The Meaning of Job 38:11 Explained

Job 38:11

KJV: And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

YLT: And say, 'Hitherto come thou, and add not, And a command is placed On the pride of thy billows.'

Darby: And said, Hitherto shalt thou come and no further, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

ASV: And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; And here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And said,  Hitherto  shalt thou come,  but no further:  and here shall thy proud  waves  be stayed? 

What does Job 38:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 38:1-18 - Divine Power And Human Ignorance
When the storm had ceased and the thunder was hushed, a voice spoke out of the golden splendor of the sky. See Job 37:21-22. Job had challenged God to answer him and now he is taken at his word. We recall Horeb's ancient cave, where, after wind and earthquake, there came a sound of gentle stillness. "Arise," said the Eternal to Job, "and gird thyself," Job 38:3. In after years, under similar circumstances, the Spirit entered Ezekiel to strengthen him. Surely some such strengthening was forthwith given the patriarch!
A sublime series of questions is now addressed to him, not by a God of judgment and wrath, but by a Father arguing and pleading with His child and pointing out two things: first, the inability of mortal man to understand the ways of God; and second, the minuteness and tenderness of God's providence. Job had thought of Him as remote, but He is near and is ordering all things wisely and lovingly. Can He forget His child? [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 38

1  God challenges Job to answer
4  God, by his mighty works, convinces Job of ignorance
31  and weakness

What do the individual words in Job 38:11 mean?

and when I said even to this far you may come but no farther and here must stop proud your waves
וָאֹמַ֗ר עַד־ פֹּ֣ה תָ֭בוֹא וְלֹ֣א תֹסִ֑יף וּפֹ֥א־ ؟ יָ֝שִׁ֗ית בִּגְא֥וֹן גַּלֶּֽיךָ

וָאֹמַ֗ר  and  when  I  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
עַד־  even  to 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
פֹּ֣ה  this  far 
Parse: Adverb
Root: פֹּה  
Sense: here, from here, hither.
תָ֭בוֹא  you  may  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וְלֹ֣א  but  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תֹסִ֑יף  farther 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָסַף 
Sense: to add, increase, do again.
וּפֹ֥א־  and  here 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: פֹּה  
Sense: here, from here, hither.
؟ יָ֝שִׁ֗ית  must  stop 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שִׁית  
Sense: to put, set.
בִּגְא֥וֹן  proud 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: גָּאֹון  
Sense: exaltation, majesty, pride.
גַּלֶּֽיךָ  your  waves 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: גַּל 
Sense: heap, spring, wave, billow.