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Job Chapter
Thirty-seven
New King James Version (NKJV)
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;
particularly thunder and lightning, the direction, extent, and order of which
he observes, Job 37:3; 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; 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; 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; 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.
Job 37:1 At
this also my heart trembles, And leaps from its place.
YLT
1Also, at this my heart
trembleth, And it moveth from its place.
At this also my heart trembleth,.... At the greatness and
majesty of God, not only as displayed in those works of his before observed,
but as displayed in those he was about to speak of: such terrible majesty is
there with God, that all rational creatures tremble at it; the nations of the
world, the kings and great men of the earth, and even the devils themselves, Isaiah 64:2. Good
men tremble in the worship of God, and at the word of God; and even at the
judgments of God on wicked men, and at the things that are coming on the
churches of Christ. But Elihu has a particular respect to thunder and
lightning, which are very terrible to many personsF19 κραδιη δε μοι εξω, &c.
Homer. Il. 10. v. 94, 95. , both good and badF20As it was to
Augustus Caesar, who always carried about with him the skin of a sea calf, as a
preservative; and, on suspicion of a storm rising, would betake himself to some
secret and covered place: and to Tiberius, who wore his laurel to secure him
from it: and to Caligula, who, on hearing it, would get out of bed and hide
himself under it. Sueton. Vit. August. c. 90. Tiber. c. 69. & Caligul. c.
51. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 15. c. 30. Vid. Virgil. Georgic. l. 1. v. 330, 331. .
At the giving of the law, there were such blazes of lightning and claps of
thunder, that not only all the people of Israel in the camp trembled, but Moses
himself also exceedingly feared and quaked, Exodus 19:16. It is
very probable, that at this time Elihu saw a storm gathering, and a tempest
rising; some flashes of lightning were seen, and some murmursF21"Tonitruorum
unum genus grave murmur----aliud genus est acre quod crepitum magis
dixerint". Senecae Quaest. Nat. c. 2. c. 27. of thunders heard, which
began to affect him; since quickly after we read that God spoke out of the
whirlwind or tempest, Job 38:1;
and is moved out of his place; was ready to leap out of
his body. Such an effect had this phenomenon of nature on him; as is sometimes
the case with men at a sudden fright or unusual sound, and particularly thunderF23"Attonitos,
quorum mentes sonus ille coelestis loco pepulit". Ibid. .
Job 37:2 2 Hear attentively the
thunder of His voice, And the rumbling that comes from His mouth.
YLT
2Hearken diligently to the
trembling of His voice, Yea, the sound from His mouth goeth forth.
Hear attentively the noise of his voice,.... Of the
voice of God in the clouds; and of thunder, which is his voice, Job 40:9. Elihu
being affected with it himself, exhorts the company about him to hearken and
listen to it, and learn something from it;
and the sound that goeth out of his mouth: as the former
clause may have respect to loud thunder, a more violent crack or clap of it; so
this may intend some lesser whispers and murmurs of it at a distance; or a
rumbling noise in the clouds before they burst; since the word is sometimes
used for private meditation. Now the voice of God, whether in his works of
nature, or in the dispensations of his providence, or in his word; whether in
the thunder of the law, or in the still sound of the Gospel, is to be
attentively hearkened to; because it is the voice of God, the voice of the God
of glory, majestic and powerful, and is attended with various effects; of which
see Psalm 29:3.
Job 37:3 3 He sends it forth under
the whole heaven, His lightning to the ends of the earth.
YLT
3Under the whole heavens He
directeth it, And its light [is] over the skirts of the earth.
He directeth it under the whole heaven,.... His voice
of thunder, which rolls from one end of the heaven to the other: he charges the
clouds with it, and directs both it and them where they shall go and discharge;
what tree, house, or man, it shall strike; and where the rain shall fall when
the clouds burst: yet PlinyF24Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 43. atheistically
calls thunder and lightning chance matters. Thus the ministers of the word, who
are compared to clouds, Isaiah 5:6, are
charged with it by the Lord: they are directed by him what they shall say,
where they shall go and declare it, and he directs where it shall fall with
power and weight; yea, he directs it into the very hearts of men, where it
pierces and penetrates, and is a discerner and discoverer of their thoughts and
intents;
and his lightning unto the ends of the earth: it cometh out
of the east, and shineth to the west, Matthew 24:27; and
swiftly move to the further parts of the earth: and such a direction, motion,
and extent, has the Gospel had; the glorious light of it, comparable to
lightning, it first broke forth in the east, where Christ, his forerunner and
his disciples, first preached it, and Christian churches were formed; and from
thence it spread into the western parts of the world, and before the
destruction of Jerusalem it was preached unto all nations; it had a free
course, ran, and was glorified; the sound of the voice of it went into all the
earth, and the words and doctrines of the apostles unto the ends of the world.
