Job 38 in the early church
126 passages quote, allude to, or echo Job 38, grouped by verse; passages on the same verse are in date order. Verse text from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain). References use the Protestant English Bible's numbering, with a writer's own numbering in brackets where it differs.
Verses: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 · 18 · 22 · 28 · 29 · 31 · 32 · 36 · 37 · 39 · 40 · 41
Job 38:1
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
Job 38:2
“Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge?
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:2 | Fragment on Job, no. 15 · Methodius of Olympus | quotation, high confidence | late 3rd cent. (disputed) |
| Job 38:2–4 | Apologetic Book 22.3 · Orosius | quotation, high confidence | ca. 415–416 |
Job 38:3
Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:3 | Fragments on Job, column 97 · Origen | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Job 38:3 | Fragment on Job, no. 16 · Methodius of Olympus | quotation, high confidence | late 3rd cent. (disputed) |
| Job 38:3 | Oration 45.15 · Gregory of Nazianzus | quotation, high confidence | ca. 362–383 |
| Job 38:3 | Letter 22.11 · Jerome | quotation, high confidence | ca. 370–419 |
| Job 38:3 | Theological Oration 1 (Or. 27), Against the Eunomians 8 · Gregory of Nazianzus | quotation, high confidence | 380 |
| Job 38:3 | Hexameron (Exameron) 5.81 · Ambrose | quotation, high confidence | ca. 387-390 |
| Job 38:3–4 | Tractates 2 · Gaudentius of Brescia | quotation, high confidence | ca. 397-410 |
| Job 38:3 | Commentary on Jeremiah 1.9 · Jerome | allusion, high confidence | ca. 414-419 |
Job 38:4
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:4 | Fragment on Job, no. 17 · Methodius of Olympus | allusion, high confidence | late 3rd cent. (disputed) |
| Job 38:4–5 | Demonstration of the Gospel 5.20.1 · Eusebius of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | ca. 314–324 |
| Job 38:4–6 | Hexameron (Exameron) 1.22 · Ambrose | quotation, high confidence | ca. 387-390 |
Job 38:5
Who fixed its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched a measuring line across it?
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:5 | Fragment on Job, no. 18 · Methodius of Olympus | quotation, high confidence | late 3rd cent. (disputed) |
Job 38:6
On what were its foundations set, or who laid its cornerstone,
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:6 | Fragment on Job, no. 19 · Methodius of Olympus | quotation, high confidence | late 3rd cent. (disputed) |
| Job 38:6 | Hexaemeron 1.9 · Basil of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | ca. 370 |
| Job 38:6 | Theological Oration 2 (Or. 28), On the Doctrine of God 26 · Gregory of Nazianzus | allusion, medium confidence | 380 |
Job 38:7
while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:7 | Commentary on Matthew 15.27 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 246–248 |
| Job 38:7–8 | Demonstration of the Gospel 5.20.1 · Eusebius of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | ca. 314–324 |
| Job 38:7 | Homilies on Matthew 76.2 · John Chrysostom | quotation, high confidence | ca. 390 |
| Job 38:7 | City of God 11.9 · Augustine of Hippo | quotation, high confidence | 413–426 |
| Job 38:7 | The Conferences 8.7 · John Cassian | quotation, high confidence | ca. 426–429 |
Job 38:8
Who enclosed the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb,
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:8–11 | Against Heresies 2.35.3 · Irenaeus of Lyons | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 180–190 |
| Job 38:8–11 | Tricennial Oration (In Praise of Constantine) 1.4 · Eusebius of Caesarea | echo, medium confidence | 335–336 |
| Job 38:8 | Tractates on the Psalms 68.5 · Hilary of Poitiers | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Job 38:8–11 | Titus of Bostra, Against the Manichees 2.63 · Titus of Bostra | echo, low confidence | ca. 360s |
