Job 37:19-24

19 Show thou to us, what we shall say to him; for we be wrapped in darknesses.
20 Who shall tell to him, what things I speak? yea, if he speaketh, a man shall be devoured. (Who shall tell him what things he should speak? yea, if a man speaketh, he shall be devoured!)
21 And now men see not (the) light; the air shall be made thick suddenly into clouds, and wind passing shall drive away those. (And now people do not see the light; and then suddenly the air shall be made thick with clouds, but the passing wind shall drive them away.)
22 Gold shall come from the north, and the fearedful praising of God. (And then a golden glow shall come from the north, from the terrible, or the wonderful, majesty of God.)
23 For we may not find him worthily; he is great in strength, and in doom, and in rightfulness, and he may not be told out. (For we be not able to find him; yea, he is great in strength, and in justice, and in righteousness, and he cannot be described, or understood.)
24 Therefore men shall dread him; and all men, that seem to themselves to be wise, shall not be (so fool-)hardy to behold God. (And so people shall fear him; and all, who shall be wise, shall look to God.)

Job 37:19-24 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.