Job 37:4 4 After it a voice roars; He
thunders with His majestic voice, And He does not restrain them when His voice
is heard.
YLT
4After it roar doth a voice
-- He thundereth with the voice of His excellency, And He doth not hold them
back, When His voice is heard.
After it a voice roareth,.... After the lightning
comes a violent crack or clap of thunder, which is like the roaring of a lion.
Such is the order of thunder and lightning, according to our sense and
apprehension of them; otherwise in nature they are together: but the reasons
given why the lightning is seen before, and so the same in the flash and report
of a gun, are, because the sense of seeing is quicker than the sense of hearingF25Senec.
Nat. Quaest. l. 2. c. 12. so Aristot. Meteorolog. l. 2. c. 9. ; and the motion
of light is quicker than that of sound; which latter is the truest reasonF26The
noise is commonly about seven or eight seconds after the flash, that is, about
half a quarter of a minute; but sometimes much sooner, in a second or two, or
less than so, and almost immediately upon the flash: this is when the explosion
is very near us. Philosoph. Transact. abridged, vol. 2. p. 183. see vol. 4. p.
398. . The roaring voice of thunder may be an emblem of the thunder of the law;
its dreadful volleys of curses, vengeance, and wrath on the breakers of it, as
delivered out by Boanergeses, sons of thunder, Mark 3:17, or the
loud proclamation of the Gospel, made by the ministers of it; and the alarming
awakening sound of the word, when attended with the Spirit and power of God, to
sinners asleep and dead in trespasses and sins; upon which they awake, hear,
and live;
he thundereth with the voice of his excellency: that is, God
thunders with such a voice, an excellent and majestic one; for his voice of
thunder is full of majesty, Psalm 29:4. So is
the voice of Christ in the Gospel; he spake when on earth as one having
authority, and he comes forth and appears in it now with majesty and glory; and
speaks in it of the excellent things which he has done, of the excellent
righteousness he has wrought out, of the excellent sacrifice he has offered up,
and of the excellent salvation he is the author of;
and he will not stay them when his voice is heard; either the
thunder and the lightning, as some; which he does not long defer after he has
given out the decree concerning them, the order and disposition for them: or
rather the rain and hail; these are not stayed, but quickly follow the flash of
lightning and clap of thunder: "for when he utters his voice of thunder,
there is a multitude of waters in the heavens"; and these quickly come
down and are not stopped, Jeremiah 10:13. The
word for "stay" signifies "to supplant", or "act
deceitfully"; the name of Jacob is derived from this root, because he
supplanted his brother, Genesis 25:26; and
so it may be rendered here, "he will not supplant", or "deceive
themF1ולא יעקבם
"non supplantabit ea", Munster; so Schmidt, Michaelis, Gussetius, p.
633. , when his voice is heard": that is, either he does not subvert them,
the heavens and earth, but preserves them; though he makes them to tremble with
his voice of thunderF2So Schmidt. : or he does not act the part of a
secret, subtle, and deceitful enemy, when he thunders; but shows himself openly
as a King, executing his decrees with authorityF3So Gussetius. : or
rather he deceives none with his voice; none can mistake it; all know it to be
the voice of thunder when it is heard: so Christ's sheep know his voice in the
Gospel, and cannot be deceived; the voice of a stranger they will not follow, John 10:4.
Job 37:5 5 God thunders marvelously
with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend.
YLT
5God thundereth with His
voice wonderfully, Doing great things and we know not.
God thundereth marvellously with his voice,.... Or
"marvels"F3נפלאות
"mirabilia", Pagninus, Montanus. , or marvellous things, which may
respect the marvellous effects of thunder and lightning: such as rending rocks
and mountains; throwing down high and strong towers; shattering to pieces high
and mighty oaks and cedars, and other such like effects, mentioned in Psalm 29:5; and
there are some things reported which seem almost incredible, were they not well
attested facts; as that an egg should be consumed thereby, and the shell
unhurt; a cask of liquor, the liquor in it spoiled, and the cask not touched;
money melted in the purse, and the purse whole; the fetus in the womb killed,
and the woman preserved; with other things of the like kind mentioned by
various writersF4Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 51. Senec. Nat. Quaest.
