Job 26:7

Job 26:7

He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.

a. NLT: God stretches the northern sky over empty space
and hangs the earth on nothing.

b. NIV: He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.

c. YLT: Stretching out the north over desolation, Hanging the earth upon nothing,

d. Amplified Bible:  He it is Who spreads out the northern skies over emptiness and hangs the earth upon or over nothing.

e. Septuagint: He stretches out the north wind upon nothing, and he upon nothing hangs the earth;

f. Stone Edition Torah: He spreads the north over a void; He suspends the earth upon nothingness.

1. “He stretcheth out the north over the empty place…”

a. stretcheth [5186 * natah] [Strong: a primitive root; to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application (as follows):--+ afternoon, apply, bow (down, - ing), carry aside, decline, deliver, extend, go down, be gone, incline, intend, lay, let down, offer, outstretched, overthrown, pervert, pitch, prolong, put away, shew, spread (out), stretch (forth, out), take (aside), turn (aside, away), wrest, cause to yield.]

b. north [6828 * tsaphown] [Strong: from 6845; properly, hidden, i.e. dark; used only of the north as a quarter (gloomy and unknown):--north(-ern, side, -ward, wind).]

c. over the empty place [8414 * tohuw] [Strong: from an unused root meaning to lie waste; a desolation (of surface), i.e. desert; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vain:--confusion, empty place, without form, nothing, (thing of) nought, vain, vanity, waste, wilderness.]

2.  “…and hangeth the earth upon nothing.”

a. hangeth [8518 * talah][Strong: to suspend (especially to gibbet):--hang (up).]

b. the earth [776 * ‘erets] [Strong: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth, field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.]

c. upon nothing [1099 * bliymah] [Strong: from 1097 and 4100; (as indef.) nothing whatever:--nothing.]

1). If you have access to a photograph of the earth taken from the moon or from out in space, it would appear that the earth is just hanging there. But the only reason we have this perspective is because of recent advances in technology and travel and as a result we can see that the earth appears to be hanging upon nothing. Job is speaking here of the creative act of God and he says, “He (God), hangeth the earth upon nothing.” How did Job know this? Divine instruction! It is the only explanation. There are more than a few of these things in the book of Job and the explanation for all of them is the divine inspiration of the Scriptures.

2). In respect to the earth and all the planets in our solar system, they are not just hanging there even though it appears they are. As the planets are moving around the sun, the sun’s gravitational pull is attempting to pull them in, but at the same time the inertia of the planet is forcing it to move out causing a balanced equilibrium resulting in an orbit. These orbits are ordinances that God has created.

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.

3). God spoke the heavens into existence and spoke into existence the rules by which they operate.

a). Psalm 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

4). And He upholds them all by the word of his power.

a). Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

b). 2 Peter 3:5-7  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.