Job 37:7

7 He marketh in the hand of all men, that all men know their works (so that all can know his works).

Job 37:7 Meaning and Commentary

Job 37:7

He sealeth up the hand of every man
That is, by deep snows and heavy rains being on the earth; where, as travellers are stopped in their journeys, and cannot proceed, so various artificers are hindered from their work, and husbandmen especially from their employment in the fields; so that their hands are as it were shut up and sealed, that they cannot work with them. Sephorno interprets this of the fruits and increase of the earth being produced and brought to perfection by means of the snow and rain, and so gathered by and into the hands of men; whereby they are led to observe the work of God and his goodness herein, and so to love and fear him; which he takes to be the sense of the following clause,

that all men may know his work;
either their own work; what they have to do at home when they cannot work abroad; or that they may have leisure to reflect upon their moral ways and works, and consider how deficient they are: or rather the work of God; that they may know and own the snow and rain are his work, and depend upon his will; or that they may have time and opportunity of considering and meditating on the works of God, in nature, providence, and grace. Some choose to read the words, "that all men of his work may know" F12; may know him the author of their beings, and the God of their mercies. For all men are the work of his hands; he has made them, and not they themselves; and the end of all God's dealings with them is, that they may know him, fear, serve, and glorify him.


FOOTNOTES:

F12 (yvna lk whvem) "omnes homines operis ipsius", Schmidt, Michaelis; so Schultens.

Job 37:7 In-Context

5 God shall thunder in his voice wonderfully, which maketh great things that may not be sought out. (God shall thunder wonderfully with his voice, and he maketh great things which cannot be understood.)
6 He it is that commandeth the snow to come down upon the earth (It is he who commandeth the snow to come down on the earth), and to the rains of winter, and to the rains of his strength.
7 He marketh in the hand of all men, that all men know their works (so that all can know his works).
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.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.