Job 37:1-20

1 "At this also my heart trembles, and leaps out of its place.
2 Listen, listen to the thunder of his voice and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3 Under the whole heaven he lets it loose, and his lightning to the corners of the earth.
4 After it his voice roars; he thunders with his majestic voice and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard.
5 God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend.
6 For to the snow he says, "Fall on the earth'; and the shower of rain, his heavy shower of rain,
7 serves as a sign on everyone's hand, so that all whom he has made may know it.
8 Then the animals go into their lairs and remain in their dens.
9 From its chamber comes the whirlwind, and cold from the scattering winds.
10 By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast.
11 He loads the thick cloud with moisture; the clouds scatter his lightning.
12 They turn round and round by his guidance, to accomplish all that he commands them on the face of the habitable world.
13 Whether for correction, or for his land, or for love, he causes it to happen.
14 "Hear this, O Job; stop and consider the wondrous works of God.
15 Do you know how God lays his command upon them, and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
16 Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of the one whose knowledge is perfect,
17 you whose garments are hot when the earth is still because of the south wind?
18 Can you, like him, spread out the skies, hard as a molten mirror?
19 Teach us what we shall say to him; we cannot draw up our case because of darkness.
20 Should he be told that I want to speak? Did anyone ever wish to be swallowed up?

Job 37:1-20 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.

Footnotes 2

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.