Job 37 God’s great works, lightning, thunder, snow, rain, winds, frosts, clouds, and his providences towards nations, whether for correction or mercy, call for reverence and fear, Job 37:1–14; as also his unsearchable wisdom in them, Job 37:15–18.

At this also, of which I have already spoken, and am now to speak further, to wit, the thunder, which hath ofttimes made even atheists and other wicked men to tremble with a fear of horror, and good men to tremble with a fear of reverence, and a due dread of God’s judgments.

It seems not improbable, that whilst Elihu was speaking it thundered greatly, and that tempest was begun wherewith God ushered in his speech, as it here follows, Job 38:1, and that this occasioned his return to that subject of which he had discoursed before, and his exhortation to them to mind it…

He directeth it, to wit, his voice; which he shooteth or guideth like an arrow to the mark, so disposing it that it may do that work for which he sends it. Under the whole heaven; far and wide through all the parts of this lower world.

After it a voice, i.e. after the lightning. For though the thunder be in order of nature before the lightning, yet the lightning is seen before the thunder is heard. With the voice of his excellency, or, with his excellent, or high, or lofted voice, both loud and full of majesty and awfulness.

Marvellously; with a wonderful and terrible noise, and so as to produce many wonderful effects, as the breaking down of great and strong trees or buildings, the killing of men in a stupendous manner, &c.

By his powerful word and will the snow is made in the air, and falls upon the earth where and when he seeth fit. The great rain of his strength, i.e. those great storms or showers of rain which come with great force and irresistible violence.

By these great snows and rains he drives men out of the fields, and seals or binds tap their hands from all that work, and drives them home to their houses, and in a manner shuts them up there. See Gen. 7:16, Ex. 9:19. Or, by his hand or power (i.e.

Then, in great rains or deep snows, the beasts go into dens for shelter and comfort.

Out of the south, Heb. out of the inner chamber; as the southern part of the world is called, because in a great part it was and is hid and unknown to those who live in the northern hemisphere, in which Job’s habitation lay.

By the breath of God, i.e. by the word of God, as this very phrase is explained, Ps. 33:6; by his will or appointment, to which as the principal cause all these works are ascribed.

By watering, to wit, the earth; by causing them first to receive and return, and then to pour forth abundance of water. He wearieth the thick cloud, by filling and burdening them with much water, and making them to go long journeys to water remote parts, and at last to spend and empty themselves…

It is turned round about; the clouds (now mentioned) are carried about to this or that place. By his counsels; not by chance, (though nothing seems to be more casual and uncertain than the motions of the clouds,) but by his order and governance.

He causeth it to come, Heb. he maketh it (to wit, the cloud, or clouds, and the rain which is in it) to find, to wit, a path, or to find out the persons or place to which God intends either good or hurt by it. For correction, Heb. for a rod, to scourge or correct men by immoderate showers.

If there be so much matter of wonder and adoration in the most obvious and sensible works of God, how wonderful must his deep and secret counsels and judgments be! And therefore it would better become thee humbly to admire, and quietly to submit to them, than to murmur or quarrel with them.

When God disposed them, to wit, the things before mentioned, the clouds, rain, snow, thunder and lightning, and other meteors. Did God ask counsel from thee to acquaint thee with his counsels in the producing and ordering of them, when, and where, and in what manner he should dispose them? God…

The balancings; how God doth as it were weigh and suspend the clouds in balances; so that although they are ponderous and flail of water, yet they are by his power kept up in the thin air from falling down upon us in spouts and floods, as sometimes they have done, and generally would do, if not…

How and why thy garments keep thee warm; of which as there are some natural causes, so it is certain that they are not sufficient to do it without God’s blessing, as experience shows, Hag. 1:6. The earth, i.e. the air about the earth.

Wast thou his co-worker or assistant in spreading out the sky like a tent or canopy over the earth? or canst thou spread out such another sky? Then indeed thou mayst with some colour pretend to be privy to his counsels, and to judge of his works.

Unto him, i.e. unto God, either by way of apology for thee; or rather, by way of debate and disputation with him about his counsels and ways: about which we know not what to say, and therefore are willing to be taught by thee, who pretendest to such exquisite knowledge of these matters.

That I speak, Heb. that I will speak. Shall I send, or who dare carry, a challenge from me to God, or a message that I am ready and desirous to debate with him concerning his proceedings? This indeed thou hast done in effect, but far be such presumption from me.

And; or, for, as this particle is oft rendered; the following words containing a reason of those which go before. Now: this particle is either, 1. A note of time, and so it intimates a sudden change which then was in the weather, which having been very dark, began now to clear up; or rather, 2.

Fair weather; or, when (which particle may well be understood out of, the foregoing verse; and so this may be a further description of the time when men cannot see or gaze upon the sun, namely, when) fair weather, &c. Heb. gold; either, 1. Properly.

We cannot find him out, to wit, to perfection, as it is expressed, Job 11:7. We cannot comprehend him; his being, power, wisdom, justice, and his counsels proceeding from them, are past our finding out; and therefore it is most absurd and intolerable that thou, O Job, presumest to censure what thou…

Men do therefore fear him; for this cause, to wit, because of God’s infinite and excellent perfections, and especially those mentioned in the foregoing verse, men do or should (for the future tense is oft used potentially, as Hebricians know) fear or reverence him, and humbly submit to him, and not…