Job 38:4
New International Version
“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.

New Living Translation
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.

English Standard Version
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.

Berean Standard Bible
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.

King James Bible
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

New King James Version
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.

New American Standard Bible
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding,

NASB 1995
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding,

NASB 1977
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding,

Legacy Standard Bible
Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you know understanding,

Amplified Bible
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you know and have understanding.

Christian Standard Bible
Where were you when I established the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Where were you when I established the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.

American Standard Version
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Where were you when I was laying the foundations of the Earth? Show me, if you know understanding

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Where wast thou when I founded the earth? tell me now, if thou hast knowledge,

Contemporary English Version
How did I lay the foundation for the earth? Were you there?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Where wast thou when I laid up the foundations of the earth ? tell me if thou hast understanding.

English Revised Version
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you have [such] insight.

Good News Translation
Were you there when I made the world? If you know so much, tell me about it.

International Standard Version
"Where were you when I laid the foundation of my earth? Tell me, since you're so informed!

JPS Tanakh 1917
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast the understanding.

Literal Standard Version
Where were you when I founded the earth? Declare, if you have known understanding.

Majority Standard Bible
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.

New American Bible
Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.

NET Bible
"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you possess understanding!

New Revised Standard Version
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.

New Heart English Bible
"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding.

Webster's Bible Translation
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

World English Bible
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding.

Young's Literal Translation
Where wast thou when I founded earth? Declare, if thou hast known understanding.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God Challenges Job
3Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me. 4Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. 5Who fixed its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched a measuring line across it?…

Cross References
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 2:4
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made them.

1 Samuel 2:8
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. He seats them among princes and bestows on them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's, and upon them He has set the world.

Job 15:7
Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills?

Job 34:13
Who gave Him charge over the earth? Who appointed Him over the whole world?

Psalm 104:5
He set the earth on its foundations, never to be moved.

Proverbs 8:29
when He set a boundary for the sea, so that the waters would not surpass His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth.


Treasury of Scripture

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if you have understanding.

Where

Proverbs 8:22,29,30
The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old…

Proverbs 30:4
Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?

I

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Psalm 102:25
Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

Psalm 104:5
Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.

hast.

Jump to Previous
Base Declare Earth Earth's Foundation Foundations Founded Laid Understand Understanding Wast
Jump to Next
Base Declare Earth Earth's Foundation Foundations Founded Laid Understand Understanding Wast
Job 38
1. God challenges Job to answer
4. God, by his mighty works, convinces Job of ignorance
31. and weakness














(4) Where wast thou?--The comparison of the creation of the world to the building of an edifice is such a concession to the feebleness of man as serves of itself to heighten the effect of the inevitable answer to the question preferred.

Verse 4. - Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Wast thou present? Didst thou witness it? If not, what canst thou know concerning it? And if thou knowest nothing of creation, what canst thou know of deeper things? The metaphor, by which the creation of the earth is compared to the foundation of an edifice, is a common one (Psalm 102:25; Psalm 104:5; Proverbs 8:29: Isaiah 48:13; Isaiah 51:13, 16; Zechariah 12:1; Hebrews 1:10, etc.), and is to be viewed as a concession to human weakness, creation itself, as it actually took place, being inconceivable. Declare, if thou hast understanding. That is, if thou hast any knowledge on the subject (comp. ver. 18).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Where
אֵיפֹ֣ה (’ê·p̄ōh)
Interrogative
Strong's 375: What place?, when?, how?

were you
הָ֭יִיתָ (hā·yî·ṯā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

when I laid the foundations
בְּיָסְדִי־ (bə·yā·sə·ḏî-)
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3245: To set, to found, to sit down together, settle, consult

of the earth?
אָ֑רֶץ (’ā·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

Tell [Me],
הַ֝גֵּ֗ד (hag·gêḏ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 5046: To be conspicuous

if
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

you have understanding.
יָדַ֥עְתָּ (yā·ḏa‘·tā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know


Links
Job 38:4 NIV
Job 38:4 NLT
Job 38:4 ESV
Job 38:4 NASB
Job 38:4 KJV

Job 38:4 BibleApps.com
Job 38:4 Biblia Paralela
Job 38:4 Chinese Bible
Job 38:4 French Bible
Job 38:4 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Job 38:4 Where were you when I laid (Jb)
Job 38:3
Top of Page
Top of Page