l. 2. c. 31. ; and which are to be accounted for only by the swift motion and
piercing and penetrating nature of lightning. So the voice of God in the Gospel
thunders out and declares many wonderful things; as the doctrines of the
trinity of Persons in one God; of the everlasting love of the three Persons; of
the Person of Christ, and the union of the two natures in him; of his
incarnation, of redemption and salvation by him; of regeneration by the spirit
of God; of union to Christ, and communion with him; and of the resurrection of
the dead: and it produces marvellous effects, attended with a divine power; as
quickening sinners dead in trespasses and sins; enlightening those who are
darkness itself; bearing down all opposition before it; casting down the strong
holds of sin and Satan, and reducing the most stubborn and obstinate to the
obedience of Christ;
great things doth he, which we cannot comprehend; or
"know"F5ולא נרע
"et nesciemus", Pagninus, Montanus; so Schultens. : great things in
creation, the nature and causes of which lie greatly out of the reach of man;
and which he rather guesses at than knows, and still less comprehends. Great
things in providence; in sustaining all creatures and providing for them; and
in the government of the world, and in his dispensations in it; his judgments
being unsearchable, and his ways past finding out: and great things in grace;
as the salvation of sinners by Christ, and the conversion of their souls by his
Spirit; and even what is known of them is known but in part and very
imperfectly. This is a transition to other great things done by the Lord,
besides those before mentioned, and particular instances follow.
Job 37:6 6 For He says to the snow,
‘Fall on the earth’; Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of
His strength.
YLT
6For to snow He saith, `Be
[on] the earth.' And the small rain and great rain of His power.
For he saith to the snow, be thou on the earth,.... In the
original it is, be thou earth: hence one of the Rabbins formed a notion, that
the earth was created from snow under the throne of glory, which is justly
censured by MaimonidesF6Moreh Nevochim, par. 2. c. 26. ; for there
is a defect of the letter ב, as in 2 Chronicles 34:30;
as Aben Ezra observes; and therefore rightly supplied by us, on the earth. This
is one of the great and incomprehensible things of God. What is the cause of
it, how it is generated, what gives it its exceeding whiteness and its form, we
rather guess at than certainly know; and there are some things relative to it
not easy to be accounted for: as that it should be generated in the lower
region of the air, so near us, and yet be so cold; and be so cold in its own
nature, yet be like a blanket warming to the earth; and that being so cold, it
should fall in hot countries, as in many parts of Africa, as Leo Africanus
assertsF7Descriptio Africae, l. 1. c. 27, 28. l. 2. c. 27, 46, 69. ;
and though so easily melted, yet lies continually upon the top of a burning
mountain, Mount Etna, as observed by Pineda and others. God has his treasures
of it, and he brings it forth from thence; it is at his command, it goes at a
word speaking; it is one of the things that fulfil his word, Psalm 148:8. And if
what PlinyF8Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 103. says is true, that snow never
falls upon the high seas or main ocean, the expression here is, with great
exactness and propriety, be thou on the earth. However, this is certain, that
to the earth only it is useful, warming, refreshing, and fructifying; it has a
wonderful virtue in it to fatten the earth. Olaus MagnusF9De Ritu
Gent. Septentr. l. 19. c. 15. reports, that in the northern countries, where it
falls in great plenty, the fields are more fruitful than any others, and sooner
put forth their fruits and increase than other fields prepared and cultivated
with the greatest labour and diligence: and that they are often obliged to
drive off the cattle from them, lest they should eat too much and burst, the
fields and meadows becoming so luxurious by it; and frequently they mow off the
tops of herbs and grass with their scythes, to prevent their growing too thick.
The word of God, as for its purity, so for its warming, refreshing, and
fructifying nature, is compared unto it, Isaiah 55:10;
likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength: that is, God
says to these as to the snow, be upon the earth; and they presently are,
whether lesser or larger showers: the lesser or more gentle, according to
SenecaF11Nat. Quaest. l. 4. c. 4. , fall in, the winter, and the
larger in spring; the former when the north wind blows, the latter when the
south; but whenever they come, they fall by the direction of God, and at his
command. He and he only gives rain, the vanities of the Gentiles cannot; and
these are sent to water and refresh the earth, and make it fruitful; for which
reason also the word of God is compared thereunto, Deuteronomy 32:12.
The Targum is,
"to
the rain after rain in summer, to ripen the fruits; and to the rain after the
rain, to cause the grass to bud in winter in his strength.'
So
a shower of rain in the singular number signifies rain that falls in summer;
and a shower of rain in the plural what falls in winter.
Job 37:7 7 He seals the hand of every
man, That all men may know His work.
YLT
7Into the hand of every man
he sealeth, For the knowledge by all men of His work.
