Job 37:15
New International Version
Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash?

New Living Translation
Do you know how God controls the storm and causes the lightning to flash from his clouds?

English Standard Version
Do you know how God lays his command upon them and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?

Berean Standard Bible
Do you know how God dispatches the clouds or makes the lightning flash?

King James Bible
Dost thou know when God disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine?

New King James Version
Do you know when God dispatches them, And causes the light of His cloud to shine?

New American Standard Bible
“Do you know how God establishes them, And makes the lightning of His clouds to shine?

NASB 1995
“Do you know how God establishes them, And makes the lightning of His cloud to shine?

NASB 1977
“Do you know how God establishes them, And makes the lightning of His cloud to shine?

Legacy Standard Bible
Do you know how God establishes them, And makes the lightning of His cloud to shine?

Amplified Bible
“Do you know how God establishes and commands them, And makes the lightning of His [storm] cloud shine?

Christian Standard Bible
Do you know how God directs his clouds or makes their lightning flash?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Do you know how God directs His clouds or makes their lightning flash?

American Standard Version
Dost thou know how God layeth his charge upon them, And causeth the lightning of his cloud to shine?

Contemporary English Version
Can you explain why lightning flashes at the orders

English Revised Version
Dost thou know how God layeth his charge upon them, and causeth the lightning of his cloud to shine?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Do you know how God controls them and makes the lightning flash from his clouds?

Good News Translation
Do you know how God gives the command and makes lightning flash from the clouds?

International Standard Version
Do you know how God ordains them, and makes his lightning to flash throughout his clouds?

Majority Standard Bible
Do you know how God dispatches the clouds or makes the lightning flash?

NET Bible
Do you know how God commands them, how he makes lightning flash in his storm cloud?

New Heart English Bible
Do you know how God controls them, and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?

Webster's Bible Translation
Dost thou know when God disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine?

World English Bible
Do you know how God controls them, and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Do you know when God places them, "" And caused the light of His cloud to shine?

Young's Literal Translation
Dost thou know when God doth place them, And caused to shine the light of His cloud?

Smith's Literal Translation
Shalt thou know in God's setting upon them, and he caused the light of his cloud to shine?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Dost thou know when God commanded the rains, to shew his light of his clouds?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Do you know when God ordered the rains, so as to show the light of his clouds?

New American Bible
Do you know how God lays his command upon them, and makes the light shine forth from his clouds?

New Revised Standard Version
Do you know how God lays his command upon them, and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Do you know what God has ordained for them, and what causes the light of his clouds to shine?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Behold, do you know the thing that God appointed upon them and he has revealed the light of his clouds?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Dost thou know how God enjoineth them, And causeth the lightning of His cloud to shine?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
We know that god has disposed his works, having made light out of darkness.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Elihu Proclaims God's Majesty
14Listen to this, O Job; stand still and consider the wonders of God. 15Do you know how God dispatches the clouds or makes the lightning flash? 16Do you understand how the clouds float, those wonders of Him who is perfect in knowledge?…

Cross References
Psalm 147:5
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.

Isaiah 40:28
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary; His understanding is beyond searching out.

Jeremiah 10:12-13
The LORD made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding. / When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.

Proverbs 3:19-20
The LORD founded the earth by wisdom and established the heavens by understanding. / By His knowledge the watery depths were broken open, and the clouds dripped with dew.

Psalm 104:24
How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.

Isaiah 55:9
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Romans 11:33-34
O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways! / “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?”

Ecclesiastes 11:5
As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones are formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

Psalm 139:6
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Isaiah 45:7
I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.

Colossians 1:16-17
For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. / He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Genesis 1:1-3
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. / Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. / And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. / He was with God in the beginning. / Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.

1 Corinthians 8:6
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.


Treasury of Scripture

Do you know when God disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine?

Dost

Job 28:24-27
For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; …

Job 34:13
Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?

