Job 37:4

4 After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders with his majestic voice. When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back.

Job 37:4 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
4 After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard.
English Standard Version (ESV)
4 After it his voice roars; he thunders with his majestic voice, and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard.
New Living Translation (NLT)
4 Then comes the roaring of the thunder— the tremendous voice of his majesty. He does not restrain it when he speaks.
The Message Bible (MSG)
4 In their wake, the thunder echoes his voice, powerful and majestic. He lets out all the stops, he holds nothing back. No one can mistake that voice -
American Standard Version (ASV)
4 After it a voice roareth; He thundereth with the voice of his majesty; And he restraineth not [the lightnings] when his voice is heard.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
4 It is followed by the roar of his voice. He thunders with his majestic voice. He doesn't hold the lightning back when his thunder is heard.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
4 Then there comes a roaring sound; God thunders with His majestic voice. He does not restrain the lightning when His [rumbling] voice is heard.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
4 Next comes the sound of his roaring thunder. He thunders with his majestic voice. When his voice fills the air, he doesn't hold anything back.

Job 37:4 Meaning and Commentary

Job 37:4

After it a voice roareth
After the lightning comes a violent crack or clap of thunder, which is like the roaring of a lion. Such is the order of thunder and lightning, according to our sense and apprehension of them; otherwise in nature they are together: but the reasons given why the lightning is seen before, and so the same in the flash and report of a gun, are, because the sense of seeing is quicker than the sense of hearing F25; and the motion of light is quicker than that of sound; which latter is the truest reason F26. The roaring voice of thunder may be an emblem of the thunder of the law; its dreadful volleys of curses, vengeance, and wrath on the breakers of it, as delivered out by Boanergeses, sons of thunder, ( Mark 3:17 ) : or the loud proclamation of the Gospel, made by the ministers of it; and the alarming awakening sound of the word, when attended with the Spirit and power of God, to sinners asleep and dead in trespasses and sins; upon which they awake, hear, and live;

he thundereth with the voice of his excellency:
that is, God thunders with such a voice, an excellent and majestic one; for his voice of thunder is full of majesty, ( Psalms 29:4 ) . So is the voice of Christ in the Gospel; he spake when on earth as one having authority, and he comes forth and appears in it now with majesty and glory; and speaks in it of the excellent things which he has done, of the excellent righteousness he has wrought out, of the excellent sacrifice he has offered up, and of the excellent salvation he is the author of;

and he will not stay them when his voice is heard;
either the thunder and the lightning, as some; which he does not long defer after he has given out the decree concerning them, the order and disposition for them: or rather the rain and hail; these are not stayed, but quickly follow the flash of lightning and clap of thunder: "for when he utters his voice [of thunder], there is a multitude of waters in the heavens"; and these quickly come down and are not stopped, ( Jeremiah 10:13 ) . The word for "stay" signifies "to supplant", or "act deceitfully"; the name of Jacob is derived from this root, because he supplanted his brother, ( Genesis 25:26 ) ; and so it may be rendered here, "he will not supplant", or "deceive them F1, when his voice is heard": that is, either he does not subvert them, the heavens and earth, but preserves them; though he makes them to tremble with his voice of thunder F2: or he does not act the part of a secret, subtle, and deceitful enemy, when he thunders; but shows himself openly as a King, executing his decrees with authority F3: or rather he deceives none with his voice; none can mistake it; all know it to be the voice of thunder when it is heard: so Christ's sheep know his voice in the Gospel, and cannot be deceived; the voice of a stranger they will not follow, ( John 10:4 John 10:5 John 10:27 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F25 Senec. Nat. Quaest. l. 2. c. 12. so Aristot. Meteorolog. l. 2. c. 9.
F26 The noise is commonly about seven or eight seconds after the flash, that is, about half a quarter of a minute; but sometimes much sooner, in a second or two, or less than so, and almost immediately upon the flash: this is when the explosion is very near us. Philosoph. Transact. abridged, vol. 2. p. 183. see vol. 4. p. 398.
F1 (Mbqey alw) "non supplantabit ea", Munster; so Schmidt, Michaelis, Gussetius, p. 633.
F2 So Schmidt.
F3 So Gussetius.

Job 37:4 In-Context

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.’

Cross References 2

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