Job 9:8-9

8 Which alone spreadeth out [natah] the heavens [shamayim], and treadeth [darak] upon the waves [bamah] of the sea [yam].

9 Which maketh [`asah] Arcturus [`Ayish], Orion [Kaciyl], and Pleiades [Kiymah], and the chambers [cheder] of the south [teyman]. KJV-Interlinear

8 Who alone stretches out the heavens, And tramples down the waves of the sea; 9 Who makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; NASB

The vastness of Gods power extends into the entire universe, as well as within our own planet earth. No person can control the oceans much less the very distant of stars. But God, having sealed them in their place, as noted in yesterdays study, is the only one who has the power to move or alter anything, even the stars which are beyond our reach, and are seemingly immovable and unalterable objects within the universe.

When storms rise across the oceans, no man can control the seas. Yet God has the power to quell the waves and quiet the winds with but the command of His voice.

Job mentions three stars here, Arcturus, Orion and Pleiades. These are references to two constellations, Taurus and Scorpio, as well as the group of stars referred to as Pleiades. Job was familiar with these northern hemisphere stars, but he was also aware that there were star groups common to the southern hemisphere.

To what extent he knew the shape of the earth is not really known. Perhaps Job knew that the earth was a sphere, but it is clear here that he was familiar with an unseen group of stars, which were located in the far southern skies. And these southern skies were not just stars seen in the south of Arabia, but stars which were seen further south beyond the equator.

How would he know this? Remember that Job had many thousands of camels. Those animals were used in hauling freight. Job was in the freight business, among other things. Naturally he would have conversations with travelers from distant countries, even with sailors who had seen these different sets of stars to the distant south.

This certainly indicates that trade, or at least adventurers had seen some very distant lands, even in Job's day.

Some have tried to place the time of these stars. Back in the centuries, 2300 to 2500 B.C., these stars would have been the primary spring and fall, navigation star constellations. So the mention of these stars kind of helps date the time of Jobs life. You can look at the 'Generations' timeline chart on the web site to get a better idea as to when this was, relative to everyone else.

Arcturus, the 'great bear,' was often used as a reference point for travel.

Orion, meaning 'the fool,' in legend represented this star as a hero, who rebelled against God, and thus became a fool.

Pleiades means 'the heap of stars,' or 'knot of stars,' and sometimes referred to as 'the seven stars.'

Since these names existed so very early in the post-flood history, it is possible that these names were common in the pre-flood era.

Genesis six refers to the interbreeding of angels with human females, and also refers to those folks as the 'great' people, or folks of notable infamy. It would not be unreasonable to assume that many of those angel-human cross-bred people, either invented or adopted these and similar names for themselves.

If that were the case, then naturally Noah and his sons would have brought that knowledge with them into the post-flood era, telling their stories to their children, grand-children, and so forth.

Job mentions these names and is not countered or challenged by his friends, regarding them. These names therefore, are common and accepted knowledge, back in Job's day.

It is God and God alone, who commands the vastness of the heavens, and the violence of the seas.

Again, how can anyone challenge God, and win? How can anyone ignore God, and live their life with any degree of confidence or certainty?

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