Job 37:8-18

8 An unreasonable beast shall go into his den, and shall dwell in his cave, either dark place. (An unreasoning beast shall go into its den, and shall live there in its cave, or that dark place.)

9 Tempest shall go out from the inner things, and cold from Arcturus, that is, a sign of five stars in the north. (The tempest shall go out from the south, and the cold shall come from the north.)

10 When God maketh blowing, frost waxeth (al)together; and again full broad waters be poured out thereof. (When God maketh blowing, the frost cometh; and very broad waters be poured out again.)

11 Wheat desireth clouds, and (the) clouds spread abroad their light.

12 The which clouds compass all things about by compass (Which clouds go about everywhere), whither ever the will of the governor leadeth them, to all thing to which he commandeth them upon the face of the world;

13 whether in one lineage, either in his land (whether for just one tribe, or over all his land), either in whatever place of his mercy he commandeth those to be found.

14 Job, harken thou (to) these things; stand thou, and behold the marvels of God.

15 Whether thou knowest, when God commanded to the rains, that those shall show the light of his clouds? (Knowest thou, that when God commandeth to the rains, they show the lightning in his clouds?)

16 Whether thou knowest the great ways of the clouds, and the perfect knowings of those? (Knowest thou the great ways of the clouds, which be made by his perfect knowledge?)

17 Whether thy clothes be not hot, when the earth is blown with the south (wind)?

18 In hap thou madest with him (the) heavens, which most firm be founded, as of brass. (Perhaps thou madest the heavens with him, which be created most firm, like bronze.)

Job 37:8-18 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.