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"F12מעשהו כל אנשי "omnes homines
operis ipsius", Schmidt, Michaelis; so Schultens. ; 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.
Job 37:8 8 The beasts go into dens, And
remain in their lairs.
YLT
8And enter doth the beast
into covert, And in its habitations it doth continue.
Then the beasts go into dens,.... When snow and rains
are on the earth in great abundance, then the wild beasts of the field, not
being able to prowl about, betake themselves to dens; where they lie in wait,
lurking for any prey that may pass by, from whence they spring and seize it;
and remain in their places; until the snow and rains
are finished. As for other beasts, Olaus MagnusF13Ut supra. (De Ritu
Gent. Septentr. l. 19. c. 15.) observes, that when such large snows fall, that
trees are covered with them, and the tender branches bend under the weight of
them, they will come and abide under them, as in shady places, in great
security, sheltered from the cold wind. The former may put us in mind of great
personages, comparable to beasts of prey for their savageness and cruelty, who,
when the day of God's wrath and vengeance is come, will flee to rocks and
mountains, dens and caverns, there to hide themselves from it; Revelation 6:15.
Job 37:9 9 From the chamber of the
south comes the whirlwind, And cold from the scattering winds of the
north.
YLT
9From the inner chamber
cometh a hurricane, And from scatterings winds -- cold,
Out of the south cometh the whirlwind,.... Or
"from the chamber"F14מן החדר "de penetali", Montanus; so Junius and
Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Schultens. ; from the chamber of the cloud, as
Ben Gersom, from the inside of it; or from the treasury of God, who bringeth
the wind out of his treasures; alluding to chambers where treasures are kept;
or from the heavens, shut up and veiled around with clouds like a pavilion: but
because we read of the chambers of the south, Job 9:9; and the
southern pole was like a secret chamber, shut up, unseen, and unknown very much
to the ancients; hence we render it, and others interpret it, of the south;
from whence in these countries came whirlwinds. Hence we read of the whirlwinds
of the south, Isaiah 21:1;
and cold out of the north; cold freezing winds from
thence; or "from the scatterers"F15ממזרים
"a dispergentibus", Montanus, Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius,
Piscator; "a sparsoribus", Schultens. : Aben Ezra interprets them of
stars, the same with the "Mazzaroth", Job 38:32; stars
scattered about the Arctic or northern pole, as some: or rather the northern
winds are designed which scatter the clouds, drive away rain, Proverbs 25:23; and
bring fair weather, Job 37:22.
Wherefore Mr. Broughton renders the word,
"fair
weather winds;'
and,
in a marginal note,
"the
scatterers of cloudsF16So David de Pomis, Lexic. fol. 7. 3. .'
Job 37:10 10 By the breath of God ice
is given, And the broad waters are frozen.
YLT
10From the breath of God is
frost given, And the breadth of waters is straitened,
By the breath of God frost is given,.... By the word of God,
as the Targum; at his command it is, at his word it comes, and at his word it
goes, Psalm 147:15; or by
his will, as Ben Gersom interprets it, when it is his pleasure it should be, it
appears; it may be understood of a freezing wind from the Lord, for a wind is
sometimes expressed by the breath of his nostrils, Psalm 18:15; and as
the word "God" added to things increases the signification of them,
as mountains of God are strong mountains; so the breath of God may signify a
strong wind, as Sephorno notes, the north windF17"Induroque
nives", &c. Ovid. ;
and the breadth of the waters is straitened; by the frost
they are reduced and brought into a narrower compass; or made hard, as Mr.
Broughton renders it; so hard as to walk upon, to draw carriages on, and lay
weights and burdens very great upon; or become compact or bound together, like
metal melted, poured out, and consolidated; though some think it refers to the
thawing of ice by the south windsF18"----cum vere reverso
Bistoniae tepuere nives", &c. Statii Theb. l. 2. , when the waters
return to their former breadth; which is done by the breath or commandment of
God, as appears from the place before quoted from the psalmist, Psalm 18:15; for it
may be rendered, "and the breadth of the waters is pouring out", so
the Targum, when thawed; or through the pouring down of rain, so the Syriac and
Arabic versions, "he sends forth plenty of water".
Job 37:11 11 Also with moisture He
saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds.
YLT
11Yea, by filling He doth
press out a cloud, Scatter a cloud doth His light.
Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud,.... By
filling it with a multitude of water, it is as it were loaded and made weary
with it; and especially by sending it about thus loaded from place to place
before discharged, when it becomes as a weary traveller; and then by letting
down the water in it, whereby it spends itself like one that is weary; an
emblem of ministers that spend and are spent for the good of men: some render
it by serenity or fair weather, and so Mr. Broughton,
"by
clearness he wearieth the thick vapours;'
by
causing a clear sky he dispels them;
he scattereth his bright cloud; thin light clouds that
have nothing in them, and are soon dispersed and come to nothing, and are seen
no more; all emblem of such as are clouds without water, Judges 1:12; see Zechariah 11:17; or
"he scatters the cloud by his light"F19יפיץ
ענן אורו "dispellit
nubem luce sua", Munster. ; by the sun, which dispels clouds and makes a
clear sky; an emblem of the blotting out and forgiveness of sins, and of
restoring the manifestations of divine love, and the joys of salvation; see Isaiah 44:22.
Job 37:12 12 And they swirl about,
being turned by His guidance, That they may do whatever He commands them On the
face of the whole earth.[a]
YLT
12And it is turning itself
round by His counsels, For their doing all He commandeth them, On the face of
the habitable earth.
And it is turned round about by his counsels,.... The cloud
is, and that by the wind, which is turned about to all points of the compass,
according to the will of God; by the counsels of him who sits at the helm, as
the word signifies, and orders all things according to the counsel of his own
will: to which owing every shifting of the wind, and the various motions of the
clouds;
that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of
the world in the earth; as all his creatures do; the several meteors in the air, clouds,
stormy wind, fire, hail, snow, and vapour, all fulfilling his word; and which
they do everywhere in the several parts of the world whither they are sent, Psalm 107:25. So
ministers of the word drop down or withhold the rain of Gospel doctrine, and
carry it into the several places of the world, as the Lord directs them; see Isaiah 5:6.
Job 37:13 13 He causes it to come, Whether
for correction, Or for His land, Or for mercy.
YLT
13Whether for a rod, or for
His land, Or for kindness -- He doth cause it to come.
He causeth it to come,.... The cloud, and rain
by it;
whether for correction; for the reproof and
chastisement of men for their sins, by suffering such quantities to fall as
wash away, or corrupt and destroy, the fruits of the earth: or "for a
tribe"F20לשבט "in una
tribu", V. L. "uni tribui", Tigurine version. , as the word
sometimes signifies; the rain is sent, and comes only to a particular part or
spot of ground, to one city and not to another, Amos 4:7;
or for his land; some particular land he has a favour for,
as the land of Canaan he cared for from one end of the year to another, and
therefore sent on it rain in due season, though as yet it did not appear to be
the object of his peculiar regard; or for the whole earth, which is his; and
wherever rain comes seasonably and in proper quantity, it is for the benefit of
it; though some think the land which no man has a property in but the Lord is
meant, even the wilderness where no man is, Job 38:26;
or for mercy; to some particular spot, and to some
particular persons; and indeed it is a kindness and benefit both to good and
bad men; hereby the earth is watered and made fertile and fruitful, to bring
forth seed to the sower and bread to the eater, see Matthew 5:45; the
word of God is for the correction of some, and for the comfort of others, 2 Timothy 3:16;
yea, the savour of death unto death to some, and the savour of life unto life to
others, 2 Corinthians 2:16.
The Targum paraphrases the words,
"either
a rain of vengeance on the seas and deserts, or an impetuous rain on the trees
of the mountains and hills, or a still rain of mercy on the fruitful fields and
vineyards.'
Job 37:14 14 “Listen to this, O Job; Stand
still and consider the wondrous works of God.
YLT
14Hear this, O Job, Stand and
consider the wonders of God.
Hearken unto this, O Job,.... Either to the
present clap of thunder then heard; or rather to what Elihu had last said
concerning clouds of rain coming for correction or mercy; and improve it and
apply it to his own case, and consider whether the afflictions he was under
were for the reproof and correction of him for sin, or in mercy and love to his
soul and for his good, as both might be the case; or to what he had further to
say to him, which was but little more, and he should conclude;
stand still; stand up, in order to hear better, and in reverence of what
might be said; and with silence, that it might be the better received and
understood:
and consider the wondrous works of God; not prodigies
and extraordinary things, which are out of the common course of nature, such as
the wonders in Egypt, at the Red sea, in the wilderness, and in the land of
Canaan, but common things; such as come more or less under daily observation,
for of such only he had been speaking, and continued to speak; such as winds,
clouds, thunder, lightning, hail, rain, and snow; these he would have him
consider and reflect upon, that though they were so common and obvious to view,
yet there were some things in them marvellous and beyond the full comprehension
of men; and therefore much more must be the works of Providence, and the hidden
causes and reasons of them.
Job 37:15 15 Do you know when God
dispatches them, And causes the light of His cloud to shine?
