Chapter XXXVII
Ver. 1-24. 1. At this—When I hear tlie thundering of the Divine Majesty. Perhaps the storm already had begun, out of which God was to address Job (ch. 38. 1). 2. He«r attentively—The thunder (noise), ic, and then you will feel that there is good reason to tremble, sound Muttering of the thunder. 3. dlrecteth It—However zigzag the lightning's course ; or, rather, it applies to the pealing roll of the thunder, God's all-embracing power, enda —Li/., wings, skirts, tUe habitable earth being often compared to an extended garment (ch. 38. 13; Isaiah 11.12). 4. The thunder-clap follows at an interval after the flush, stay them—He will not hold back tlie tiijlitnings (f. 3i, wlieli the thunder is heard. [MAUKKit.] Rallier, take " them" as the usual concomitants of thunder, viz., mm and hail [Umbreit] (ch. 40. 9). 5. (ch. *i. 20; Psalm fw. 6; 139. H). The sublimity of the description lies In this, that Go 1
tra)islales "'Who is Lord," wrongly, as this meaning belongs to later Hebrew. 23. Jol) dared to prescribe to God what He Bhouhl do (ch. 31. 10, 13). 2*. Instead of arraigning, let it be thy fixed principle to magnify God in His works (Psalm 111.
2-8; Revelatmn 15. 3>; these, which all may "see," may convince; us that what we do not .see is altogether wise and ({ood (Romans 1.20). behold—As " see," r. 25, shows ; not, as Maukkk, " sing," laud (Note 33. 27). 25. "See," viz., with wondering admiration. [Maurer.] man may beIiold— Riither, (yet) mortals (a ditt'erent Hebrew word from "man") behold it (only) from afar olt'," see l)Ut a small " part" (ch. 2C. 14). 20. (ch. 37. 13.) God's greatness in h-aven and earth: a reason why Job should bow under His afflicting hand. 20. know hlin not^Only in pint (r. 25; 1 Corinthians 1.'!. 12). his years—(Psalm 90.2;
Is everywhere in the storm, directing It whitlier He will. (Raknes.) See Psalm 29., where, as here, the "voice" of
Sfti. 24. 27) ; applied to Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1. 12). 27. '48.
God to be Feared for His Great Works. JOB xxxviir. He Appears in a Whirlivind.
Frame.- darkness—Of mind; ignorance. "The eyes are bewilderingly blinded, when turned in bold controversy with God towards the sunny heavens" {v. 18). [Umbkeit.] 30. What I a mortal say against God's dealings is not worthy of being told Him. In opposition to Job's wish to "speak" before God (ch. 13. 3, 18-22). If . . . surely h« shall be swallowed up—The parallelism more favours Umbreit, "Durst a man speak (before Him, complaining) that he is (without cause) being destroyed t" 21. "Cleanseth," i.e., cleareih the air of clouds. When the "bright light" of the sun, previously "not seen" through "clouds," suddenly shines out from behind them, owing to "the wind clearing them away," the
G(x\ is repeated with grand effect. Tlie thunder in Arabia
Is sublimely terrible. 6. Be—More forcible than "Fall," as Umbreit translates Genesis 1. 3. to tUe small rain,
ttc,—He saith, Be on the earth. The shower increasing from "small" to "great," is expressed by the plural sJwiv-
ei:< I ilargiyi), following the singular shoiver. Winter rain (Song of Solomon 2. 11). 7. In winter God stops man's out-of doors activity, sealeth — Closeth up (ch. 9. 7). Man's " hands" are then tied up. His worU—In antithesis toman's own miotA: (" hand") which at other times engages men so as to be liable to forget their dependence on God. Umbreit more lit. translates, That all men ivhom He has made {lit., of His making) may be brought to acknowledgment. 8. remain—Rest in their lairs. It is lieautifully ordered that during the cold,wh«n they could not obtain food, many lie torpid; a state wherein they
effect is dazzling to the eye; so if God's majesty, now hidden, were suddenly revealed in all its brightness,
it would spread "darkness" over Job's eyes, anxious as he is for it (cf. Note, t). 19). [Umbreit.] It is because " now man sees not the bright sunlight" (God's dazzling Majesty), owing to the intervening " clouds" (ch. 26. 9), that they dare to wish to " speak" before God {v. 20). Prelude to God's appearance (ch. 38. 1). The words also hold true in a sense not intended by Elihu, but perhaps included by the Holy Ghost. Job and other sufferers cannot see the lig?it of God's countenance through the clouds of trial : but the wind will soon clear them off, and God shall appear again : let them but wait patiently, for He still shines, thougli for a time they see Him not (see Note 23). 33. Rather, golden splendour:- M.A.UKER translates gold. It is found in northern regions. But God cannot be "found out," because of His "Majesty" {v. 23). Thus ch. 28. corresponds; English Version is simpler, the north Brightness is chietly associated with it {Note, 23. 9). Here, perhaps, because the north wind clears the air (Proverbs
ii.eed no food. The desolation of the fields, at God's bidding, is poetically graphic. 9. south Lit., chambers; connected with the south (ch. 9. 9). The whirlwinds are poetically regarded as pent up by God in His southern chamber^, whence he sends them forth (soch.38. ^i; Psalm
135.7). As to the southern whirlwinds (see Isaiah 21. 1; Zechariah 9. 14), they drive before them burning sands; chiefly from February to May. tl»e north—iiY., scalta-- ing ; the north wind scatters the clouds. 10. frost—Rather,
ice. the breath of God—Poetically, for the Ice-prodnciug north wind, straitened—Physically accurate ; frost compresses or contracts the expanded liquid into a congealed mass (ch. 38. 29, 30; Psalm 147. 17, 18). 11-13. How the thunder-clouds are dispersed, or else employed by God, either for correction or mercy, by watering—By loading
it with wafer, tvearteth Burdcneth it, so that it falls in rain; thus " wearieth" answers to the parallel "scattoreth" icf. Note v. 9); a clear sky resulting alike from both. I>rl°;ht cloud-irt., clonal of His light, i. e., of His lightning. Umbreit for "watering," &c., translates, "Brightifss drives away tlie clouds, His light scattereth the thick clouds;" the parallelism is thus good, but the Hehreio hardly sanctions it. 13. It—Tlie cloud of lightning, counsels—Guidance (Psalm 148.8); lit. , steering ; the clouds o!)ey God's guidance, as the ship does the helmsman. So
25. 23). Thus this clause answers to the last of i'. 21 ; as the second of this v. to the first of f. 21. Inverted parallelism. (See Isaiah 14.13; Psalm 48.2). with God—Rather, wj)o«
Go(/, as a garment (Psalm 104.1,2). majesty—Splendour, 33. afflict-Oppressively, so as to " pervert ,;wi.(irme)i<" as Job implied (Note 8. 3); but see end of Note 21, above. The reading "He answcreth not," t. e., gives no account of His dealings, is like a transcriber's correction, from ch.
3.3. 13; Margin, 34. do — Rather, ought, wise — in their own conceits.
tlie ?/r/?i/n(Hfir (Note 3fi. 31,32); neither is hap-hazard in its movements, they— y/ie rfo?«?,s, implied in the collective singular " it." face of the world, itc—In the face of the earth's circle. 13. Lit., He maketh !< (tlie rain-cloud) /jici place, whether for correction, if (it be destined) for His land (i. e., for the part inhabited by man, with whom God deals, as opposed to the parts uninhabited, on whicli rain