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Read the Bible

New American Standard Bible (1995)

Job 37:22

"Out of the north comes golden splendor; Around God is awesome majesty.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Glory;   God;   God Continued...;   Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena;   Religion;   Weather;   Thompson Chain Reference - God's;   Majesty, God's;   North;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Glory of God, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - North;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Glory;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Gold;   Winds;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elihu;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Rain;   Terrible;   Weather;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Yet out of the north he comes, shrouded in a golden glow;awesome majesty surrounds him.
Hebrew Names Version
Out of the north comes golden splendor; With God is awesome majesty.
King James Version
Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty.
English Standard Version
Out of the north comes golden splendor; God is clothed with awesome majesty.
New Century Version
God comes out of the north in golden light, in overwhelming greatness.
New English Translation
From the north he comes in golden splendor; around God is awesome majesty.
Amplified Bible
"Out of the north comes golden splendor [and people can hardly look on it]; Around God is awesome splendor and majesty [far too glorious for man's eyes].
New American Standard Bible
"From the north comes golden splendor; Around God is awesome majesty.
World English Bible
Out of the north comes golden splendor; With God is awesome majesty.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The brightnesse commeth out of the North: the praise thereof is to God, which is terrible.
Legacy Standard Bible
Out of the north comes golden splendor;Around God is fearsome majesty.
Berean Standard Bible
Out of the north He comes in golden splendor; awesome majesty surrounds Him.
Contemporary English Version
Yet the glorious splendor of God All-Powerful is brighter by far.
Complete Jewish Bible
Out of the north comes a golden glow, fearsome majesty surrounding God.
Darby Translation
From the north cometh gold; with +God is terrible majesty.
Easy-to-Read Version
In the same way God's golden glory shines from the Holy Mountain. He is surrounded by the brightest light.
George Lamsa Translation
Golden gleams come out of the north; and light shines from God.
Good News Translation
A golden glow is seen in the north, and the glory of God fills us with awe.
Lexham English Bible
From the north comes gold— awesome majesty is around God.
Literal Translation
Golden splendor comes out of the north; God is awesome in His majesty.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Golde is brought out of the north, but the prayse and honoure off Gods feare commeth fro God himself.
American Standard Version
Out of the north cometh golden splendor: God hath upon him terrible majesty.
Bible in Basic English
A bright light comes out of the north; God's glory is greatly to be feared.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Out of the north cometh golden splendour, about God is terrible majesty.
King James Version (1611)
Faire weather commeth out of the North: with God is terrible maiestie.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The faire weather commeth out of the north, the prayse thereof is to God who is terrible.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
From the north come the clouds shining like gold: in these great are the glory and honour of the Almighty;
English Revised Version
Out of the north cometh golden splendour: God hath upon him terrible majesty.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Gold schal come fro the north, and ferdful preisyng of God.
Update Bible Version
Out of the north comes golden splendor: God has on him awesome majesty.
Webster's Bible Translation
Fair weather cometh from the north: with God [is] terrible majesty.
New King James Version
He comes from the north as golden splendor; With God is awesome majesty.
New Living Translation
So also, golden splendor comes from the mountain of God. He is clothed in dazzling splendor.
New Life Bible
A bright gold light is seen in the north. Around God is great power.
New Revised Standard
Out of the north comes golden splendor; around God is awesome majesty.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Out of the north, a golden light cometh, Upon GOD, is fearful splendour:
Douay-Rheims Bible
Cold cometh out of the north, and to God praise with fear.
Revised Standard Version
Out of the north comes golden splendor; God is clothed with terrible majesty.
Young's Literal Translation
From the golden north it cometh, Beside God [is] fearful honour.

Contextual Overview

21 "Now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies; But the wind has passed and cleared them. 22 "Out of the north comes golden splendor; Around God is awesome majesty.23 "The Almighty—we cannot find Him; He is exalted in power And He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness. 24 "Therefore men fear Him; He does not regard any who are wise of heart."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Fair: Heb. Gold weather, Proverbs 25:23

with: Job 40:10, 1 Chronicles 29:11, Psalms 29:4, Psalms 66:5, Psalms 68:7, Psalms 68:8, Psalms 76:12, Psalms 93:1, Psalms 104:1, Psalms 145:5, Isaiah 2:10, Isaiah 2:19, Micah 5:4, Nahum 1:3, Habakkuk 3:3-19, Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 12:29, Jude 1:25

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 10:17 - a great Nehemiah 4:14 - great Job 35:5 - Look Ezekiel 1:18 - they were so Ezekiel 1:22 - the likeness Hebrews 8:1 - the Majesty