YLT
15Dost thou know when God
doth place them, And caused to shine the light of His cloud?
Dost thou know when God disposed them?.... The
clouds, that part of the wondrous works of God he was speaking of; when he
decreed concerning them that they should be, when he put into them and stored
them with rain, hail, snow, &c. disposed of them here and there in the
heavens, and gave them orders to fall on this and the other spot of ground;
wast thou present at all this, and knew what God was doing secretly in the
clouds, and before heard what would break out of them, or fall from them? and if
thou art ignorant of these things, canst thou imagine that thou shouldest be
made acquainted with the secret springs of God's providential dealings with the
children of men?
and caused the light of his cloud to shine; either the
lightning to break through the cloud, or rather the light of the sun to shine
upon his cloud, prepared to receive the light reflected on it, and form the
rainbow; which, as it is called his bow, the cloud in which it is may be called
his cloud; which is one of the wondrous works of God, and is called by the
Heathens the daughter of wonderF21Apollodorus, l. 1. p. 5. ; formed
in a semicircle, with various colours, and as a token that God will drown the
earth no more; an emblem of the covenant of peace, and of Jesus Christ, said to
be clothed with a cloud, and with a rainbow about his head, Revelation 10:1.
Job 37:16 16 Do you know how the clouds
are balanced, Those wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?
YLT
16Dost thou know the
balancings of a cloud? The wonders of the Perfect in knowledge?
Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds?.... How those
ponderous bodies, as some of them are very weighty, full of water, are poised,
and hang in the air, without turning this way or the other, or falling on the
earth;
the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge; of God, who
is a God of knowledge, of knowledges, 1 Samuel 2:3; who
knows himself and all his works, all creatures and things whatever, see Job 36:4; and this
is another of his wondrous works, which none but he, whose knowledge is
perfect, and is the author and giver of knowledge, can know, even the poising
and balancing of the clouds in the air; we see they are balanced, but we know
not how it is done.
Job 37:17 17 Why are your
garments hot, When He quiets the earth by the south wind?
YLT
17How thy garments [are]
warm, In the quieting of the earth from the south?
How thy garments are warm, when he quieteth the earth by
the south wind? One should think there is no great difficulty in accounting for
this, that a man's clothes should be warm, and he so hot as not to be able to
bear them, but obliged to put them off in the summer season, when only the
south wind blows, which brings heat, a serene sky, and fine weather, Luke 12:55; and yet
there is something in the concourse of divine Providence attending these
natural causes, and his blessing with them, without which the garment of a man
will not be warm, or at least not warming to him, Haggai 1:6; or
"how
thy garments are warm when the land is still from the south,'
as
Mr. Broughton renders the words; that is, how it is when the earth is still
from the whirlwinds of the south; or when that wind does not blow which brings
heat, but northerly winds in the winter time; that then a man's garments should
be warm, and keep him warm.
Job 37:18 18 With Him, have you spread
out the skies, Strong as a cast metal mirror?
YLT
18Thou hast made an expanse
with Him For the clouds -- strong as a hard mirror!
Hast thou with him spread out the sky?.... Wast thou
concerned with him at the first spreading out of the sky? wast thou an
assistant to him in it? did he not spread it as a curtain or canopy about
himself, without the help of another? verily he did; see Job 9:8, Isaiah 44:24;
which is strong: for though it
seems a fluid and thin, is very firm and strong, as appears by what it bears,
and are contained in it; and therefore is called "the firmament of his
power", Psalm 150:1;
and as a molten looking glass; clear and
transparent, like the looking glasses of the women, made of molten brass, Exodus 38:8; and
firm and permanentF21 χαλκεος
ουρανος. Pindar. Nem. Ode 6. ; and a glass this is in which the
glory of God, and his divine perfections, is to be seen; and is one of the
wondrous works of God, made for the display of his own glory, and the benefit
of men, Psalm 19:1. Or this
may respect the spreading out a clear serene sky, and smoothing it after it has
been covered and ruffled with storms and tempests; which is such a wonderful
work of God, that man has no hand in.
Job 37:19 19 “Teach us what we should
say to Him, For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness.
YLT
19Let us know what we say to
Him, We set not in array because of darkness.
Teach us what we shall say unto him,.... To this wonder
working God, of whose common works of nature we know so little; how we should
reason with him about his works of Providence, when we know so little of these:
for we cannot order our
speech by reason of darkness; by reason of darkness in
themselves, which is in all men naturally, and even in the saints in this state
of imperfection; and by reason of the clouds and darkness which are about the
Lord himself, who is incomprehensible in his nature and perfections; and by
reason of the darkness cast about his providential dealings with men, so that
they are unsearchable and past finding out; and the best of men are at a loss
how to order their speech, or discourse with God concerning these things.
