Job 38:12 — Word Study
WLCהְֽ֭מִיָּמֶיךָ צִוִּ֣יתָ בֹּ֑קֶר יִדַּ֖עְתָּ הַשַּׁ֣חַר מְקֹמֽוֹ׃
BSAIn your daysyôwm [since your birth, from your earliest moments] have you commandedtsâvâh■ [given orders to, appointed] the morningbôqer [dawn, break of day] or assignedyâdaʻ■ [caused to know] the dawnshachar [time of new light] its placemâqôwm [location, position]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הְֽ֭מִיָּמֶיךָ | ¿ from days your | Particle, preposition, noun common masculine plural construct |
| צִוִּ֣יתָ | have you commanded | Verb, Piel, perfect second person masculine singular |
| בֹּ֑קֶר | morning | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| יִדַּ֖עְתָּ | you caused to know | Verb, Piel, perfect second person masculine singular |
| הַשַּׁ֣חַר | the dawn | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| מְקֹמֽוֹ׃ | place its | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | In your days, have you commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place, |
| KJV | Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place; |
| ASV | Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began, And caused the dayspring to know its place; |
| YLT | Hast thou commanded morning since thy days? Causest thou the dawn to know its place? |
| WEB | “Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn to know its place, |
| BBE | Have you, from your earliest days, given orders to the morning, or made the dawn conscious of its place; |
Translations agree on the meaning of צִוִּ֣יתָ — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence consists of a main clause and two phrases that elaborate on the command, emphasizing God's authority.







8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbצָוָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 38:12
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Sovereignty in Creationgenerated
Job 38:12 is part of a larger discourse where God challenges Job's understanding of the natural order. God asks Job if he has ever commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place, highlighting His own authority and control over creation. This verse is situated within a series of rhetorical questions intended to demonstrate the vast difference between divine knowledge and human limitations.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 1:5 | God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. |
| 2 | Psalm 74:16 | The day is Yours, and also the night; You established the moon and the sun. |
| 3 | Psalm 136:7–8 | He made the great lights— His loving devotion endures forever. |
| 4 | Psalm 148:3–5 | Praise Him, O sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars. |
| 5 | Job 38:4–21 | Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — צִוִּ֣יתָ, tzi.Vi.tagenerated
The verb צָוָה (tsavah) means to command or give orders. It is derived from a primitive root and is used in the Piel form, indicating actions such as appointing or charging someone with a task. In this verse, it emphasizes God's authority as the one who commands the natural order, contrasting with Job's human experience.
The use of the second person masculine singular form indicates a direct challenge to Job, asking if he has ever exercised such authority. This highlights the theme of God's sovereignty over the world, particularly in the context of creation.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb צִוִּ֣יתָ governs the main clause, with two phrases following: the noun phrase בֹּ֑קֶר as the object and the participial phrase יִדַּ֖עְתָּ describing the action. The structure emphasizes God's direct questioning of Job's authority.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the actions attributed to God, leading with the command and following with the objects of that command.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, צִוִּ֣יתָ is rendered as συντέταξα (suntetaxa), meaning 'I ordered' or 'I arranged.' This choice reflects a similar authority conveyed in the Hebrew, emphasizing the act of commanding.
The translation indicates a continuity in the concept of divine authority over creation, though the Greek word carries a slightly different nuance.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 38:12 presents God asking Job if he has ever commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place. This challenges Job's understanding of his own power in relation to God's authority over creation.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To command the morning refers to having authority over the natural order, which only God possesses.
The dawn symbolizes new beginnings and the power of God to bring light and order to creation.
This verse highlights the theme of God's sovereignty and the limitations of human understanding, central to the dialogues in the Book of Job.
God's questions serve to remind Job of his place in the universe and the vastness of God's power and wisdom.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I struggle to recognize God's authority?
- How can I cultivate a deeper understanding of God's creation and His role in it?
- What does it mean for me to acknowledge my limitations before God?
- How can I find comfort in knowing that God is in control of the natural order?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers referenced this verse to discuss God's authority and wisdom in creation. Quotations from Gregory the Dialogist argue from this verse to illustrate the nature of Christ's divinity.
