Teks -- Job 38:14 (NET)

38:14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features are dyed like a garment.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Wesley: Job 38:14 - It

The earth.

Wesley: Job 38:14 - Turned

Is changed in its appearance.

Wesley: Job 38:14 - By the seal

The seal makes a beautiful impression upon the clay, which in itself hath no form, or comeliness. So the earth, which in the darkness of night lies like a confused heap without either form or beauty, when the light arises and shines upon it, appears in excellent order and glory.

Wesley: Job 38:14 - They

The men and things of the earth, whether natural, as living creatures, herbs and trees; or artificial, as houses or other buildings.

Wesley: Job 38:14 - Stand

Present themselves to our view.

Wesley: Job 38:14 - Garment

Wherewith the earth is in a manner clothed and adorned.

JFB: Job 38:12-15

Passing from creation to phenomena in the existing inanimate world.

JFB: Job 38:12-15 - Hast thou

As God daily does.

JFB: Job 38:12-15 - commanded the morning

To rise.

JFB: Job 38:12-15 - since thy days

Since thou hast come into being.

JFB: Job 38:12-15 - his place

It varies in its place of rising from day to day, and yet it has its place each day according to fixed laws.

JFB: Job 38:14

Explaining the first clause of Job 38:13, as Job 38:15 does the second clause. As the plastic clay presents the various figures impressed on it by a seal, so the earth, which in the dark was void of all form, when illuminated by the dayspring, presents a variety of forms, hills, valleys, &c.

JFB: Job 38:14 - turned

(Hebrew, "turns itself") alludes to the rolling cylinder seal, such as is found in Babylon, which leaves its impressions on the clay, as it is turned about; so the morning light rolling on over the earth.

JFB: Job 38:14 - they stand

The forms of beauty, unfolded by the dawn, stand forth as a garment, in which the earth is clad.

Clarke: Job 38:14 - It is turned as clay to the seal

It is turned as clay to the seal - The earth, like soft clay, is capable of modifying itself in endless ways, and assuming infinite forms. As a proof of this, see the astonishing variety of plants, flowers, and fruits, and the infinitely diversified hues, odours, tastes, consistency, and properties, of its vegetable productions. There seems to be an allusion here to the sealing of clay, which I believe has been, and is now, frequent in the East. Six of those Eastern seals for sealing clay, made of brass, the figures and characters all in relief, the interstices being entirely perforated and cut out, so that the upper side of the seal is the same as the lower, now lie before me. They seem to have been used for stamping pottery, as some of the fine clay still appears in the interstices

Clarke: Job 38:14 - And they stand as a garment

And they stand as a garment - The earth receiving these impressions from the solar light and heat, plants and flowers spring up, and decorate its surface as the most beautiful stamped garment does the person of the most sumptuously dressed female. Mr. Good translates the whole verse thus: - "Canst thou cause them to bend round as clay to the mould, so that they are made to sit like a garment?"He supposes that reference is here made to the rays of light; but take his own words: "The image, as it appears to me, is taken directly from the art of pottery, an image of very frequent recurrence in Scripture; and in the present instance admirably forcible in painting the ductility with which the new light of the morning bends round like clay to the mould, and accompanies the earth in every part of its shape so as to fit it, as we are expressly told in the ensuing metaphor, like a garment, as the clay fits the mould itself."Mr. Good supposes that a mould in which the pottery is formed, not a seal by which it is impressed, is referred to here. In this sense I do not see the metaphor consistent, nor the allusion happy. It is well known that the rays of light never bend. They may be reflected at particular angles, but they never go out of a straight course. A gun might as well be expected to shoot round a corner, as a ray of light to go out of a straight line, or to follow the sinuous or angular windings of a tube, canal, or adit. But if we take in the sun as he advances in his diurnal voyage, or rather the earth, as it turns round its axis from west to east, the metaphor of Mr. Good will be correct enough; but we must leave out bending and ductility, as every part of the earth’ s surface will be at least successively invested with the light.

Defender: Job 38:14 - turned

This figurative expression refers to God's initiation of the earth's rotation and the day-night cycle. Each night, like a rotating clay cylinder exposing the impressions of the seal, the earth turns to the sun (or "dayspring"), exposing the wicked and their works of the night."

TSK: Job 38:14 - as a

as a : Psa 104:2, Psa 104:6

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Job 38:14 - It // Is turned // To the seal // They // Stand // As a garment

It to wit, the earth, mentioned in the next foregoing verse.

Is turned is transformed and changed in its shape and appearance.

To the seal or, by the seal , which makes a beautiful or valuable impression upon that clay, which in itself hath no form, nor worth, nor comeliness in it. So the earth, which in the darkness of the night lies like a confused heap, without either form or beauty, when the light ariseth and shineth upon it, appears in excellent order and great glory.

They either,

1. The inhabitants of the earth, and particularly the wicked, mentioned both in the foregoing and following verses. Or,

2. More generally, the men and things of the earth, whether natural, as living creatures, herbs, and trees, &c.; or artificial, as houses or other buildings.

Stand i. e. present themselves to our view, for which that posture of standing is most convenient. Or, consist , or abide , or are constituted .

As a garment wherewith the earth is in a manner clothed and adorned as with a garment; as the blessed God himself is said to cover himself with light as with a garment , Psa 104:2 .

Haydock: Job 38:14 - Seal // Garment

Seal. Men, formed to the image of God, shall die; and others shall be place in their stead, (Menochius) with as much ease as an impression is made upon clay. (Haydock) ---

Garment. The body seems to be the clothing of the soul, and will be changed, Psalm ci. 27. (Menochius) ---

Chaldean, "their form will be changed to clay, and they shall resemble a tattered garment." Hebrew, "their seal shall be changed like clay," &c. All their glory shall perish. (Calmet) ---

Septuagint, "hast thou taken earth or clay, and formed a living creature, and endued it with speech on the earth?" Is man the workd of thy hands? (Haydock)

Gill: Job 38:14 - It is turned as clay to the seal // and they stand as a garment

It is turned as clay to the seal,.... As the clay receives a different form by the impress of the seal upon it, so the earth appears in a different manner by the spring of morning light upon it; in the darkness of the night nothing of its form and beauty is to be seen; it is a mere "tohu" and "bohu", like the chaos, Gen 1:2; its rising hills, and spreading dales, and beautiful landscapes, cannot be observed with pleasure; but when the light breaks forth in the morning, it is seen in all its beauty and glory: of the change the light of the Gospel makes in men, see 2Co 3:18;

and they stand as a garment; or things stand upon it as a garment, as Mr. Broughton renders the words; herbs, plants, and trees, unseen in the night, stand up like a vesture to the earth in the morning light; and as they are clothed themselves, they are a garment to that, which now puts on another and beautiful habit; the pastures are clothed with flocks, and the valleys covered with corn, and the whole earth with light itself, as with a garment: and as beautifully do men made light in the Lord appear; see Isa 41:10.