Job 37:20 20 Should He be told that I wish
to speak? If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up.
YLT
20Is it declared to Him that
I speak? If a man hath spoken, surely he is swallowed up.
Shall it be told him that I speak?.... And what I speak?
there is no need of it, since he is omniscient, and knows every word that is
spoken by men; or is anything I have said concerning him, his ways, and his
works, worthy relating, or worthy of his hearing, being so very imperfect? nor
can the things I have spoken of, though common things, be fully explained to
any; or should it be told him, the Lord, that he, Elihu, had spoke as Job had
done, and arraigned his justice, and complained of his dealings? God forbid; he
would not have it said they were spoken by him for all the world: or
"shall it be recorded unto him what I speak?" as Mr. Broughton, or
that I speak; shall it be recorded in a book, and that sent to God; that I will
speak in thy cause, and be an advocate for thee, and endeavour to justify thee
in all thou hast said? no, by no means;
if a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up; if he speaks
of the being and perfections of God, he is soon lost; his essence, and many of
his attributes, are beyond his comprehension; if he speaks of his works of
nature and providence, he is presently out of his depth; there is a bathos, a
depth in them he cannot fathom: if he speaks of his love, and grace, and mercy,
in the salvation of man, he is swallowed up with admiration; he is obliged to
say, what manner of love is this? it has heights he cannot reach, depths he
cannot get to the bottom of, lengths and breadths immeasurable: or should he
undertake to dispute with God, to litigate a point with him concerning his
works, he could not answer him in one thing of a thousand; and particularly
Elihu suggests, was he to undertake Job's cause, it would soon be lost and all
over with him; so Mr. Broughton renders the words, "would any plead, when
he should be undone?" who would engage in a cause he is sure would be
lost, and prove his utter undoing?
Job 37:21 21 Even now men cannot
look at the light when it is bright in the skies, When the wind has
passed and cleared them.
YLT
21And now, they have not seen
the light, Bright it [is] in the clouds, And the wind hath passed by and
cleanseth them.
And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds,.... Here
Elihu returns to his subject, it may be, occasioned by black clouds gathering
in the heavens, as a preparation for the whirlwind, storm, and tempest, out of
which the Lord is said to speak in the next chapter. And this is to be
understood, not of the lightning in the cloud, which is not to be seen until it
breaks out of it; nor the rainbow in the cloud, formed by the rays of light
from the sun, which disappears when the wind passes and clears the sky of the
cloud in which it is; nor of the Galaxy, or Milky Way, as Sephorno, which is
not to be seen in a cloudy night; but of the sun, which is the great light and
a bright one, and shines brightly; yet sometimes not to be seen by men, because
of interposing clouds, until they are cleared away by winds. Though rather this
respects the sun shining in its brightness, and in its full strength, in the
skies or ethereal regions, in a clear day, when men are not able to look full
at it: and how much less then are they able to behold him who is light itself,
and in whom is no darkness at all, nor shadow of turning; who dwells in light,
which no mortal can approach unto; into whose nature and perfections none can
fully look, or behold the secret springs of his actions, and the reasons of his
dispensations towards men?
but the wind passeth and cleanseth them; the clouds,
and clears the air of them, which obstruct the light of the sun: or "when
a wind passeth and cleareth it"; the air, as Mr. Broughton, then the sun
shines so brightly that it dazzles the eye to look at it.
Job 37:22 22 He comes from the north as
golden splendor; With God is awesome majesty.
YLT
22From the golden north it
cometh, Beside God [is] fearful honour.
Fair weather cometh out of the north,.... Or
"gold"F24זהב "aurum",
Pagninus, Montanus, &c. , which some understand literally; this being found
in northern climates as well as southern, as Pliny relatesF25Nat.
