Job 37:12-22

12 The clouds churn about at his direction. They do whatever he commands throughout the earth.
13 He makes these things happen either to punish people or to show his unfailing love.
14 “Pay attention to this, Job. Stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God!
15 Do you know how God controls the storm and causes the lightning to flash from his clouds?
16 Do you understand how he moves the clouds with wonderful perfection and skill?
17 When you are sweltering in your clothes and the south wind dies down and everything is still,
18 he makes the skies reflect the heat like a bronze mirror. Can you do that?
19 “So teach the rest of us what to say to God. We are too ignorant to make our own arguments.
20 Should God be notified that I want to speak? Can people even speak when they are confused?
21 We cannot look at the sun, for it shines brightly in the sky when the wind clears away the clouds.
22 So also, golden splendor comes from the mountain of God. He is clothed in dazzling splendor.

Job 37:12-22 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

  • [a]. Or speak without being swallowed up?
  • [b]. Or from the north; or from the abode.
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