View source for Job 26:5-14

''&rarr;[[Bible_References|Bible]]&rarr;[[Bible_References#OT|Old Testament]]&rarr;[[Job]]'' <br>
==The Earth hangs on nothing==
'''[[KJV]]'''
<blockquote>
<sup>6 </sup>Hell is naked before him,
and destruction hath no covering.
<br><sup>7 </sup>He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and <u>hangeth the earth upon nothing</u>.

<br><sup>11 </sup>'''The pillars of heaven''' tremble and are astonished at his reproof.
<br><sup>12 </sup>He divideth [[Yam|the sea]] with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through [[Rahab|the proud]].
<br><sup>13 </sup>By his [[spirit]] he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed [[The Crooked Serpent|the crooked serpent]].

</blockquote>
'''[[RSV]]'''
<blockquote>
 <sup>7 </sup>He stretches out the north over the void,<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and <u>hangs the earth upon nothing</u>.{{RSVnote}} 
</blockquote>


'''[[NRSV]]'''
<blockquote>
 <sup>7 </sup>He stretches out '''[[Zaphon]]'''<sup>[a]</sup> over the void,<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and <u>hangs the earth upon nothing</u>.<br><sup>8 </sup>He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and the cloud is not torn open by them.<br><sup>9 </sup>He covers the face of the full moon,<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and spreads over it his cloud.<br><sup>10 </sup>He has described a circle on the face of the waters,<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;at the boundary between light and darkness.<br><sup>11 </sup>'''The pillars of heaven''' tremble,<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and are astounded at his rebuke.<br><sup>12 </sup>By his power he stilled [[Yam|the Sea]];<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;by his understanding he struck down '''[[Rahab]].'''<br><sup>13 </sup>By his wind the heavens were made fair;<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;his hand pierced '''[[The Crooked Serpent|the fleeing serpent]].''' 
<br>
::::[a] Or ''the North''
{{NRSVnote}}</blockquote>

'''[[JPS Tanakh]]'''<blockquote>
<sup>5</sup> The shades tremble<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Beneath the waters and their denizens.<br>
<sup>6</sup> Sheol is naked before Him;<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Abaddon has no cover.<br>
<sup>7</sup> He it is who stretched out '''[[Zaphon]]'''<sup>[a]</sup> over chaos,<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<u>Who suspended earth over emptiness</u>.<br>
<sup>8</sup> He wrapped up the waters in His clouds;<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Yet no cloud burst under their weight.<br>
<sup>9</sup> He shuts off the view of His throne,<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Spreading His cloud over it.<br>
<sup>10</sup> He drew a boundary on the surface of the waters,<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
At the extreme where light and darkness meet.<br>
<sup>11</sup> The pillars of heaven tremble,<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Astounded at His blast.<br>
<sup>12</sup> By His power He stilled [[Yam|the sea]];<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
By His skill He struck down '''[[Rahab]]'''.<br>
<sup>13</sup> By His wind the heavens were calmed;<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
His hand pierced '''[[The Crooked Serpent|the Elusive Serpent]]'''<sup>[b]</sup>.<br>
<sup>14</sup> These are but glimpses of His rule,<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The mere whisper that we perceive of Him;<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Who can absorb the thunder of His mighty deeds?<blockquote>
::::[a] Used for heaven; cf. [[Isaiah 14:13]]; [[Psalm 48:3]] [Hebrew numbering] 
::::[b] Cf. [[Isaiah 27:1]] 
</blockquote></blockquote>

==A prediction of modern science?==
Verse 7 is sometimes read as meaning that the Earth orbits in space &mdash; see the translations above, which are all ''capable'' of being read that way. This would suggest that the Bible was miraculously prescient, and thus divinely [[Inspiration|inspired]], since this scientific fact was unknown when the Bible was written. Similarly, [[Isaiah 40:22]] is sometimes read as referring to the spherical shape of the Earth.

The context, however, especially as seen in the NRSV, includes references to ancient cosmology and mythological beliefs about primeval theomachy that we emphatically reject nowadays &mdash; seriously weakening the claim that the passage is miraculously prescient. <div align="right">&mdash; [[User:Bruce|Bruce]] ([[User talk:Bruce|talk]])</div>

See [[Did the Bible anticipate modern science?]] and [[x]]  {{TheCreationRecord}}

==A [[Creation Record]]==
See [[Rahab]], [[Zaphon]], [[The Crooked Serpent]]; also [[Literal and Figurative Creation in the Bible]] and [[Created, formed and made]].

{{CreationRecord|Job 9:13-15|back to Rahab|A tour of the Bible's Creation Texts|next|Job 38:4-7}}