He carefully provides for the needs of all his creatures.When his young ones cry unto God, they... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Job 38:37-38

Job 38:37-38. Who can number the clouds in wisdom? Who can wisely search, and exactly find out, the number of the clouds? which are indeed numberless, and filled with water as the next clause implies. Or who can stay the bottles of heaven? Can prevent the rain from being poured upon the earth out of the clouds, in which it is kept as in bottles; when the dust groweth into hardness When the earth grows very hard, in the time of a great drought; and the clods cleave fast together Become... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Job 38:39-40

Job 38:39-40. Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? Is it by thy care and providence that the lions, who live in desert places, are furnished with necessary provisions? This is justly mentioned as another wonderful work of God. When they couch in their dens When, through age and infirmity, they cannot range abroad for prey as the young lions do, but lie still in their dens, as it were, expecting their food from God, from whom also they receive it. And abide in the covert, to lie in wait ... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Job 38:41

Job 38:41. Who provideth for the raven his food? Having mentioned the noblest of brute creatures, he now mentions one of the most contemptible; to show the care of God’s providence over all creatures, both great and small. Their young ones are so soon forsaken by their dams, that if God did not provide for them in a more than ordinary manner, they would be starved to death. And will He that provides for the young ravens fail to provide for his own children? read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Job 38:1-38

38:1-42:17GOD’S ANSWERControl of the natural world (38:1-38)Possibly an approaching storm was what prompted Elihu’s poetic praise of the God of nature (see 36:27-37:5). If so, that storm now broke, and through it the voice of God spoke to Job. Job had repeatedly challenged God to a contest. God now accepts (38:1-3).In his reply, God asks Job questions that he cannot answer, in order to show him how little he knows of the mind and activity of the Almighty. God begins his ironical questioning of... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Job 38:39-41

Control of the animal world (38:39-39:30)The pressure on Job increases as God continues with his unanswerable questions. From the natural world in general, God moves to the animal world. He draws Job’s attention to animals that sometimes appear to have no purpose so far as human life is concerned, but are still part of God’s ordering of the world.God asks Job if he is able to order nature by providing wild animals with food (39-41), while protecting timid animals when they give birth and care... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Job 38:39

THE REMARKABLE ENDOWMENT OF LOWER LIFE-FORMS"Canst thou hunt the prey for the lioness,Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,When they couch in their dens,And abide in the covert to lie in wait?Who provideth for the raven his prey,When his young ones cry unto God,And wander for lack of food?"The words of Jehovah are continued in the following chapters, where we shall find many other unanswerable questions regarding God's care and preservation of the lower forms of life upon the planet... read more

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