Job 37:2-12

2 Hear attentively his terrible voice and the word that goes out of his mouth.
3 He shall place it straight under the whole of the heavens, and his light shall extend unto the ends of the earth.
4 After it shall the sound roar; his valiant voice shall thunder; and he will not stay them even when his voice is heard.
5 God shall thunder marvelously with his voice; he does great things, which we cannot comprehend.
6 For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; rain after rain, and rain after rain in his strength.
7 He seals up the hand of every man that all men may know his work.
8 Then the beast shall go into its lair and inhabit its dwelling.
9 Out of the south comes the whirlwind and cold out of the north wind.
10 By the breath of God ice is given; and the broad waters are constrained.
11 In addition to this, with clarity he wearies the thick clouds; and he scatters them with his light.
12 And they are turned round about by his counsels; that they may do whatever he commands them upon the face of the world in the earth.

Job 37:2-12 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.

The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010