| Job 38:8–11 | Apostolic Constitutions 8.12.4 · Anonymous | allusion, high confidence | ca. 380 |
| Job 38:8–11 | Hexameron (Exameron) 1.22 · Ambrose | quotation, high confidence | ca. 387-390 |
| Job 38:8 | Hexameron (Exameron) 3.13 · Ambrose | quotation, high confidence | ca. 387-390 |
| Job 38:8–11 | Book 1, lines 43–67 · Sedulius | echo, medium confidence | ca. 425-450 |
| Job 38:8–11 | Book 1, section 2 · Sedulius | echo, medium confidence | ca. 425-450 |
| Job 38:8 | Retractations 2.7 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | 426-427 |
Job 38:10
when I fixed its boundaries and set in place its bars and doors,
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:10 | Panarion (Adversus Haereses), Haer. 1-64 30.26.3 · Epiphanius of Salamis | allusion, high confidence | 374-377 |
| Job 38:10–11 | Apostolic Constitutions 8.46.2 · Anonymous | quotation, high confidence | ca. 380 |
| Job 38:10 | Theological Oration 2 (Or. 28), On the Doctrine of God 27 · Gregory of Nazianzus | allusion, high confidence | 380 |
| Job 38:10–11 | Hexameron (Exameron) 3.10 · Ambrose | quotation, high confidence | ca. 387-390 |
| Job 38:10–11 | Confessions 13.20 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | ca. 397–401 |
Job 38:11
and I declared: ‘You may come this far, but no farther; here your proud waves must stop’?
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:11 | 1 Clement 20.7 · Clement of Rome | quotation, high confidence | ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) |
| Job 38:11 | Prayer 2 4 · Anonymous | quotation, high confidence | uncertain |
| Job 38:11 | On Free Will 2.3 · Methodius of Olympus | echo, low confidence | late 3rd cent. (disputed) |
| Job 38:11 | Recognitions 9.15 · Anonymous | allusion, medium confidence | Greek original 3rd–4th century; Rufinus's Latin translation before 407 |
| Job 38:11 | Life of Constantine 2.58.1 · Eusebius of Caesarea | echo, low confidence | ca. 337–339 |
| Job 38:11 | Catechetical Lecture 9.8 · Cyril of Jerusalem | quotation, high confidence | ca. 350 |
| Job 38:11 | Oration 4.11 · Gregory of Nazianzus | quotation, high confidence | ca. 362–383 |
| Job 38:11 | Panarion (Adversus Haereses), Haer. 1-64 30.26.3 · Epiphanius of Salamis | quotation, high confidence | 374-377 |
| Job 38:11 | Apostolic Constitutions 7.34.3 · Anonymous | quotation, high confidence | ca. 380 |
| Job 38:11 | Confessions 4.15 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 397–401 |
| Job 38:11 | Poem on Genesis 31–60 · Hilary of Arles | echo, low confidence | ca. 440-449 |
Job 38:12
In your days, have you commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place,
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:12 | Demonstration of the Gospel 5.20.2 · Eusebius of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | ca. 314–324 |
Job 38:14
The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its hills stand out like the folds of a garment.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:14 | Symposium 2.2 · Methodius of Olympus | quotation, high confidence | late 3rd century |
| Job 38:14 | Prophetic Extracts 3.8 · Eusebius of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | before 325 (probably ca. 310–320) |
| Job 38:14–17 | Demonstration of the Gospel 5.20.3 · Eusebius of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | ca. 314–324 |
Job 38:15
Light is withheld from the wicked, and their upraised arm is broken.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:15 | Prophetic Extracts 3.8 · Eusebius of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | before 325 (probably ca. 310–320) |
| Job 38:15 | Letters 2 · Capreolus of Carthage | quotation, high confidence | 431-433 |
Job 38:16
Have you journeyed to the vents of the sea or walked in the trenches of the deep?
Job 38:17
Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?
