Job 37:1-13

1 “At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place.
2 Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3 He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth.
4 After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders with his majestic voice. When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back.
5 God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.
6 He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’
7 So that everyone he has made may know his work, he stops all people from their labor.[a]
8 The animals take cover; they remain in their dens.
9 The tempest comes out from its chamber, the cold from the driving winds.
10 The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen.
11 He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them.
12 At his direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever he commands them.
13 He brings the clouds to punish people, or to water his earth and show his love.

Job 37:1-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 37

Elihu in this chapter proceeds to show the greatness of God as it appears in other of his works of nature, which greatly affected him, and to an attention to which he exhorts others, Job 37:1,2; particularly thunder and lightning, the direction, extent, and order of which he observes, Job 37:3,4; and then suggests that besides these there are other great things done by him, incomprehensible and unknown in various respects; as the snow, and rain, lesser and greater, which come on the earth at his command, and have such effect on men as to seal up their hands, and on the beasts of the field as to cause them to retire to their dens, and there remain, Job 37:5-8; and then he goes on to take notice of wind, and frost, and the clouds, and dispersion of them; their use and ends, whether in judgment or mercy, Job 37:9-13; and then calls on Job to consider these wondrous works of God, and remark how ignorant men are of the disposition of clouds for the rainbow; of the balancing of them; of the heat and quietness that come by the south wind, and of the firmness of the sky, Job 37:14-21; and from all this he concludes the terrible majesty, unsearchable nature of God, the excellency of his power and justice; and that men therefore should and do fear him, who is no respecter of persons, Job 37:21-23.

Cross References 26

  • 1. Psalms 38:10; Isaiah 15:5; Jeremiah 4:19; Habakkuk 3:16
  • 2. S Job 32:10
  • 3. ver 5
  • 4. Psalms 18:13; Psalms 29:3-9
  • 5. S 2 Samuel 22:13; Psalms 18:14
  • 6. S Job 36:32; Matthew 24:27; Luke 17:24
  • 7. S 1 Samuel 2:10
  • 8. S Exodus 20:19
  • 9. S 1 Samuel 2:10; John 12:29
  • 10. S Job 36:33
  • 11. S Job 5:9; S Job 11:7-9; S Job 36:4
  • 12. Deuteronomy 28:12; Job 38:22
  • 13. S Genesis 7:4; S Job 5:10; S Job 28:26; Job 36:27
  • 14. Psalms 109:27
  • 15. Psalms 104:19-23; Psalms 111:2; Job 12:14
  • 16. S Job 28:26
  • 17. Job 38:40; Psalms 104:22
  • 18. Psalms 50:3
  • 19. Psalms 147:17
  • 20. Job 38:29-30; Psalms 147:17
  • 21. S Job 26:8
  • 22. S Job 36:30
  • 23. S Job 28:26; Job 36:27,29
  • 24. S ver 3; Psalms 147:16; Psalms 148:8
  • 25. S Genesis 7:4; Exodus 9:22-23; S 1 Samuel 12:17
  • 26. Exodus 9:18; S 1 Kings 18:45; S Job 5:10; S Job 36:31; Job 38:27

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Or "work," / "he fills all people with fear by his power"
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