Job 37:18 — Word Study
WLCתַּרְקִ֣יעַ עִ֭מּוֹ לִשְׁחָקִ֑ים חֲ֝זָקִ֗ים כִּרְאִ֥י מוּצָֽק׃
BSAcan you, like Himʻim [with His power and wisdom] spread outrâqaʻ▸ the skiesshachaq [the heavens, the atmosphere] as strongchâzâq as a mirrorrᵉʼîy△ [a polished surface, a looking glass] of bronzeyâtsaq [a strong, molten metal, as if poured out]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| תַּרְקִ֣יעַ | will you spread out? | Verb, Hiphil, imperfect second person masculine singular |
| עִ֭מּוֹ | with him | Preposition, suffix |
| לִשְׁחָקִ֑ים | clouds | Preposition, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| חֲ֝זָקִ֗ים | hard | Adj |
| כִּרְאִ֥י | like a mirror | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| מוּצָֽק׃ | molten | Verb, Hophal, participle (passive) masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | can you, like Him, spread out the skies to reflect the heat like a mirror of bronze? |
| KJV | Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass? |
| ASV | Canst thou with him spread out the sky, Which is strong as a molten mirror? |
| YLT | Thou hast made an expanse with Him For the clouds — strong as a hard mirror! |
| WEB | Can you, with him, spread out the sky, which is strong as a cast metal mirror? |
| BBE | Will you, with him, make the skies smooth, and strong as a polished looking-glass? |
Translations agree on the meaning of תַּרְקִ֣יעַ — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause is followed by two prepositional phrases and a noun phrase, creating a layered structure that emphasizes the comparison.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbרָקַע
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 6 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 37:18
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Job's Reflection on God's Powergenerated
Job 37:18 presents Job questioning whether any human can emulate God's ability to spread out the skies, illustrating the vastness of creation and the limitations of human understanding. This verse is part of a larger discourse where Job reflects on the nature of God and the awe-inspiring aspects of His creation, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 9:8–9 | He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. |
| 2 | Genesis 1:6–8 | And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters, to separate the waters from the waters.” |
| 3 | Psalm 104:2 | He wraps Himself in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent, |
| 4 | Psalm 148:4–6 | Praise Him, O highest heavens, and you waters above the skies. |
| 5 | Psalm 150:1 | Hallelujah! Praise God in His sanctuary. Praise Him in His mighty heavens. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תַּרְקִ֣יעַ, tar.Ki.a'generated
The verb רָקַע (raqa`) means to beat or pound, relating to the act of spreading out, particularly in the context of creating something expansive like the heavens. This Hiphil form suggests an active role in causing something to spread or be made wide.
In this verse, it emphasizes God's unique capability to shape the skies, a task beyond human ability. The use of this verb highlights the contrast between divine power and human limitations.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses spread out for תַּרְקִ֣יעַ.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb תַּרְקִ֣יעַ governs the sentence, with a series of phrases elaborating on the action. The structure emphasizes the question posed to the reader about God's unmatched ability.
The arrangement of the sentence places the verb first, drawing immediate attention to the action of spreading out, followed by the comparison to God, enhancing the rhetorical impact.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates תַּרְקִ֣יעַ as στερεώσεις, which conveys the idea of making firm or solid. This choice reflects a focus on the strength and permanence of God's creation.
The Greek term suggests a slightly different nuance, emphasizing stability rather than the act of spreading, which may indicate the translators' interpretative approach.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 37:18 asks if anyone can spread out the skies like God does, comparing this act to the reflective quality of a bronze mirror. The verse emphasizes God's unmatched power in creation.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job is referring to God's ability to create and shape the heavens, highlighting the vastness and majesty of creation.
The comparison to a bronze mirror emphasizes the reflective quality of the skies, suggesting clarity and brilliance in God's creation.
The question underscores human limitations in comparison to God's infinite power and creativity.
This verse is part of a larger discourse where Job reflects on the nature of God and the awe-inspiring aspects of His creation, emphasizing the contrast between divine and human capabilities.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I recognize God's power in the world around me?
- How can I appreciate the beauty of creation as a reflection of God's creativity?
- What limitations do I face in my understanding of God's ways?
