Job 38:4-11
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone
7 when the morning stars sang together
and all the heavenly beings[a] shouted for joy?
- [a] Heb sons of God
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
A Creation Record — the Order of Creation
Note that in this "creation record" the stars are already in existence when the earth is created. This is contrary to a Literal Reading of the "creation record" of Genesis ch 1.
This passage was referenced here (4.4.1) in our response to the AACE discussion questions.
Geocentric Language of the Bible
"God says" that he laid the foundations of the earth. This illustrates the geocentric language of the Bible, which assumes that Earth is solid and the sun and moon move around it. This is contrary to the heliocentric model accepted by modern science: the Bible is using Phenomenological Language here. See Theistic Heliocentrism for the comparison between Heliocentrism and Evolution.
4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
9 When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
10 And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,
11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
A Creation Record
See The Primal Sea.
| ← back to the song of the morning stars | A tour of the Bible's Creation Texts | next → |
Should it really be read literally anyway?
This passage is cited here as "accepting" events of early Genesis "as literally true". See comment here.
| ← prev. . . . references said to "accept" a literal Genesis . . . next → |
Problems with literal reading
- Modern science contradicts the ancient assumptions about the heavens and earth (now called the "universe") — according to modern science the earth is not literally "founded" but floats in space around the sun
- Even if we accept that the earth is literally "founded," the problem that arises with a literal reading is that the morning stars were already created and literally singing when the literal foundations of the earth were laid
