Job 38:38
New International Version
when the dust becomes hard and the clods of earth stick together?

New Living Translation
when the parched ground is dry and the soil has hardened into clods?

English Standard Version
when the dust runs into a mass and the clods stick fast together?

Berean Standard Bible
when the dust hardens into a mass and the clods of earth stick together?

King James Bible
When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

New King James Version
When the dust hardens in clumps, And the clods cling together?

New American Standard Bible
When the dust hardens into a mass And the clods stick together?

NASB 1995
When the dust hardens into a mass And the clods stick together?

NASB 1977
When the dust hardens into a mass, And the clods stick together?

Legacy Standard Bible
When the dust hardens into a mass And the clods stick together?

Amplified Bible
When the dust hardens into a mass And the clods stick together [because of the heat]?

Christian Standard Bible
when the dust hardens like cast metal and the clods of dirt stick together?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
when the dust hardens like cast metal and the clods of dirt stick together?

American Standard Version
When the dust runneth into a mass, And the clods cleave fast together?

Contemporary English Version
on the dry, lumpy soil?

English Revised Version
When the dust runneth into a mass, and the clods cleave fast together?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
when the dirt hardens into clumps and the soil clings together?

Good News Translation
rain that hardens the dust into lumps?

International Standard Version
when dust dries into a mass and then breaks apart into clods?

Majority Standard Bible
when the dust hardens into a mass and the clods of earth stick together?

NET Bible
when the dust hardens into a mass, and the clumps of earth stick together?

New Heart English Bible
when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods of earth stick together?

Webster's Bible Translation
When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

World English Bible
when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods of earth stick together?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
In the hardening of dust into hardness, "" And clods cleave together?

Young's Literal Translation
In the hardening of dust into hardness, And clods cleave together?

Smith's Literal Translation
In the pouring out of the dust into a melted mass, and the clods will adhere.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
When was the dust poured on the earth, and the clods fastened together?

Catholic Public Domain Version
When was the dust cast to become the earth, and when were its clods fastened together?

New American Bible
So that the dust of earth is fused into a mass and its clods stick together?

New Revised Standard Version
when the dust runs into a mass and the clods cling together?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Who has poured out soil upon the earth, and who has made the steep rocks?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Who poured the dust on the Earth, and who fashioned the cliffs?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
When the dust runneth into a mass, And the clods cleave fast together?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For it is spread out as dusty earth, and I have cemented it as one hewn stone to another.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God Challenges Job
37Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Or who can tilt the water jars of the heavens 38when the dust hardens into a mass and the clods of earth stick together? 39Can you hunt the prey for a lioness or satisfy the hunger of young lions…

Cross References
Genesis 2:7
Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.

Isaiah 40:12
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on a scale and the hills with a balance?

Jeremiah 18:6
“O house of Israel, declares the LORD, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay? Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.

Psalm 104:29
When You hide Your face, they are terrified; when You take away their breath, they die and return to dust.

Psalm 147:8
who covers the sky with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow on the hills.

Isaiah 45:9
Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker—one clay pot among many. Does the clay ask the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?

Isaiah 64:8
But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.

Ecclesiastes 3:20
All go to one place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.

Daniel 2:21-22
He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. / He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.

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.”

Romans 9:20-21
But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?” / Does not the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special occasions and another for common use?

1 Corinthians 15:47-49
The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. / As was the earthly man, so also are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. / And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man.

2 Corinthians 4:7
Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.

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.”

Hebrews 11:3
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.


Treasury of Scripture

When the dust grows into hardness, and the clods stuck fast together?

groweth into hardness.

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Cleave Clods Dust Earth Fast Groweth Hard Hardening Hardens Hardness Joined Mass Masses Metal Molten Runneth Runs Stick Together
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Cleave Clods Dust Earth Fast Groweth Hard Hardening Hardens Hardness Joined Mass Masses Metal Molten Runneth Runs Stick Together
Job 38
1. God challenges Job to answer
4. God, by his mighty works, convinces Job of ignorance
31. and weakness














when the dust
The Hebrew word for "dust" is "עָפָר" (ʿāfār), which often symbolizes mortality and the frailty of human life in the Bible. In Genesis 3:19, God tells Adam, "for dust you are and to dust you will return," highlighting the transient nature of human existence. In this context, God is reminding Job of the natural order and His sovereign control over creation, emphasizing that even the smallest particles of dust are under His command.

hardens into a mass
The phrase "hardens into a mass" suggests a transformation from a loose, scattered state to a solid, unified form. This transformation can be seen as a metaphor for God's ability to bring order out of chaos. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the process of hardening or solidifying was often associated with divine intervention, as seen in the creation narratives where God brings structure to the formless void.

and the clods of earth
"Clods of earth" refers to lumps or chunks of soil. The Hebrew word "רְגָבִים" (regābîm) is used here, which can also imply something that is bound together. This imagery of clods sticking together serves as a reminder of God's creative power, as He not only forms the earth but also maintains its cohesion. It reflects the idea that God is the ultimate architect of the universe, who shapes and sustains all things.

stick together?
The concept of sticking together implies unity and coherence. In the biblical narrative, this can be seen as a reflection of God's desire for harmony and order in His creation. The Hebrew root "דָּבַק" (dābaq) means to cling or adhere, suggesting a deliberate act of binding. This imagery can inspire believers to trust in God's ability to hold all things together, both in the natural world and in their personal lives, reinforcing the theme of divine providence and care.

Verse 38. - When the dust groweth into hardness. 'Aphar (עָפַר) here, as often, means "earth," or "soil," rather than "dust." When by the heat of the sun's rays the ground grows into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together, baked into a compact mass, then is the time when rain is most needed, and when the Almighty in his mercy commonly sends it. The consideration of inanimate nature here ends, with the result that its mysteries altogether transcend the human intellect, and render speculation on the still deeper mysteries of the moral world wholly vain and futile.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
when the dust
עָ֭פָר (‘ā·p̄ār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6083: Dust, clay, earth, mud

hardens
בְּצֶ֣קֶת (bə·ṣe·qeṯ)
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3332: To pour out, to melt, cast as metal, to place firmly, to stiffen, grow hard

into a mass
לַמּוּצָ֑ק (lam·mū·ṣāq)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4165: Fusion, a casting, a mass

and the clods of earth
וּרְגָבִ֥ים (ū·rə·ḡā·ḇîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7263: A clod (of earth)

stick together?
יְדֻבָּֽקוּ׃ (yə·ḏub·bā·qū)
Verb - Pual - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1692: To impinge, cling, adhere, to catch by pursuit


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OT Poetry: Job 38:38 When the dust runs into a mass (Jb)
Job 38:37
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