Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 16th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Job 15:7

"Do you think you were the first person ever to be born? Were you born before the hills?

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Eliphaz;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Greatness of God;   Hypocrisy;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Hill;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Were you the first human ever born,or were you brought forth before the hills?
Hebrew Names Version
"Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought forth before the hills?
King James Version
Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?
English Standard Version
"Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought forth before the hills?
New Century Version
"You are not the first man ever born; you are not older than the hills.
New English Translation
"Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills?
Amplified Bible
"Were you the first man to be born [the original wise man], Or were you created before the hills?
New American Standard Bible
"Were you the first person to be born, Or were you brought forth before the hills?
World English Bible
"Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought forth before the hills?
Geneva Bible (1587)
Art thou the first man, that was borne? and wast thou made before the hils?
Legacy Standard Bible
"Were you the first man to be born,Or were you brought forth before the hills?
Berean Standard Bible
Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills?
Contemporary English Version
Were you the first human? Are you older than the hills?
Complete Jewish Bible
"Were you the firstborn of the human race, brought forth before the hills?
Darby Translation
Art thou the first man that was born? and wast thou brought forth before the hills?
George Lamsa Translation
Are you the first man that was born? Or were you conceived before the hills?
Good News Translation
Do you think you were the first person born? Were you there when God made the mountains?
Lexham English Bible
"Were you born the firstborn of the human race? And were you brought forth before the hills?
Literal Translation
Were you the first man born? Or were you made before the hills?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Art thou the first man, that euer was borne? Or, wast thou made before the hylles?
American Standard Version
Art thou the first man that was born? Or wast thou brought forth before the hills?
Bible in Basic English
Were you the first man to come into the world? or did you come into being before the hills?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Art thou the first man that was born? Or wast thou brought forth before the hills?
King James Version (1611)
Art thou the first man that was borne? or wast thou made before the hilles?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Art thou the first man that euer was borne? or wast thou made before the hils?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
What! art thou the first man that was born? or wert thou established before the hills?
English Revised Version
Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou brought forth before the hills?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whether thou art borun the firste man, and art formed bifor alle little hillis?
Update Bible Version
Are you the first of man that was born? Or were you brought forth before the hills?
Webster's Bible Translation
[Art] thou the first man [that] was born? or wast thou made before the hills?
New King James Version
"Are you the first man who was born? Or were you made before the hills?
New Living Translation
"Were you the first person ever born? Were you born before the hills were made?
New Life Bible
"Were you the first man to be born? Or were you made before the hills?
New Revised Standard
"Are you the firstborn of the human race? Were you brought forth before the hills?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The first of mankind, wast thou born? Or, before the hills, wast thou brought forth?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Art thou the first man that was born, or wast thou made before the hills?
Revised Standard Version
"Are you the first man that was born? Or were you brought forth before the hills?
Young's Literal Translation
The first man art thou born? And before the heights wast thou formed?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Were you the first man to be born, Or were you brought forth before the hills?

Contextual Overview

1 Then Eliphaz from Teman answered Job: 2 "If you were really wise, you would not answer with your worthless personal opinions! A wise man would not be so full of hot air. 3 Do you think a wise man would use empty words and meaningless speeches to win his arguments? 4 If you had your way, no one would respect God and pray to him. 5 What you say clearly shows your sin. Job, you are trying to hide your sin by using clever words. 6 I don't need to prove to you that you are wrong. The words from your own mouth show that you are wrong. Your own lips speak against you. 7 "Do you think you were the first person ever to be born? Were you born before the hills? 8 Did you listen to God's secret plans? Do you think you are the only wise person? 9 We know as much as you do! We understand as well as you. 10 The old, gray-haired men agree with us. People older than your father are on our side.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the first: Job 15:10, Job 12:12, Genesis 4:1

