Job 26:10
New International Version
He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness.

New Living Translation
He created the horizon when he separated the waters; he set the boundary between day and night.

English Standard Version
He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness.

Berean Standard Bible
He has inscribed a horizon on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness.

King James Bible
He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.

New King James Version
He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters, At the boundary of light and darkness.

New American Standard Bible
“He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters At the boundary of light and darkness.

NASB 1995
“He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters At the boundary of light and darkness.

NASB 1977
“He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters, At the boundary of light and darkness.

Legacy Standard Bible
He has marked a circle on the surface of the waters At the boundary of light and darkness.

Amplified Bible
“He has inscribed a circular limit (the horizon) on the face of the waters At the boundary between light and darkness.

Christian Standard Bible
He laid out the horizon on the surface of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He laid out the horizon on the surface of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness.

American Standard Version
He hath described a boundary upon the face of the waters, Unto the confines of light and darkness.

Contemporary English Version
On the surface of the ocean, God has drawn a boundary line between light and darkness.

English Revised Version
He hath described a boundary upon the face of the waters, unto the confines of light and darkness.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He marks the horizon on the surface of the water at the boundary where light meets dark.

Good News Translation
He divided light from darkness by a circle drawn on the face of the sea.

International Standard Version
He has delimited a boundary over the surface of the oceans as a limit between light and darkness.

Majority Standard Bible
He has inscribed a horizon on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness.

NET Bible
He marks out the horizon on the surface of the waters as a boundary between light and darkness.

New Heart English Bible
He has described a boundary on the surface of the waters, and to the confines of light and darkness.

Webster's Bible Translation
He hath encompassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.

World English Bible
He has described a boundary on the surface of the waters, and to the confines of light and darkness.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
He has placed a limit on the waters, "" To the boundary of light with darkness.

Young's Literal Translation
A limit He hath placed on the waters, Unto the boundary of light with darkness.

Smith's Literal Translation
He marked out with a compass the law upon the face of the waters, even till the end of light with darkness.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He hath set bounds about the waters, till light and darkness come to an end.

Catholic Public Domain Version
He has set limits around the waters, until light and darkness shall reach their limit.

New American Bible
He has marked out a circle on the surface of the deep as the boundary of light and darkness.

New Revised Standard Version
He has described a circle on the face of the waters, at the boundary between light and darkness.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He has circled the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
He drew a circle on the face of the waters, unto the ends of the light with the darkness
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
He hath described a boundary upon the face of the waters, Unto the confines of light and darkness.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
He has encompassed the face of the water by an appointed ordinance, until the end of light and darkness.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job: Who Can Understand God's Majesty?
9He covers the face of the full moon, spreading over it His cloud. 10He has inscribed a horizon on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness. 11The foundations of heaven quake, astounded at His rebuke.…

Cross References
Proverbs 8:27
I was there when He established the heavens, when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,

Isaiah 40:22
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

Psalm 104:9
You set a boundary they cannot cross, that they may never again cover the earth.

Jeremiah 5:22
Do you not fear Me?” declares the LORD. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot cross it.

Genesis 1:6-7
And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters, to separate the waters from the waters.” / So God made the expanse and separated the waters beneath it from the waters above. And it was so.

Genesis 1:9-10
And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear.” And it was so. / God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering of waters He called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

Psalm 33:7
He piles up the waters of the sea; He puts the depths into storehouses.

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.

Isaiah 44:24
Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who by Myself spread out the earth,

Isaiah 45:12
It is I who made the earth and created man upon it. It was My hands that stretched out the heavens, and I ordained all their host.

Jeremiah 31:35
Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day, who sets in order the moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of Hosts is His name:

Amos 9:6
He builds His upper rooms in the heavens and founds His vault upon the earth. He summons the waters of the sea and pours them over the face of the earth. The LORD is His name.

Revelation 4:11
“Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things; by Your will they exist and were created.”

Revelation 10:6
And he swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and everything in it, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it: “There will be no more delay!

Revelation 21:1
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.


