Bible Commentaries
Job 37

Verses 1-24

CHAPTERS 36:22--37:24

1. God’s power and presence in nature (Job 36:22-33 )

2. The thunderstorm (Job 37:1-5 )

3. The snow and the rain (Job 37:6-16 )

4. Elihu’s concluding remarks (Job 37:17-24 )

Job 36:22-33 . The chapter division in the Authorized Version is at fault. These concluding verses of the thirty-sixth chapter begin the final section of Elihu’s testimony. Unspeakably great in every way, in diction and reverence, is this man’s witness to the ways of God in creation’s work. They show that he speaks not of himself, but the One who is perfect in knowledge speaks through him. God’s power is displayed in nature and man should extol His work and gaze in wonder upon it.

Lo! God is Great--greater than we can know;

The number of His years past finding out.

Tis He who draweth up the vapour clouds,

And they distil from heaven in rain and mist,

E’en that which from the low’ring skies does fall,

And poureth down on man continually.

Can any man explain the rain-clouds balancings,

The rumbling thunders of His canopy?

Behold He spreadeth out His light thereon

While making dark the bottom of the sea.

Yet He His judgment executes by these;

By these He giveth food abundantly.

He graspeth in His hand the lightning flash

And giveth it commandment where to strike.

Of this the noise thereof quick notice gives

The frightened cattle warn of coming storm.

(Companion Bible)

How beautiful! It also proves the antiquity of the book. In early days man knew the Creator by His works and was fully occupied with them (Romans 1:20-21 ).

Job 37:1-5 . And now the thunderstorm. His voice is heard in the thunder, His power displayed in the lightning and Elihu, in vivid description, trembles.

He thundereth with His voice of Majesty

One cannot trace Him, though His voice be heard.

God’s voice is wondrous when He thundereth.

Great things He doth; we comprehend them not.

And if He is so wonderful in nature, His ways there past finding out, how much more in His providential dealings. Yet whether in nature or in providence, His ways are perfect.

Job 37:6-16 . The description of God’s perfect ways in nature are continued by Elihu. The snow and the rain, the hot blast of the summer, the biting frost of winter, the formation of ice by His breath and the storms, all is in His hands and controlled by Him. O Job! hearken, hearken! Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.

Job 37:17-24 . And now the concluding words of his great, God-given testimony. They are to impress Job and all of us with the frailty, the nothingness of man. “Touching the Almighty, we cannot find Him out; He is excellent in power; and in judgment and plenteous justice He will not afflict. Men do therefore fear Him; for none can know Him, be they ere so wise.” This must be man’s true attitude. This should have been Job’s place before the Almighty. Surely the beautiful and powerful testimony of Elihu must have been a spiritual anaesthetic to Job. But more than that, it clears the way for the Almighty to speak.