Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?
Are you the first person who was ever born? Were you created before the mountains?
Eliphaz is sarcastically asking Job if he thinks he's as old and wise as creation itself, implying that Job is being arrogant.
📚 Historical Context
In the Book of Job, which is set in a time of ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature, Job is enduring immense suffering and engaging in dialogues with his friends who attempt to explain his plight through traditional views of divine justice. Eliphaz, one of Job's friends, speaks in Chapter 15 to rebuke Job for what he sees as arrogant speech, implying that Job is overstepping his bounds by questioning God's ways. This verse uses rhetorical questions to mock Job's claims of wisdom, drawing on the biblical creation story from Genesis to highlight that no human can claim to be as ancient or authoritative as the origins of the world.
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