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy birth, and hast thou shewn to the day-spring its place? Our Lord Jesus Christ, in that He is the Power and Wisdom of God, is born of the Father before all times, or rather,Early Church Fathers on Job 38 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 38:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHast thou commanded the morning since thy days;.... Job had lived to see many a morning, but it never was in his power to command one; he had been in such circumstances as to wish for morning light
Read John Gill on Job 38 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place; Passing from creation to phenomena in the existing inanimate world. Verse 12. Hast thou - as God daily does.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 38 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThe morning, i.e. the morning light, or the sun, which is the cause of it. Didst thou create the sun, and appoint the order and succession of day and night? Since thy days; since thou wast born. This work was not done by thee, but by me, and that long before thou wast born. To know his place; to observe the punctual time when, and the point of the heavens where, it should arise; which varies every day. Was this thy contrivance or mine?
Read Matthew Poole on Job 38 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 38:12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; [and] caused the dayspring to know his place;Ver. 12. Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days] It may be thou wilt say, These are ancient things, done long before I was born; but ask me of things within my reach and remembrance. Well, then, what sayest thou to the sunrising? Hast thou either lengthened or hastened it at any time since thou wert born, causing it to rise at such or such an hour, in such or such a point of heaven, according to the various degrees and situations of the zodiac? No; this is more than ever any man could do. "The day is thine, the night also is thine," saith David: "thou hast prepared the light and…
Read John Trapp on Job 38 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(12) And caused the dayspring to know his place.—Changing, as it does, from day to day with the changing seasons.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 38 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 12. Hast thou commanded the morning] This refers to dawn or morning twilight, occasioned by the refraction of the solar rays by means of the atmosphere; so that we receive the light by degrees, which would otherwise burst at once upon our eyes, and injure, if not destroy, our sight; and by which even the body of the sun himself becomes evident several minutes before he rises above the horizon. Caused the dayspring to know his place] This seems to refer to the different points in which daybreak appears during the course of the earth's revolution in its orbit; and which variety of points of appearing depends on this annual revolution. For, as the earth goes round the sun every year in…
Read AdamClarke on Job 38 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges4–38. A survey of the inanimate creation, the wonders of earth and sky—the earth, Job 38:4-18; the heavens, Job 38:18-38
Read Cambridge on Job 38 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHast thou commanded the morning since thy days - That is, in thy lifetime hast thou ordered the light of the morning to shine, and directed its beams over the world?
Read Albert Barnes on Job 38 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
In your days, have you commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place,
“Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn to know its place,
In your days, have you commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place,
Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, or made the dawn know its place,
Tyndale line
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began, And caused the dayspring to know its place;
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began, and caused the dayspring to know its place;
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the day-spring to know its place;
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy dayes? hast thou caused the morning to knowe his place,
Strictly literal
Hast thou since thy days commanded the morning? hast thou caused the dawn to know its place,
Hast thou commanded morning since thy days? Causest thou the dawn to know its place?
Have you commanded morning since your days? Do you cause the dawn to know its place?
Didst thou ever, in all thy days, command the morning; didst thou ever assign the morning-dawn its place:
Have you given orders to the morning, or caused the dawn to know its place,
From the Latin
Didst thou since thy birth command the morning, and shew the dawning of the day its place?
Simplified
During your lifetime, have you ever ordered the morning to begin?
Have you, from your earliest days, given orders to the morning, or made the dawn conscious of its place;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads: הְֽ֭מִיָּמֶיךָ צִוִּ֣יתָ בֹּ֑קֶר יִדַּ֖עְתָּ הַשַּׁ֣חַר מְקֹמֽוֹ׃. The Septuagint matches only 2 of the 6 words, indicating some divergence in translation but generally supporting the same themes of authority and creation.
הְֽ֭מִיָּמֶיךָ צִוִּ֣יתָ בֹּ֑קֶר יִדַּ֖עְתָּ הַשַּׁ֣חַר מְקֹמֽוֹ׃
2 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 38:12
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.