- How can this verse inspire me to trust in God's sovereignty and wisdom?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentary on this verse includes reflections from Gregory the Dialogist, who discusses the creation of the heavens and their solidity.
Thou perchance madest with Him the heavens, which are most solid, as if cast in brass. By 'heavens,' those who are created in the heavens, the angelic spirits, can be designated.Early Church Fathers on Job 37 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 37:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHast thou with him spread out the sky?.... Wast thou concerned with him at the first spreading out of the sky? wast thou an assistant to him in it?
Read John Gill on Job 37 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass? Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass? With him - like as he does (Job 40:15).
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 37 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleWast thou his co-worker or assistant in spreading out the sky like a tent or canopy over the earth? or canst thou spread out such another sky? Then indeed thou mayst with some colour pretend to be privy to his counsels, and to judge of his works. Which is strong; which though it be very thin and transparent, yet is also firm, and compact, and stedfast, and of great force when it is pent up. As a molten looking-glass, made of brass or steel, as the manner then was.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 37 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 37:18 Hast thou with him spread out the sky, [which is] strong, [and] as a molten looking glass?Ver. 18. Hast thou with him spread out the sky] He had convinced Job of his ignorance, and now he will of his impotence and imbecility; and this by an irony; q.d. Tune ille gigas es? Art thou indeed that giant, or demi-god, that helped the Almighty when he spread the heavens, when he laid the foundation of the earth? &c. Age itaque si tantus vires, quantum te ostentas, &c., Go to, then, if thou be indeed such a one as thou wouldst seem to be, while thou takest upon thee to be, viz. to contend with God, and to complain of his hard dealing with thee. "Teach us what we shall say unto him," &c.…
Read John Trapp on Job 37 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(18) Spread out the sky.—Some understand this of the action of the sun in dispersing the clouds; but it seems more probable that it refers to God. “Hast thou spread out with Him the magnificent dome of heaven?” The words used, however, imply the clouds rather than the cloudless sky which resembles a burnished mirror; so that it is not improbable that the sun may be the subject here and in the following verses.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 37 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 18. Hast thou with him spread out the sky] Wert thou with him when he made the expanse; fitted the weight to the winds; proportioned the aqueous to the terrene surface of the globe; the solar attraction to the quantum of vapours necessary; to be stored up in the clouds, in order to be occasionally deposited in fertilizing showers upon the earth? and then dost thou know how gravity and elasticity should be such essential properties of atmospheric air, that without them and their due proportions, we should neither have animal nor vegetable life? Strong-as a molten looking-glass?] Like a molten mirror. The whole concave of heaven, in a clear day or brilliant night, being like a mass of…
Read AdamClarke on Job 37 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges18. The present tense is better in this verse, Canst thou with him spread out the skies, Strong, as a molten mirror? “With Him” may mean “along with Him,” or rather like Him. The comparison of the clear, dry, burnished summer skies of the East to “brass” is made in other parts of Scripture. The Eastern mirrors were plates of metal, Exodus 38:8.
Read Cambridge on Job 37 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHast thou with him spread out the sky? - That is, wert thou employed with God in performing that vast work, that thou canst explain how it was done?
Read Albert Barnes on Job 37 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
can you, like Him, spread out the skies to reflect the heat like a mirror of bronze?
Can you, with him, spread out the sky, which is strong as a cast metal mirror?
can you, like Him, spread out the skies, as strong as a mirror of bronze?
will you, with him, spread out the clouds, solid as a mirror of molten metal?
Tyndale line
Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?
Canst thou with him spread out the sky, Which is strong as a molten mirror?
Canst thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong as a molten mirror?
Hast thou with him spread out the sky which is strong, and as a molten looking-glass?
Hast thou stretched out the heaues, which are strong, and as a molten glasse?
Strictly literal
Hast thou with him spread out the sky, firm, like a molten mirror?
Thou hast made an expanse with Him For the clouds — strong as a hard mirror!
You have made an expanse with Him || For the clouds—strong as a hard mirror!
Hast thou with him spread out the skies, which are strong even as a molten mirror?
Can you spread out the sky as he can— the sky, which is as strong as a mirror of cast metal?
