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Job 38 · a question people ask

Who are "the sons of God" in 38:7?

In the text

The chapter says only that when the earth's foundations were laid and its cornerstone set, "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (38:7). The book has spoken of them before: "God’s sons came to present themselves before the LORD" (1:6), and again in 2:1. The WEB words the two differently, but in Hebrew they are the same two words, bene elohim, with the before God in 1:6 and 2:1 and not in 38:7. The book doesn't say more about who they are, or whether the morning stars and the sons of God are the same. These notes add nothing to it.

The verses

““Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding. Who determined its measures, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it? What were its foundations fastened on? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”
Job 38:4-7 · World English Bible
“Now on the day when God’s sons came to present themselves before the LORD, Satan also came among them.”
Job 1:6 · World English Bible
“Again, on the day when God’s sons came to present themselves before the LORD, Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.”
Job 2:1 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Job 38

Job 38: Where were you?

When the LORD at last answers Job out of the whirlwind, he doesn't tell him why he suffered. He asks him questions, from "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?" (38:4) to "Who provides for the raven his prey" (38:41). And his "you answer me" (38:3) is in Hebrew a form of know, not of answer.

In Favor, questions like this come up right where they arise as you read, with the Hebrew and Greek behind the words and how the chapter leads to Jesus.

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions