Job 9:8
New International Version
He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

New Living Translation
He alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea.

English Standard Version
who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea;

Berean Standard Bible
He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

King James Bible
Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

New King James Version
He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea;

New American Standard Bible
Who alone stretches out the heavens, And tramples down the waves of the sea;

NASB 1995
Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea;

NASB 1977
Who alone stretches out the heavens, And tramples down the waves of the sea;

Legacy Standard Bible
Who alone stretches out the heavens, And tramples down the waves of the sea;

Amplified Bible
Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea;

Christian Standard Bible
He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

American Standard Version
That alone stretcheth out the heavens, And treadeth upon the waves of the sea;

Contemporary English Version
God alone stretched out the sky, stepped on the sea,

English Revised Version
Which alone stretcheth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He stretches out the heavens by himself and walks on the waves of the sea.

Good News Translation
No one helped God spread out the heavens or trample the sea monster's back.

International Standard Version
He alone spreads out the heavens, he walks on the waves of the sea.

Majority Standard Bible
He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

NET Bible
he alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea;

New Heart English Bible
He alone stretches out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea.

Webster's Bible Translation
Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

World English Bible
He alone stretches out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Stretching out the heavens by Himself, "" And treading on the heights of the sea,

Young's Literal Translation
Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,

Smith's Literal Translation
He alone spread out the heavens and he trod upon the heights of the sea.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and walketh upon the waves of the sea.

Catholic Public Domain Version
He alone extends the heavens, and he walks upon the waves of the sea.

New American Bible
He alone stretches out the heavens and treads upon the back of the sea.

New Revised Standard Version
who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the Sea;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He alone stretched out the heavens, and treads upon the mighty waves of the sea.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
He who stretched out Heaven alone and treads on the power of the sea
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Who alone stretcheth out the heavens, And treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Who alone has stretched out the heavens, and walks on the sea as on firm ground.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job: How Can I Argue with God?
7He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars. 8He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. 9He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.…

Cross References
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 104:2
He wraps Himself in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent,

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,

Psalm 136:6
He spread out the earth upon the waters. His loving devotion endures forever.

Isaiah 51:13
But you have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. You live in terror all day long because of the fury of the oppressor who is bent on destruction. But where is the fury of the oppressor?

Jeremiah 10:12-13
The LORD made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding. / When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.

Psalm 33:6-9
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth. / He piles up the waters of the sea; He puts the depths into storehouses. / Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere Him. ...

Genesis 1:6-10
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. / God called the expanse “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. ...

Psalm 19:1
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

Isaiah 42:5
This is what God the LORD says—He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and life to those who walk in it:

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.”

Colossians 1:16-17
For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. / He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Hebrews 1:10-12
And: “In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. / They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. / You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed; but You remain the same, and Your years will never end.”

John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. / He was with God in the beginning. / Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.

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.”


Treasury of Scripture

Which alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea.

Which

Job 37:18
Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?

Genesis 1:6,7
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters…

Psalm 33:6
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

treadeth

Job 38:11
And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

Psalm 93:3,4
The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves…

Matthew 14:25-30
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea…

waves.

Jump to Previous
Alone Hand Heavens Heights High Sea Spreadeth Stretched Stretches Stretcheth Stretching Trampled Tramples Treadeth Treading Treads Walking Waves
Jump to Next
Alone Hand Heavens Heights High Sea Spreadeth Stretched Stretches Stretcheth Stretching Trampled Tramples Treadeth Treading Treads Walking Waves
Job 9
1. Job acknowledges God's justice
22. Man's innocence is not to be condemned by afflictions














He alone
This phrase emphasizes the exclusivity and sovereignty of God. In the Hebrew text, the word used is "לְבַדּוֹ" (levaddo), which underscores the idea that God operates independently and without assistance. This reflects the monotheistic belief central to the Jewish and Christian faiths, that God is the sole creator and sustainer of the universe. Historically, this stands in contrast to the polytheistic beliefs of surrounding cultures during the time of Job, where multiple deities were thought to control various aspects of the natural world.

stretches out the heavens
The Hebrew word "נֹטֶה" (noteh) is used here, which means to stretch or spread out. This imagery is reminiscent of a tent being spread out, a common sight in the nomadic lifestyle of ancient Near Eastern cultures. The heavens, or "שָׁמַיִם" (shamayim), refer to the sky or the cosmos. This phrase highlights God's creative power and authority over the universe. It echoes the creation narrative in Genesis, where God establishes the heavens, reinforcing His role as the ultimate architect of all creation.

and treads on the waves of the sea
The phrase "וְדוֹרֵךְ עַל־בָּמֳתֵי יָם" (vedorekh al-bamotei yam) uses the verb "דוֹרֵךְ" (dorekh), meaning to tread or walk. This imagery of God walking on the sea conveys His dominion over chaos and the natural elements, as the sea often symbolizes chaos and disorder in ancient Near Eastern literature. The "waves of the sea" or "בָּמֳתֵי יָם" (bamotei yam) can be seen as a metaphor for the tumultuous and unpredictable aspects of life. This phrase foreshadows the New Testament account of Jesus walking on water, further affirming the divine nature and authority of Christ as consistent with the God of the Old Testament.

(8) Waves of the sea.--Literally, high place of the sea: the sea when and where it runs mountains high. The various physical phenomena of earthquake, eclipse, and hurricane are here described as the field of Divine action and the operations of His hands.

Verse 8. - Which alone spreadeth out the heavens (comp. Psalm 104:2; Isaiah 40:22). The heavens are regarded as spread out over the whole earth, like a curtain or awning over a tent, everywhere overshadowing and promoting it. This "stretching" or "spreading out" is felt to be one of the mightiest and most marvellous of the Creater's works, and is constantly put forward in Scripture as a special evidence of his omnipotence (see, besides the pasages above quoted, Isaiah 42:5; Isaiah 44:24; Isaiah 45:12; It. 13; Jeremiah 10:12). It adds to the marvellousness that God did it all "alone," or "by himself" (comp. Isaiah 44:24). And treadeth upon the waves of the sea; literally, the heights of the sea; i.e. the waves, which run mountains-high. God plants his feet upon these, to crush them in their proud might (comp. Psalm 93:5).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He alone
לְבַדּ֑וֹ (lə·ḇad·dōw)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 905: Separation, a part of the body, branch of a, tree, bar for, carrying, chief of

stretches out
נֹטֶ֣ה (nō·ṭeh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

the heavens,
שָׁמַ֣יִם (šā·ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

and treads
וְ֝דוֹרֵ֗ךְ (wə·ḏō·w·rêḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 1869: To tread, to walk, to string a, bow

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

the waves
בָּ֥מֳתֵי (bā·mo·ṯê)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 1116: An elevation

of the sea.
יָֽם׃ (yām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin


Links
Job 9:8 NIV
Job 9:8 NLT
Job 9:8 ESV
Job 9:8 NASB
Job 9:8 KJV

Job 9:8 BibleApps.com
Job 9:8 Biblia Paralela
Job 9:8 Chinese Bible
Job 9:8 French Bible
Job 9:8 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Job 9:8 He alone stretches out the heavens (Jb)
Job 9:7
Top of Page
Top of Page