Job 38:4
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

the light

Job 37:11
Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud:

Job 36:30-32
Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea…

Job 38:24,25
By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth? …

Jump to Previous
Caused Causes Causeth Charge Cloud Clouds Command Controls Disposed Establishes Flash God's Layeth Lightning Makes Ordering Shine Works
Jump to Next
Caused Causes Causeth Charge Cloud Clouds Command Controls Disposed Establishes Flash God's Layeth Lightning Makes Ordering Shine Works
Job 37
1. God is to be feared because of his great works
15. His wisdom is unsearchable in them














Do you know how God dispatches the clouds
This phrase highlights the sovereignty and wisdom of God in controlling the natural world. In the ancient Near Eastern context, weather phenomena were often attributed to the actions of deities. The Bible consistently attributes these actions to the one true God, emphasizing His power over creation. The rhetorical question implies human limitation in understanding divine operations, echoing themes found in other wisdom literature, such as Proverbs 30:4, which questions human comprehension of the heavens. The dispatching of clouds can also be seen as a metaphor for God's providence and care, as clouds often bring rain, essential for agriculture and life.

or makes the lightning flash?
Lightning is a powerful and awe-inspiring natural phenomenon, often associated with divine presence and judgment in the Bible. In Exodus 19:16, lightning accompanies God's presence on Mount Sinai, signifying His holiness and power. The ability to make lightning flash underscores God's control over even the most formidable aspects of nature. This phrase invites reflection on God's majesty and the human inability to replicate or fully understand such power. It also foreshadows the New Testament revelation of Jesus calming the storm (Mark 4:39), demonstrating His divine authority over creation, a type of Christ's ultimate power and sovereignty.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Job
A man of great faith and patience, Job is the central figure in the Book of Job. He undergoes severe trials and suffering, prompting deep discussions about God's justice and the nature of suffering.

2. Elihu
A young man who speaks to Job and his friends in the latter part of the book. Elihu offers a perspective that emphasizes God's greatness and sovereignty, and Job 37 is part of his discourse.

3. God
The Creator and Sustainer of the universe, whose wisdom and power are beyond human understanding. Elihu speaks of God's control over nature, including clouds and lightning.

4. Clouds and Lightning
Natural phenomena used by Elihu to illustrate God's power and wisdom. They serve as metaphors for God's ability to control and direct the forces of nature.

5. The Book of Job
A poetic and philosophical book in the Old Testament that explores themes of suffering, divine justice, and the limits of human understanding.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty Over Nature
Recognize that God is in control of all creation, including the weather and natural events. This should lead us to trust in His power and wisdom, even when we do not understand His ways.

Human Limitations
Acknowledge our limited understanding compared to God's infinite wisdom. This humility should drive us to seek God's guidance and rely on His understanding rather than our own.

The Majesty of God
Reflect on the majesty and greatness of God as seen in His creation. This should inspire awe and worship, reminding us of our place in the universe and the greatness of our Creator.

Trust in God's Plan
Even when life is uncertain or difficult, trust that God has a plan and purpose. His control over nature is a reminder that He is also in control of our lives.

The Role of Nature in Revelation
Consider how God uses nature to reveal His character and power. Observing the natural world can deepen our understanding of God and strengthen our faith.(15) Light of His cloud--i.e., lightning, as before. "Dost thou know all the secrets of God's thunderbolts, at whom and how He will use them?" Some understand this otherwise: "Dost thou know when God setteth the sun over them (the clouds), and causeth the light (i.e., the sun) to shine upon His cloud?" i.e., "Dost thou know how God useth the sun to disperse the clouds?"

Verse 15. - Dost thou know when God disposed them; rather, disposes them - gives them their orders, arranges for their course and sequence? Or dost thou know when he caused (or rather, causes) the light of his cloud (either the lightning, or perhaps the rainbow, as Schultens suggests) to shine Thou canst not pretend to any such knowledge.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Do you know
הֲ֭תֵדַע (hă·ṯê·ḏa‘)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

how God
אֱל֣וֹהַּ (’ĕ·lō·w·ah)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 433: God -- a deity, the Deity

dispatches
בְּשׂוּם־ (bə·śūm-)
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

the clouds
עֲנָנֽוֹ׃ (‘ă·nā·nōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6051: A cloud, the nimbus, thunder-cloud

or makes the lightning
א֣וֹר (’ō·wr)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 216: Illumination, luminary

flash?
וְ֝הוֹפִ֗יעַ (wə·hō·w·p̄î·a‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3313: To shine out or forth, to send out beams, cause to shine


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OT Poetry: Job 37:15 Do you know how God controls them (Jb)
Job 37:14
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