Job 38:18
Have you surveyed the extent of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:18 | Letters 2 · Capreolus of Carthage | quotation, high confidence | 431-433 |
Job 38:22
Have you entered the storehouses of snow or observed the storehouses of hail,
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:22 | To Autolycus 1.6 · Theophilus of Antioch | allusion, high confidence | ca. 180–185 |
| Job 38:22 | Against Heresies 2.28.2 · Irenaeus of Lyons | allusion, high confidence | ca. 180–190 |
| Job 38:22 | Theological Oration 2 (Or. 28), On the Doctrine of God 28 · Gregory of Nazianzus | quotation, high confidence | 380 |
Job 38:28
Does the rain have a father? Who has begotten the drops of dew?
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:28 | Letter to Paulinus of Tyre 7 · Eusebius of Nicomedia | quotation, high confidence | ca. 320–323 |
| Job 38:28 | Catechetical Lecture 9.7 · Cyril of Jerusalem | quotation, high confidence | ca. 350 |
| Job 38:28 | Letter to Marius Victorinus 2 · Candidus the Arian | quotation, high confidence | ca. 355–360 |
| Job 38:28 | Against Eunomius 2.23 · Basil of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | ca. 364 |
| Job 38:28 | Ancoratus 71.3 · Epiphanius of Salamis | quotation, high confidence | 374 |
| Job 38:28 | Theological Oration 2 (Or. 28), On the Doctrine of God 28 · Gregory of Nazianzus | quotation, high confidence | 380 |
Job 38:29
From whose womb does the ice emerge? Who gives birth to the frost from heaven,
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:29 | Catechetical Lecture 9.7 · Cyril of Jerusalem | quotation, high confidence | ca. 350 |
| Job 38:29 | Theological Oration 2 (Or. 28), On the Doctrine of God 28 · Gregory of Nazianzus | quotation, high confidence | 380 |
Job 38:31
Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion?
Job 38:32
Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear and her cubs?
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:32 | On the Trinity 12.53 · Hilary of Poitiers | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 356–360 |
| Job 38:32 | Instructions 2.3 · Eucherius of Lyon | allusion, high confidence | ca. 428-434 |
Job 38:36
Who has put wisdom in the heart or given understanding to the mind?
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:36 | Homilies on Numbers 18.3 · Origen | quotation, medium confidence | ca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410) |
| Job 38:36 | On the Christian Faith 2.0 · Ambrose | quotation, medium confidence | ca. 378–380 |
| Job 38:36 | Theological Oration 2 (Or. 28), On the Doctrine of God 24 · Gregory of Nazianzus | quotation, high confidence | 380 |
| Job 38:36 | Book of Heresies 117.2 · Philastrius of Brescia | quotation, medium confidence | ca. 380s |
| Job 38:36 | Hexameron (Exameron) 1.22 · Ambrose | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 387-390 |
| Job 38:36 | Hexameron (Exameron) 5.25 · Ambrose | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 387-390 |
| Job 38:36 | Formulae of Spiritual Understanding 4 · Eucherius of Lyon | quotation, high confidence | ca. 420-430 |
Job 38:37
Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Or who can tilt the water jars of the heavens
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:37 | Catechetical Lecture 9.7 · Cyril of Jerusalem | quotation, high confidence | ca. 350 |
Job 38:39
Can you hunt the prey for a lioness or satisfy the hunger of young lions
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:39 | Eleven Tractates 1.11 · Priscillian | allusion, low confidence | ca. 380–385 |
Job 38:40
when they crouch in their dens and lie in wait in the thicket?
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:40 | Eleven Tractates 1.11 · Priscillian | allusion, low confidence | ca. 380–385 |
Job 38:41
Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God as they wander about for lack of food?
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 38:41 | Fragments on the Song of Songs, chapter 4 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Job 38:41 | Demonstration 13.9 · Aphrahat | allusion, medium confidence | 337-345 |
| Job 38:41 | Panarion (Adversus Haereses), Haer. 1-64 42.12.3 · Epiphanius of Salamis | quotation, high confidence | 374-377 |
| Job 38:41 | Hexameron (Exameron) 5.25 · Ambrose | allusion, high confidence | ca. 387-390 |