Who can number the clouds in wisdom?
&c.] Or has such wisdom as to be able to count them when the heavens are full of them; hence they are used to denote a great multitude, ( Isaiah 55:8 ) ( Hebrews 12:1 ) ; or "declare" them F20, set forth and explain the nature of them, their matter, motion, and use; none can do this perfectly or completely. Aben Ezra interprets it, who can make them as sapphire? in which he is followed by Mr. Broughton and others F21; the sapphire is a precious stone, very clear and lucid, of a sky colour. And then the sense is, who can make a clear and serene sky, when it is cloudy? None but the Lord; see ( Job 37:11 ) ;
or who can stay the bottles of heaven?
or "barrels", as Mr. Broughton; the clouds in which the rain is bottled or barrelled up; and when it is the pleasure of God to pour them out, who can stay, stop, or restrain them? or who can "cause [them] to lie down" F23? that is, on the earth; to descend or "distil" on it, as the same translator. Who can do this, when it is the will of God to withhold them? To stop or unstop, those bottles, to restrain rain, or pour it forth, is entirely at his dispose, and not man's; see ( Job 38:34 ) ( Genesis 8:2 ) ( Amos 4:7 ) .
The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.