Bible Strands
Proverbs 8:29
when He set a boundary for the sea, so that the waters would not surpass His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Wisdom speaks in a poetic discourse addressing humanity, recounting God’s actions during the formation of the cosmos. The passage positions this speech immediately before Wisdom describes her presence as the craftsman at God’s side.
The words — The text employs חֻקּוֹ (ḥuqqô), meaning “limit” or “statute,” and פִּי (pî), literally “mouth,” to describe the divine decree that restrains the sea. These terms frame the boundary as an authoritative command rather than a physical barrier.
The thread — God establishing a fixed boundary for the waters appears in Psalm 104:9 and Genesis 1:9, where divine speech gathers the seas and sets their limits. Jeremiah 5:22 later references this same creative act to demand reverence before the One who controls natural forces.
Why it lands — The passage requires the reader to acknowledge that the sea operates only within divinely established limits. It demands recognition that creation’s stability depends entirely on God’s command rather than autonomous or chaotic power.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
Cross-references
- Psalms 104:9 You set a boundary they cannot cross, that they may never again cover the earth.
- Jeremiah 5:22 Do you not fear Me?” declares the LORD. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot cross it.
- Genesis 1:9 And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear.” And it was so.
- Psalms 33:7 He piles up the waters of the sea; He puts the depths into storehouses.
- Psalms 104:5 He set the earth on its foundations, never to be moved.
- Job 38:4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.