יוֹם 2285 n.m. day
day, opp. night
Day as division of time
יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
Pl. days of anyone
Days
יוֹם = time
Phrases
base
H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night
. Day as division of time
. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
. Pl. days of anyone
. Days
. יוֹם = time
. Phrases
3117 yowm yome
from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm
hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one
sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by
an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +
chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)
day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +
(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as
(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,
presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,
then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,
weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole
(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.
יוֹם (yom) — day.
: day/when/time/period
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: old.
: old/(full/many)[days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: year.
: year[of_days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
Part | Prep | N-mp | Suff — Particle · preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHTi/R/Ncmpc/Sp2ms
צָוָה (tsavah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to command or give orders. It is built from a primitive root and primarily used in the Piel form, indicating actions like appointing or charging someone with a task. The entries highlight its various applications, including laying charges and sending messengers. There are no noted disagreements among the lexicons.
[צָוָה] 485 vb. Pi. lay charge (upon), give charge (to), charge, command, order
base
H6680 צָוָה Pi. lay charge (upon), give charge (to), charge, command, order
6680 tsavah tsaw-vaw'
a primitive root; (intensively) to constitute,
enjoin:--appoint, (for-)bid, (give a) charge, (give a, give
in, send with) command(-er, -ment), send a messenger, put,
(set) in order.
צָוָה (tsa.vah) — to command.
1) to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order
1a)(Piel)
1a1) to lay charge upon
1a2) to give charge to, give command to
1a3) to give charge unto
1a4) to give charge over, appoint
1a5) to give charge, command
1a6) to charge, command
1a7) to charge, commission
1a8) to command, appoint, ordain (of divine act)
1b) (Pual) to be commanded
V-Piel-Perf-2ms — Verb · Piel · perfect second person masculine singularHVpp2ms
בֹּ֫קֶר (boqer) means 'morning' and is derived from the root word for 'dawn.' It encompasses the time of day when light begins to appear, marking the end of night and the start of a new day. The term can also refer to the next day or morning after a specific point in time. It is associated with brightness and joy following periods of distress.
בֹּ֫קֶר 214 n.m. morning
morning (of point of time, time at which, never during which, Eng. morning = forenoon
morrow, next day
base
H1242 בֹּ֫קֶר morning . morning (of point of time, time at which, never during which, Eng. morning = forenoon
. morrow, next day
1242 boqer bo'-ker
from 1239; properly, dawn (as the break of day); generally,
morning:--(+) day, early, morning, morrow.
see HEBREW for 01239
בֹּ֫קֶר (bo.qer) — morning.
1) morning, break of day
1a) morning
1a1) of end of night
1a2) of coming of daylight
1a3) of coming of sunrise
1a4) of beginning of day
1a5) of bright joy after night of distress (fig.)
1b) morrow, next day, next morning
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
mor'-ning: There are several Hebrew and Greek words which are rendered "morning," the most common in Hebrew being boqer, which occurs 180 times. It properly means "the breaking forth of the light," "the dawn," as in Ge 19:27; Jud 19:8,25,27. Another word with the same meaning is shachar (Ge 19:15; Ne 4:21; Isa 58:8). mishchar ("womb of the morning," Ps 110:3) is a poetical term derived from. the same root. See HIND OF THE MORNING. noghah, naghha' (Da 6:19 (Hebrew 20)), mean "brightness." hashkem, comes from…
- The second part of the day at the creation
Ge 1:5,8,13,19,23,31
- The first part of the natural day
- Ordained by God
- Began with first dawn
יָדַע (yada`) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to know,' encompassing a wide range of senses including perception, recognition, and experience. It can refer to knowing someone intimately or being skilled in a task. The word has various forms, indicating actions such as making known or being made known. Lexicons note its use in both literal and figurative contexts, but there is no significant disagreement among them.