From the Latin
Thou perhaps hast made the heavens with him, which are most strong, as if they were of molten brass.
Simplified
Can you hammer out the sky so it becomes like a molten mirror, as he does?
Will you, with him, make the skies smooth, and strong as a polished looking-glass?
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely in wording, with all six words matched. This consistency indicates a shared understanding of the verse's meaning across these traditions.
תַּרְקִ֣יעַ עִ֭מּוֹ לִשְׁחָקִ֑ים חֲ֝זָקִ֗ים כִּרְאִ֥י מוּצָֽק׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 37:18
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
רָקַע (raqa`) is a Hebrew verb meaning to beat, stamp, or spread out. It encompasses actions like pounding the earth, overlaying materials, and stretching or expanding surfaces. The word appears in various forms, including Qal, Piel, Pual, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of beating and spreading. Notably, the Hiphil form relates to making a spreading of clouds.
[רָקַע] vb. beat, stamp, beat out, spread out
Qal I will stamp them down
Pi. a goldsmith with gold overlayeth it
Pu. silver beaten out.
Hiph. canst thou make with (= like) him a spreading for clouds
base
H7554 [רָקַע] beat, stamp, beat out, spread out
7554 raqa` raw-kah'
a primitive root; to pound the earth (as a sign of passion);
by analogy to expand (by hammering); by implication, to
overlay (with thin sheets of metal):--beat, make broad,
spread abroad (forth, over, out, into plates), stamp, stretch.
רָקַע (ra.qa) — to beat.
1) to beat, stamp, beat out, spread out, stretch
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to stamp, beat out
1a2) one who beats out (participle)
1b) (Piel) to overlay, beat out (for plating)
1c) (Pual) beaten out (participle)
1d) (Hiphil) to make a spreading (of clouds)
V-Hiphil-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect second person masculine singularHVhi2ms
עִם (im) is a preposition meaning 'with' and covers a range of relationships, including companionship, locality, and possession. It can imply actions done jointly, equality, or even opposition in contexts like combat. The related form מֵעִם (me.im) means 'from with' or 'beside.' The entries reflect various nuances but do not present significant disagreement.
עִם prep. with
of fellowship and companionship
of aid
Of actions done jointly with another
If the common action be of the nature of a contest or combat, with in the sense of against
Of dealing with a person, or of the relation in which one stands with, or towards, another
Of a common lot together with the wicked
Of equality or resemblance generally aid
Of time, as long as
Of a locality, close to, beside
Of persons, עִם is spec.
in the house or family or service of
In possession of
In the custody or care of
Beside = except
With = friendly with
Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one
Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding
base
מֵעִם 72 from with or beside
base
H5973a עִם with . of fellowship and companionship
. Of a locality, close to, beside
. Of persons, עִם is spec. . in the house or family or service of
. In possession of
. In the custody or care of
. Beside = except
. With = friendly with
. Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one
. Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding
H5973b מֵעִם from with, beside
5973 `im eem
from 6004; adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction
with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with;
often with prepositional prefix (and then usually
unrepresented in English):--accompanying, against, and, as (X
long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from
(among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-)to,
with(-al).
see HEBREW for 06004
עִם (im) — with.
1) with
1a) with
1b) against
1c) toward
1d) as long as
מֵעִם (me.im) — from with.
1a) beside, except
1b) in spite of
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3ms
שַׁ֫חַק (shachaq) refers to fine dust or a thin cloud. It is derived from a root meaning to beat small, and its range includes both physical dust and vaporous clouds, extending to concepts of the firmament or sky. The entries consistently emphasize its qualities of fineness and thinness.
שַׁ֫חַק n.m. dust, cloud (as fine, thin)
base
H7834 שַׁ֫חַק dust, cloud (as fine, thin)
7834 shachaq shakh'-ak
from 7833; a powder (as beaten small): by analogy, a thin
vapor; by extension, the firmament:--cloud, small dust,
heaven, sky.
see HEBREW for 07833
שַׁ֫חַק (sha.chaq) — cloud.