Cross-References

Genesis 22:12
He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."
Genesis 42:22
Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not tell you, 'Do not sin against the boy'; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood."
Exodus 24:11
Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank.
Deuteronomy 13:9
"But you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
Matthew 27:24
When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this Man's blood; see to that yourselves."
Acts 12:1
Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Fair weather cometh out of the north,.... Or "gold" x, which some understand literally; this being found in northern climates as well as southern, as Pliny relates y; particularly in Colchis and Scythia, which lay to the north of Palestine and Arabia; and is thought by a learned man z 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 Psalms 76:12 Revelation 6:15; and to all Christless sinners, especially when he comes to judgment; see Isaiah 2:19. Or "terrible praise" a; 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, Psalms 106:22.

x זהב "aurum", Pagninus, Montanus, &c. y Nat. Hist. l. 6. c. 11. & l. 33. c. 3, 4. z Reland. 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. a נורא הוד φοβερος αινος, Symmachus, "formidolosa laudatio", V. L. "terribilem laude", Vatablus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Fair weather - Margin, “gold,” The Hebrew word (זהב zâhâb) properly means “gold,” and is so rendered by the Vulgate, the Syriac, and by most versions. The Septuagint renders it, νέψη χρυσαυγουντα nepsē chrusaugounta, “clouds shining like gold.” The Chaldee, אסתניא, the north wind, Boreas. Many expositors have endeavored to show that gold was found in the northern regions (see Schultens, in loc.); and it is not difficult so to establish that fact as to be a confirmation of what is here said, on the supposition that it refers literally to gold. But it is difficult to see why Elihu should here make a reference to the source where gold was found, or how such a reference should be connected with the description of the approaching tempest, and the light which was already seen on the opening clouds. It seems probable to me that the idea is wholly different and that Elihu means to say that a bright, dazzling light was seen in the northern sky like burnished gold, which was a fit symbol of the approaching Deity. This idea is hinted at in the Septuagint, but it has not seemed to occur to expositors. The image is that of the heavens darkened with the tempest, the lightnings playing, the thunder rolling, and then the wind seeming to brush away the clouds in the north, and disclosing in the opening a bright, dazzling appearance like burnished gold, that bespoke the approach of God. The word is never used in the sense of “fair weather.” An ancient Greek tragedian, mentioned by Grotius, speaks of golden air - χρυσωπός αἰθήρ chrusōpos aithēr. Varro also uses a similar expression - aurescit aer, “the air becomes like gold.” So Thomson, in his Seasons:

But yonder comes the powerful king of day

Rejoicing in the east. The lessening cloud.

The kindling azure, and the mountain’s brow,

Illumed with fluid gold, his near approach

Betoken glad.

Summer

Out of the north - That is, the symbol of the approaching Deity appears in that quarter, or God was seen to approach from the north. It may serve to explain this, to remark that among the ancients the northern regions were regarded as the residence of the gods, and that on the mountains in the north it was supposed they were accustomed to assemble. In proof of this, and for the reasons of it, see the notes at Isaiah 14:13. From that region Elihu sees God now approaching, and directs the attention of his companions to the symbols of his advent. It is this which fills his mind with so much consternation, and which renders his discourse so broken and disconnected. Having, in a manner evincing great alarm, directed their attention to these symbols, he concludes what he has to say in a hurried manner, and God appears, to close the controversy.

With God is terrible majesty - This is not a declaration asserting this of God in general, but as he then appeared. It is the language of one who was overwhelmed with his awful majesty, as the brightness of his presence was seen on the tempest.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 37:22. Fair weather cometh out of the north — Is this any version of the original מצפון זהב יאתה mitstsaphon zahab yeetheh? which is rendered by almost every version, ancient and modern, thus, or to this effect: "From the north cometh gold." Calmet justly remarks, that in the time of Moses, Job, and Solomon, and for a long time after, gold was obtained from Colchis, Armenia, Phasis, and the land of Ophir, which were all north of Judea and Idumea; and are in the Scriptures ordinarily termed the north country. "But what relation can there be between, Gold cometh out of the north, and, With God is terrible majesty?" Answer: Each thing has its properties, and proper characteristics, which distinguish it; and each country has its advantages. Gold, for instance, comes from the northern countries; so praises offered to the Supreme God should be accompanied with fear and trembling: and as this metal is from the north, and northern countries are the places whence it must be procured; so terrible majesty belongs to God, and in him alone such majesty is eternally resident.

As זהב zahob, which we translate gold, (see Job 28:16,) comes from a root that signifies to be clear, bright, resplendent, c. Mr. Good avails himself of the radical idea, and translates it splendour: -

"Splendour itself is with God;

Insufferable majesty."


But he alters the text a little to get this meaning, particularly in the word יאתה yeetheh, which we translate cometh, and which he contends is the pronoun אתה itself; the י yod, as a performative, here being, as he thinks, an interpolation. This makes a very good sense; but none of the ancient versions understood the place thus, and none of the MSS. countenance this very learned critic's emendation.


 
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