Job 15:7 Meaning and Explanation
“Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Eliphaz sarcastically asks whether Job thinks he holds primeval wisdom older than creation.
What Does Job 15:7 Mean?
With biting sarcasm Eliphaz challenges Job's claim to understanding. Was Job the first man ever born, present before the hills were formed, as though he had been there at the dawn of the world to gather its secrets? The question mocks any pretension to ancient, firsthand wisdom.
The image of being born before the hills echoes language Scripture reserves for wisdom itself, which was present when God laid the foundations of the earth. Eliphaz means it as an insult, but it points beyond Job to the One in whom wisdom truly dwells from before creation. No human holds that primeval knowledge; it belongs to God alone, and to the Word who was with him in the beginning.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 15:7
What does Job 15:7 mean?
Eliphaz sarcastically asks whether Job thinks he holds primeval wisdom older than creation.