1) dust, cloud
1a) fine dust
1b) (thin) cloud
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absoluteHR/Ncmpa
In the summer season of Palestine, were an unlooked-for phenomenon, 1Sa 12:17,18, and rising from off the Mediterranean, betokened rain, 1Ki 18:44 Lu 12:54. Clouds are the symbol of armies and multitudes, probably by their grand and majestic movements, Isa 60:8 Jer 4:13 Heb 12:1. They betokened the presence of Jehovah, as on mount Sinai,
Ex 19:9 24:12-18; in the temple, Ex 40:34 1Ki 8:10; in the cloudy…
חָזָק (chazaq) means strong, stout, or mighty, often with a connotation of severity or hardness. It can also refer to a strong person as a noun. The word is built from a root that suggests strength in various contexts, including boldness and violence.
חָזָק adj. strong, stout, mighty
strong
as subst., a strong one
base
H2389 חָזָק strong, stout, mighty . strong
. as subst., a strong one
2389 chazaq khaw-zawk'
from 2388; strong (usu. in a bad sense, hard, bold,
violent):--harder, hottest, + impudent, loud, mighty, sore,
stiff(-hearted), strong(-er).
see HEBREW for 02388
חָזָק (cha.zaq) — strong.
1) strong, stout, mighty
1a) strong
1a1) severe, sharp, hot
1a2) firm, hard
1b) a strong one (subst)
Adj — AdjHAampa
רְאִי (r'iy) means 'mirror' and is derived from the root word for 'to see.' It specifically refers to a looking glass, as noted in Job 37:18. The entries consistently define it as a mirror without any significant disagreement among lexicons.
רְאִי n.m. mirror;—Jb 37:18
ref
H7209 רְאִי
7209 r'iy reh-ee'
from 7200; a mirror (as seen):--looking glass.
see HEBREW for 07200
רְאִי (re.i) — mirror.
mirror
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
mir'er.
See LOOKING-GLASS.
(Exodus 38:8; Job 37:18) The Hebrew women on coming out of Egypt probably brought with them mirrors like those which were used by the Egyptians, and were made of a mixed metal, chiefly copper, wrought with admirable skill, and susceptible of a bright lustre. (1 Chronicles 13:12)
See LOOKING GLASS.
The Hebrew word יָצַק (*yatsaq*) means to pour, cast, or flow. It is a primitive root that encompasses actions like pouring out, melting, and establishing something firmly. The entries detail its uses in different forms, including Qal, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating various aspects of pouring and casting, as well as being firmly established.
יָצַק vb. pour, cast, flow
Qal
pour, pour out
cast (objects of metal)
Pt.pass. as adj. fig. cast, hard, of crocodile’s scales
intrans. flow, pour
Hiph. pour (oil)
Hoph.
be poured
Pt. = cast, molten
Pt., fig. firmly established
base
H3332 יָצַק pour, cast, flow
3332 yatsaq yaw-tsak'
a primitive root; properly, to pour out (transitive or
intransitive); by implication, to melt or cast as metal; by
extension, to place firmly, to stiffen or grow hard:--cast,
cleave fast, be (as) firm, grow, be hard, lay out, molten,
overflow, pour (out), run out, set down, stedfast.
יָצַק (ya.tsaq) — to pour: pour.
: pour
1) to pour, flow, cast, pour out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to pour, pour out
1a2) to cast
1a3) to flow
1b) (Hiphil) to pour, pour out
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be poured
1c2) cast, molten (participle)
1c3) being firmly established (participle)
יָצַק (ya.tsaq) — to pour: cast metal.
: cast_metal
1) to pour, flow, cast, pour out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to pour, pour out
1a2) to cast
1a3) to flow
1b) (Hiphil) to pour, pour out
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be poured
1c2) cast, molten (participle)
1c3) being firmly established (participle)
יָצַק (ya.tsaq) — to pour: set down.
: set_down
1) to pour, flow, cast, pour out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to pour, pour out
1a2) to cast
1a3) to flow
1b) (Hiphil) to pour, pour out
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be poured
1c2) cast, molten (participle)
1c3) being firmly established (participle)
יָצַק (ya.tsaq) — to pour: firm.
: firm
1) to pour, flow, cast, pour out
1a) (Qal)
V-Hophal-Inf-c — Verb · Hophal · participle (passive) masculine singularHVHsmsa