when He set a boundary for the sea, so that the waters would not surpass His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth.
Parallel translations
- WEB when he gave to the sea its boundary, that the waters should not violate his commandment, when he marked out the foundations of the earth;
- KJV When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
- NKJV When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth,
- NASB When He set a boundary for the sea So that the water would not violate His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth;
- NLT I was there when he set the limits of the seas, so they would not spread beyond their boundaries. And when he marked off the earth’s foundations,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Wisdom was present when God set the sea's boundary and laid the earth's foundations. The ordering and restraining of creation took place with wisdom.
Overview
God's command that the sea not overstep its bounds displays his sovereign ordering of creation, and wisdom was present for it (cf. Job 38:8-11). The marking out of the earth's foundations shows the careful, deliberate craftsmanship of God. This wise governance of creation continues to point to Christ, in whom 'all things hold together' (Colossians 1:17).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Ps 104:9You set a boundary they cannot cross, that they may never again cover the earth.
- Jer 5:22Do you not fear Me?” declares the LORD. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot cross it.
- Gen 1:9–10And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear.” And it was so.
- Ps 33:7He piles up the waters of the sea; He puts the depths into storehouses.
- Job 38:4–11Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.
- Ps 104:5He set the earth on its foundations, never to be moved.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 8:29 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.