Hist. l. 6. c. 11. & l. 33. c. 3, 4. ; particularly in Colchis and Scythia,
which lay to the north of Palestine and Arabia; and is thought by a learned manF26Reland.
de Paradiso, s. 9, 10. p. 22, 23, 24. And, in the countries farthest north were
mines of gold formerly, as Olaus Magnus relates, though now destroyed. De Ritu
Gent. Septent. l. 6, 11. Vid. l. 3, 5. to be here intended: though to
understand it figuratively of the serenity of the air, bright and pure as gold,
or of fair weather, which is golden weather, as Mr. Broughton renders it,
"through
the north the golden cometh,'
seems
best to agree with the subject Elihu is upon; and such weather comes from the
north, through the north winds, which drive away rain, Proverbs 25:23;
with God is terrible majesty; majesty belongs to him
as he is King of kings, whose the kingdom of nature and providence is; and he
is the Governor among and over the nations of the world. His throne is prepared
in the heavens; that is his throne, and his kingdom ruleth over all: and this
majesty of his is "terrible", commanding awe and reverence among all
men, who are his subjects; and especially among his saints and peculiar people;
and strikes a terror to others, even to great personages, the kings and princes
of the earth; to whom the Lord is sometimes terrible now, and will be
hereafter; see Psalm 76:12, Revelation 6:15;
and to all Christless sinners, especially when he comes to judgment; see Isaiah 2:19. Or
"terrible praise"F1נורא הוד φοβερος
αινος, Symmachus, "formidolosa laudatio", V. L.
"terribilem laude", Vatablus. ; for God is "fearful in
praises", Exodus 15:11; which
may respect the subject of praise, terrible things, and the manner of praising
him with fear and reverence, Psalm 106:22.
Job 37:23 23 As for
the Almighty, we cannot find Him; He is excellent in power, In
judgment and abundant justice; He does not oppress.
YLT
23The Mighty! we have not
found Him out, High in power and judgment, He doth not answer! And abundant in
righteousness,
Touching the Almighty,.... Or with
respect to God, who is almighty; with whom nothing is impossible; who can do
and does do all things he pleases, and more than we can ask or think; and who
is all sufficient, as this word is by some rendered; has enough of every thing
in himself and of himself to make him happy; and needs not any of his
creatures, nor anything they can do or give him, but has a sufficiency for
himself and them;
we cannot find him out; found he may be in his
works, and especially in his Son, the express image of his person; in whom he
makes himself known as the God of grace: but he is not to be found out to
perfection; neither by the light of nature, which is very dim, and by which men
grope after him, if haply they may find him; nor even by the light of grace in
the present state: and there are many things in God quite out of the reach of
man, and ever will be, fully to comprehend; as the modes of the subsistence of
the three Persons in the Godhead; the eternity and immensity of God; with all
secret things, which belong not to us to inquire curiously into;
he is excellent in
power; or great and much in it; which is displayed in the works of
creation and sustentation of the world; in the redemption and conversion of his
people; in the support, protection, and preservation of them; and in the destruction
of his and their enemies;
and in judgment; in the government of the world in so
righteous a manner; in the judgments he executes on wicked men; and as he will
appear to be in the general judgment of the world, at the great day, which will
be a righteous one;
and in plenty of justice; being most just,
righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works; distributing justice to
all, acting according to the rules of it, in all things and towards all
persons; so that though he is great in power, he does not abuse that power, to
do things that are not just;
he will not afflict; without a just cause and
reason for it; nor willingly, but with reluctance; nor never beyond deserts,
nor more than he gives strength to bear; and only for the good of his people,
and in love to them. Some render it, "he will not answer"F2לא יעגה "non
respondebit", Tigurine version; so some in Mercerus and Drusius. ; or give
an account of his matters, or the reason of his dealings with men.
Job 37:24 24 Therefore men fear Him; He
shows no partiality to any who are wise of heart.”
YLT
24Therefore do men fear Him,
He seeth not any of the wise of heart.
Men do therefore fear him,.... Or should, because
of his greatness in power, judgment, and justice; and because of his goodness,
in not afflicting for his pleasure's sake, but for the profit of men; and
therefore they should reverence and adore him, submit to his will, patiently
bear afflictions, serve him internally and externally, with reverence and godly
fear;
he respecteth not any that are wise of heart; that are wise
in a natural sense: these are not always regarded by God, or are his
favourites; neither temporal blessings, nor special grace, or the knowledge of
spiritual things, are always given to the wise and prudent, Ecclesiastes 9:11.
Or that are wise in their own conceit; there is a woe to such; and there is
more hope of a fool than of him, Isaiah 5:21. Or he
is not "afraid" of themF3לא יראה "non timebit", Osiander. , as some choose to
render the word; he fears not to reprove them and correct them for their
faults, or the schemes they form to counterwork him; for he can take them in
their craftiness, and carry their counsel headlong. Or "every wise in
heart shall not see him"F4"Non videbit eum omuis sapiens
corde"; so some in Drusius. : the world by wisdom knows him not; nor can
any look into his heart, his thoughts, purposes, and designs, and into the
causes and reasons of his actions; nor have those that are truly wise perfect
vision and knowledge of him now, 1 Corinthians 13:9.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)