Job 38:12
New International Version
“Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place,

New Living Translation
“Have you ever commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east?

English Standard Version
“Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place,

Berean Standard Bible
In your days, have you commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place,

King James Bible
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;

New King James Version
“Have you commanded the morning since your days began, And caused the dawn to know its place,

New American Standard Bible
“Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, And made the dawn know its place,

NASB 1995
“Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, And caused the dawn to know its place,

NASB 1977
“Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, And caused the dawn to know its place;

Legacy Standard Bible
“Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, And caused the dawn to know its place,

Amplified Bible
Since your days began, have you ever commanded the morning, And caused the dawn to know its place,

Christian Standard Bible
Have you ever in your life commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Have you ever in your life commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place,

American Standard Version
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began, And caused the dayspring to know its place;

Contemporary English Version
Did you ever tell the sun to rise? And did it obey?

English Revised Version
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began, and caused the dayspring to know its place;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Have you ever given orders to the morning or assigned a place for the dawn

Good News Translation
Job, have you ever in all your life commanded a day to dawn?

International Standard Version
"Have you ever commanded the morning at any time during your life? Do you know where the dawn lives,

Majority Standard Bible
In your days, have you commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place,

NET Bible
Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, or made the dawn know its place,

New Heart English Bible
"Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn to know its place;

Webster's Bible Translation
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the day-spring to know its place;

World English Bible
“Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn to know its place,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Have you commanded morning since your days? Do you cause the dawn to know its place?

Young's Literal Translation
Hast thou commanded morning since thy days? Causest thou the dawn to know its place?

Smith's Literal Translation
In thy days didst thou command the morning? and didst thou make the dawning know its place?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Didst thou since thy birth command the morning, and shew the dawning of the day its place?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Did you, after your birth, command the birth of the sun and show the sunrise its place?

New American Bible
Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning and shown the dawn its place

New Revised Standard Version
“Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Have you commanded the dawn since your days began; or do you know the place of the morning;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
From your days have you commanded the dawn? Do you know which is the place of early dawn
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began, And caused the dayspring to know its place;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Or did I order the morning light in thy time; and did the morning star then first see his appointed place;
Audio Bible



Context
God Challenges Job
11and I declared: ‘You may come this far, but no farther; here your proud waves must stop’? 12In your days, have you commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place, 13that it might spread to the ends of the earth and shake the wicked out of it?…

Cross References
Psalm 19:1-6
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. / Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. / Without speech or language, without a sound to be heard, ...

Isaiah 45:7
I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.

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:

Psalm 104:19-23
He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows when to set. / You bring darkness, and it becomes night, when all the beasts of the forest prowl. / The young lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. ...

Amos 4:13
For behold, He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind and reveals His thoughts to man, who turns the dawn to darkness and strides on the heights of the earth—the LORD, the God of Hosts, is His name.”

Psalm 74:16-17
The day is Yours, and also the night; You established the moon and the sun. / You set all the boundaries of the earth; You made the summer and winter.

Isaiah 40:26
Lift up your eyes on high: Who created all these? He leads forth the starry host by number; He calls each one by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Genesis 1:3-5
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. / And God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. / God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Psalm 136:7-9
He made the great lights—His loving devotion endures forever. / the sun to rule the day, His loving devotion endures forever. / the moon and stars to govern the night. His loving devotion endures forever.

Isaiah 50:4
The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of discipleship, to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.

Matthew 5:45
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Luke 1:78-79
because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the Dawn will visit us from on high, / to shine on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

John 1:4-5
In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. / The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

2 Peter 1:19
We also have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Revelation 22:16
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”


Treasury of Scripture

Have you commanded the morning since your days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;

commanded

Genesis 1:5
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Psalm 74:16
The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.

Psalm 136:7,8
To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever: …

since

Job 38:4,21
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding…

Job 8:9
(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:)

Job 15:7
Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?

the dayspring

Luke 1:78
Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

2 Peter 1:19
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

Jump to Previous
Caused Causest Commanded Conscious Dawn Dayspring Day-Spring Earliest Life Morning Orders Shown
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Caused Causest Commanded Conscious Dawn Dayspring Day-Spring Earliest Life Morning Orders Shown
Job 38
1. God challenges Job to answer
4. God, by his mighty works, convinces Job of ignorance
31. and weakness














Have you ever commanded
This phrase challenges Job's understanding of divine authority and power. The Hebrew word for "commanded" is "tsavah," which implies giving orders or decrees. In the context of the ancient Near East, kings and rulers were seen as figures of authority who could issue commands. Here, God is reminding Job of His supreme authority over creation, contrasting human limitations with divine omnipotence. This rhetorical question emphasizes that only God has the power to command the natural order, highlighting His sovereignty and the limitations of human understanding.

the morning
The "morning" symbolizes the beginning of a new day, a fresh start, and the renewal of life. In Hebrew, the word "boker" is used, which not only refers to the time of day but also carries connotations of light overcoming darkness. This imagery is powerful in the biblical narrative, where light often represents God's presence and order. The morning is a daily testament to God's faithfulness and His control over time and creation. It serves as a reminder of the divine orchestration of the universe, which is beyond human capability.

or assigned
The word "assigned" comes from the Hebrew "yada," meaning to appoint or designate. This term suggests intentionality and purpose. In the ancient world, assigning roles or tasks was a function of authority and governance. By using this term, God is illustrating His deliberate and purposeful design in creation. It underscores the idea that every aspect of the natural world operates under God's intentional plan, reinforcing His role as the ultimate architect of the universe.

the dawn its place
"Dawn" is translated from the Hebrew "shachar," which signifies the first light of day. The phrase "its place" indicates a specific, ordained position or function within creation. In biblical literature, dawn often symbolizes hope, renewal, and the triumph of light over darkness. By assigning the dawn its place, God is depicted as the one who orchestrates the cycles of nature with precision and care. This imagery serves to remind Job—and the reader—of God's meticulous attention to detail and His sustaining power over the cosmos. It is a call to recognize the divine order and purpose inherent in the world, which is orchestrated by God's wisdom and authority.

(12) And caused the dayspring to know his place.--Changing, as it does, from day to day with the changing seasons.

Verse 12. - Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days? rather, by reason of ray length of days - a similar irony to that observable in vers. 5, 21, etc. The third marvel of creation brought before us is the dawn, or daybreak - that standing miracle of combined utility and beauty. Has Job authority to issue his orders to the dawn, and tell it when to make its appearance? Has he caused the dayspring to know his place? Job cannot possibly pretend to any such power.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
In your days,
הְֽ֭מִיָּמֶיךָ‪‬ (hə·mî·yā·me·ḵā)
Article, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

have you commanded
צִוִּ֣יתָ (ṣiw·wî·ṯā)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

the morning
בֹּ֑קֶר (bō·qer)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1242: Dawn, morning

or assigned
יִדַּ֖עְתָּה‪‬ (yid·da‘·tā)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

the dawn
הַשַּׁ֣חַר (haš·ša·ḥar)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7837: Dawn

its place,
מְקֹמֽוֹ׃ (mə·qō·mōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition


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OT Poetry: Job 38:12 Have you commanded the morning in your (Jb)
Job 38:11
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