Treasury of Scripture

He has compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.

compassed

Job 38:8-11
Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb? …

Psalm 33:7
He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.

Psalm 104:6-9
Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains…

until

Genesis 8:22
While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Isaiah 54:9,10
For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee…

day and night come to an end.

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Boundary Bounds Circle Compassed Confines Dark Darkness Described Encompassed End Face Fixed Horizon Inscribed Light Marked Marks Night Placed Surface Traced Waters
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Boundary Bounds Circle Compassed Confines Dark Darkness Described Encompassed End Face Fixed Horizon Inscribed Light Marked Marks Night Placed Surface Traced Waters
Job 26
1. Job, reproving the uncharitable spirit of Bildad
5. acknowledges the power of God to be infinite and unsearchable














He has inscribed a horizon on the face of the waters
He has inscribed
The phrase "He has inscribed" suggests an intentional and authoritative act by God. The Hebrew root word here is "חָקַק" (chaqaq), which means to engrave or carve. This implies a deliberate and permanent action, highlighting God's sovereignty and precision in creation. In a conservative Christian perspective, this reflects the belief in God's omnipotence and His role as the ultimate designer of the universe. The act of inscribing denotes a sense of order and purpose, reinforcing the idea that creation is not random but divinely orchestrated.

a horizon
The term "horizon" in this context is derived from the Hebrew word "חֹק" (choq), which can mean a boundary or limit. The horizon represents the boundary between the earth and the sky, a natural division that God has established. This boundary is a testament to God's control over the natural world, setting limits and maintaining balance. In the biblical narrative, the horizon can also symbolize the separation between the known and the unknown, the earthly and the divine, reminding believers of the vastness of God's creation and the mysteries that lie beyond human comprehension.

on the face of the waters
"On the face of the waters" refers to the surface of the seas and oceans. The Hebrew word for "face" is "פָּנִים" (panim), which can also mean presence or surface. This phrase evokes the imagery of God's spirit moving over the waters during creation, as described in Genesis 1:2. The waters often symbolize chaos and the unknown in ancient Near Eastern thought, and God's inscription of a horizon on them signifies His power to bring order out of chaos. For conservative Christians, this reinforces the belief in God's providence and His ability to bring peace and stability to the tumultuous aspects of life.

at the boundary between light and darkness
This phrase highlights the division God has established between light and darkness, a theme that is prevalent throughout Scripture. The boundary signifies God's authority over both realms, as He is the creator of light and the one who sets limits on darkness. In the Hebrew context, light often symbolizes goodness, truth, and divine presence, while darkness can represent evil, ignorance, or absence of God. By setting a boundary, God demonstrates His control over moral and spiritual realms, ensuring that light prevails. This serves as an assurance to believers that God is actively involved in the world, maintaining the balance between good and evil, and ultimately guiding His creation towards His divine purpose.

(10) He hath compassed the waters with bounds.--Rather, He hath described a circle upon the face of the waters, unto the confines of light and darkness. The phenomenon described is that of the horizon at sea, which is a perfect circle, and which is the limit apparently of light, and beyond which is darkness, for all is invisible.

Verse 10. - He hath compassed the waters with bounds. God restrains within limits alike the "waters that are above the firmament" and those that are beneath it (Job 38:11). The boundary is placed, somewhat vaguely, "at the confines of light and darkness." Until the day and night come to an end is a mistranslation.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He has inscribed
חָ֭ג (ḥāḡ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2328: To draw around, make a circle

a horizon
חֹֽק־ (ḥōq-)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2706: Something prescribed or owed, a statute

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the face
פְּנֵי־ (pə·nê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

of the waters
מָ֑יִם (mā·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

at
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

the boundary
תַּכְלִ֖ית (taḵ·lîṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8503: Completion, an extremity

between
עִם־ (‘im-)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

light
א֣וֹר (’ō·wr)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 216: Illumination, luminary

and darkness.
חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ (ḥō·šeḵ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2822: The dark, darkness, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness


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OT Poetry: Job 26:10 He has described a boundary (Jb)
Job 26:9
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