Inquiry:
How is the earth supported? Job 26:7 says, “He stretcheth out the noth over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.” Yet, Job 38:4 says, “Where wast thou when I laid the foundation of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.” Is there a contradiction?
Response:
The questioner has grasped for a contradiction here. Is it possible for the earth to hang upon nothing, and at the same time have foundations laid for it? Certainly! The statement about the Lord having “…laid the foundations of the earth…” is not speaking of a pedestal upon which the earth sits, but rather the creation of the earth. A literal translation of the verse reads, “Where was thou when i founded the earth? Declare, if thou has known understanding.” (YLT)
There is no contradiction.
This article is a response to Skeptic’s Annotated Bible
Links: YouVersion | GROW magazine
Return to the article archive