יָדַע 943 vb. know
Qal
know, learn to know
perceive
perceive and see; find out and discern
discriminate, distinguish
know by experience
recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess
consider
not know = not expect
know a person, be acquainted with
know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse
know how, to do a thing, be able to do it
be skilful in
abs. have knowledge, be wise
Niph.
be made known, be or become known, of things
make oneself known of pers.
be perceived
be instructed
Pi. cause to know
Pu. known
Hiph. make known, declare
Hoph. made known
Hithp. make oneself known
base
H3045 יָדַע know .. . know, learn to know
. perceive
. perceive and see; find out and discern
. discriminate, distinguish
. know by experience
. recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess
. consider
. not know = not expect
. know a person, be acquainted with
. know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse
. . know how, to do a thing, be able to do it
. be skilful in
. abs. have knowledge, be wise
. . be made known, be or become known, of things
. make oneself known of pers.
. be perceived
. be instructed
. cause to know
. known
. make known, declare
. made known
. make oneself known
3045 yada` yaw-dah'
a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing);
used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally,
euphemistically and inferentially (including observation,
care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation,
punishment, etc.) (as follow):--acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted
with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware,
(un-)awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, X
could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to)
discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel,
can have, be (ig-)norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause
to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have
(knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be
learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, X
prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man
of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell,
יָדַע (ya.da) — to know.
1) to know
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to know
1a1a) to know, learn to know
1a1b) to perceive
1a1c) to perceive and see, find out and discern
1a1d) to discriminate, distinguish
1a1e) to know by experience
1a1f) to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess
1a1g) to consider
1a2) to know, be acquainted with
1a3) to know (a person carnally)
1a4) to know how, be skilful in
1a5) to have knowledge, be wise
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be made known, be or become known, be revealed
1b2) to make oneself known
1b3) to be perceived
1b4) to be instructed
1c) (Piel) to cause to know
1d) (Poal) to cause to know
1e) (Pual)
1e1) to be known
1e2) known, one known, acquaintance (participle)
1f) (Hiphil) to make known, declare
1g) (Hophal) to be made known
1h) (Hithpael) to make oneself known, reveal oneself
Aramaic equivalent: ye.da (יְדַע "to know" H3046)
V-Piel-Perf-2ms — Verb · Piel · perfect second person masculine singularHVpp2ms
שַׁ֫חַר (shachar) means 'dawn' and can refer to both the literal time of day and figuratively or adverbially to concepts of early light or morning. It is derived from a related root, שָׁחַר (H7836), and is used in various contexts to denote the beginning of light.
שַׁ֫חַר n.m. dawn
base
H7837 שַׁ֫חַר dawn
7837 shachar shakh'-ar
from 7836; dawn (literal, figurative or
adverbial):--day(-spring), early, light, morning, whence
riseth.
see HEBREW for 07836
שַׁ֫חַר (sha.char) — dawn.
1) dawn
1a) dawn
1b) at dawn (as adverb)
N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
מָקוֹם (maqom) means 'place' and encompasses a variety of contexts, including a standing place, station, or post. It can refer to human abodes, localities, regions, and even figurative conditions of body or mind. The term is derived from a root meaning 'standing' and is used broadly in the Old Testament.
מָקוֹם, מָקֹם 399 n.m. standing-place, place
standing-place
station, where soldiers are placed
post, office
place where a thing belongs
esp.
place of human abode
of י׳’s abode
place
in gen. place, locality, spot
space, room
space, distance, between
region, quarter, direction
peculiar uses
base
H4725 מָקוֹם, מָקֹם standing-place, place . . standing-place
. station, where soldiers are placed
. post, office
. . place where a thing belongs
. esp. . place of human abode
. of י׳’s abode
. place
. in gen. place, locality, spot
. . space, room
. space, distance, between
. region, quarter, direction
. peculiar uses
4725 maqowm maw-kome'
or maqom {maw-kome'}; also (feminine) mqowmah {mek-o-mah'};
or mqomah {mek-o-mah'}; from 6965; properly, a standing, i.e.
a spot; but used widely of a locality (general or specific);
also (figuratively) of a condition (of body or
mind):--country, X home, X open, place, room, space, X
whither(-soever).
see HEBREW for 06965
מָקוֹם (ma.qom) — place.
1) standing place, place
1a) standing place, station, post, office
1b) place, place of human abode
1c) city, land, region
1d) place, locality, spot
1e) space, room, distance
1f) region, quarter, direction
1g) give place to, instead of
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3ms