or wast thou: Job 38:4-41, Psalms 90:2, Proverbs 8:22-25

Reciprocal: Job 32:6 - durst not Job 38:12 - since Job 38:21 - General Proverbs 8:25 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 12:1
The Lord said to Abram, "Leave your country and your people. Leave your father's family and go to the country that I will show you.
Genesis 12:7
The Lord appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your descendants." Abram built an altar to honor the Lord who appeared to him there.
Genesis 15:2
But Abram said, "Lord God , there is nothing you can give me that will make me happy, because I have no son. My slave Eliezer from Damascus will get everything I own after I die."
Genesis 15:4
Then the Lord spoke to Abram and said, "That slave will not be the one to get what you have. You will have a son who will get everything you own."
Genesis 15:7
He said to Abram, "I am the Lord who led you from Ur of Babylonia. I did this so that I could give you this land. You will own this land."
Genesis 15:8
But Abram said, "Lord God , how can I be sure that I will get this land?"
Genesis 15:15
"You yourself will live to be very old. You will die in peace and will be buried with your family.
Genesis 15:17
After the sun went down, it got very dark. The dead animals were still on the ground, each animal cut into two pieces. Then a smoking firepot and a flaming torch passed between the halves of the dead animals.
Psalms 105:11
He said, "I will give you the land of Canaan. It will be your very own."
Psalms 105:42
The Lord remembered his holy promise that he had made to his servant Abraham.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

[Art] thou the first man [that] was born?.... The first Adam, who was created in wisdom and knowledge, and had a large share of understanding in things natural, civil, and moral; knew much of God and his perfections, of the works of nature, and of the wisdom and power of God displayed in them; one instance of which is his giving names to the creatures; dost thou think thou art that selfsame individual person, the father of all mankind, who had such a stock and fund of knowledge, until, by seeking after more, and that unlawful, he lost much of what he had? dost thou imagine that thou hast lived ever since, and seen or known everything that was done in all ages from the beginning, and hast gathered a large share of knowledge from long experience, and by making strict observations on men and things in such a length of time? or, as the Targum,

"wast thou born with the first man, without father and mother?''

and hast thou existed ever since? or, "wast thou born before Adam?" before the first man z? Art thou the wisdom and son of God, who was before Abraham, before Adam, before any creature whatever, was in the beginning with God, and was God? What dost thou make thyself to be, Job? thou, a mere man, dost thou make thyself to be the eternal God? for to be before the first man, or to be the firstborn of every creature, or to be born before every creature, is expressive of eternity, as is the following phrase:

or wast thou made before the hills? or existed before they did? as is said of the son of God, Proverbs 8:25; what is before the hills and mountains is eternal; the eternal God and his eternity are thus described, Psalms 90:2.

z So Mercerus, and some in Vatablus, Schmidt, Jarchi, & Bar Tzemach.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Art thou the first man that was born? - Hast thou lived ever since the creation, and treasured up all the wisdom of past times, that thou dost now speak so arrogantly and confidently? This question was asked, because, in the estimation of Eliphaz and his friends, wisdom was supposed to be connected with long life, and with an opportunity for extended and varied observation; see Job 15:10. Job they regarded as comparatively a young man.

Wast thou made before the hills - The mountains and the hills are often represented as being the oldest of created objects, probably because they are the most ancient things that appear on earth. Springs dry up, and waters change their beds; cities are built and decay; kingdoms rise and fall, and all the monuments of human skill and art perish; but the hills and mountains remain the same from age to age. Thus, in Psalms 90:2 :

Before the mountains were brought forth,

Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world,

Even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God.

So in Proverbs 8:25, in the description of wisdom:

Before the mountains were settled,

Before the hills was I brought forth.

So the hills are called “everlasting” Genesis 49:26, in allusion to their great antiquity and permanence. And so we, in common parlance, have a similar expression when we say of anything that “it is as old as the hills.” The question which Eliphaz intends to ask here of Job is, whether he had lived from the creation, and had observed everything?

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 15:7. Art thou the first man that was born? — Literally, "Wert thou born before Adam?" Art thou in the pristine state of purity and innocence? Or art thou like Adam in his first state? It does not become the fallen descendant of a fallen parent to talk as thou dost.

Made before the hills? — Did God create thee the beginning of his ways? or wert thou the first intelligent creature which his hands have formed?


 
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