Job 38:32

Job 38:32

Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?

a. NLT: Can you direct the sequence of the seasons or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens? [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. NIV: Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

c. YLT: Dost thou bring out Mazzaroth in its season? And Aysh for her sons dost thou comfort? [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Amplified Bible Classic:  Can you lead forth the signs of the zodiac in their season? Or can you guide [the stars of] the Bear with her young? [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Septuagint: Or wilt thou reveal Mazuroth in his season, and the evening star with his rays? Wilt tho guide them?

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: Did you ever take out the constellations in their times, or lead Ursa together with her children?  [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ltd.]

1. “Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season?”

a. [Canst thou] bring forth [Strong: 3318 yatsa' yaw-tsaw' a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.:--X after, appear, X assuredly, bear out, X begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), + be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, X scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, X still, X surely, take forth (out), at any time, X to (and fro), utter.

b. Mazzaroth [Strong: 4216 mazzarah maz-zaw-raw' apparently from 5144 in the sense of distinction; some noted constellation (only in the plural), perhaps collectively, the zodiac:--Mazzoroth.] [Gesenius: Mazzaroth, the 12 signs of the Zodiac and their 36 associated constellations.]

c. [in his] season [Strong: 6256 `eth ayth from 5703; time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.:--+ after, (al-)ways, X certain, + continually, + evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-, noon-)tide, ((meal-)), what) time, when.] [Gesenius: time, time (of an event), time (usual), experiences, fortunes, occurrence, occasion.]

1). When the LORD is asking Job if he can “bring forth Mazzaroth in his season”, it is of course a rhetorical question demonstrating the omnipotence of God as compared to man. This rhetorical question does however contain scientific truth. The Constellations proceed across the heavens almost in the same order every year (Note: the slight wobble of the earth’s axis produces a gradual change in the path across the night sky from year to year, but only from the view from the earth). God has set all the stars and galaxies in exact particular orbits across the universe.

 

a). Jeremiah 31:35 Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:

b). ordinances [Strong: 2708 2708 chuqqah khook-kaw' feminine of 2706, and meaning substantially the same:--appointed, custom, manner, ordinance, site, statute.] [Gesenius: statute, ordinance, limit, enactment, something prescribed.]

2). As demonstrated in Job 38:31, Job’s contemporaries knew where the constellations were in relation to the night sky as to when the seasons began. In Job 38:32 this is what God is asking Job. Can you cause the constellations to proceed across the evening sky to determine the seasons of the year? 

3). Henry M. Morris, Many Infallible Proofs: Perhaps the most important Biblical reference to this subject is Job 38:32, “Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?” The fact that these words were spoken to Job directly by God, in the context where they are contained, strongly implies that the “bringing forth of Mazzaroth” each season was something that had been designed and established by none other than God Himself. The significant fact is that the word Mazzeroth means the twelve signs of the Zodiac and their associated constellations. All scholars and commentaries are in agreement on this. Thus, there is good reason to believe that the various star groupings and their symbolic counterparts were originally used and perhaps even designed, for the purpose of conveying a continuing message to people of all places and times, that message consisting essentially of God’s plans and promises concerning man’s redemption. 

4). Also in the light of the original meaning of the signs of the Zodiac, how that each sign represents a different stage in the fulfillment of the plan of redemption, could He is also be asking Job if he could bring to pass each “season” of the plan of salvation, planned before the creation of the earth, 1 Peter 1:18-20.

5). When the LORD is asking Job if he can “bring forth Mazzaroth in his season”, it is of course a rhetorical question demonstrating the omnipotence of God as compared to man.

He is asking Job this question, Can you make the constellations proceed across the heavens in the same path every year, cause them to appear in the exact spot you want them to according to your direction? Can you do that? How many smarts would it take to do that?

a). Romans 11:33, 34  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable [are] his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

 2. “…or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?”

a. [or canst thou] guide [Strong: 5148 nachah naw-khaw' a primitive root; to guide; by implication, to transport (into exile, or as colonists):--bestow, bring, govern, guide, lead (forth), put, straiten.] 

b. Arcturus [Strong: 5906 `Ayish ah'-yish or mAsh {awsh}; from 5789; the constellation of the Great Bear (perhaps from its migration through the heavens):-- Arcturus.] 

c. [with his] sons [Strong: 1121 ben bane from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, + spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.]

1). Again this a continuance of the first rhetorical question and is speaking of the procession of the signs of the Zodiac across the heavens in relation to the seasons of the year. I personally believe it is more than just in relation to the seasons of the year. Each sign represents a different aspect or “season” of the plan of redemption. I believe God is also asking Job rhetorically of course, if he (Job) could bring forth the individual “seasons” of the plan of redemption. Hence not only the constellation Virgo on a yearly season but the season of the birth of the Messiah from a virgin.