What is the meaning of Job 37:21? Now no one can gaze at the sun “Now no one can gaze at the sun…” (Job 37:21a) • The literal sun is too dazzling for the human eye. Likewise, God’s unfiltered glory is beyond fallen humanity’s capacity to endure (Exodus 33:20; 1 Timothy 6:16). • Elihu’s point: If we are blinded by a created light, how much more should we humble ourselves before the Creator who “wraps Himself in light as with a garment” (Psalm 104:2). • The verse rebukes Job’s demand for a face-to-face audience with God (Job 13:22; 31:35). Even righteous men cannot stare down divine radiance. when it is bright in the skies “…when it is bright in the skies…” (Job 37:21b) • Midday brilliance pictures God’s majesty at full strength. Compare Psalm 19:4–6, where the sun’s circuit proclaims the glory of God morning to evening. • Brightness suggests clarity: everything is exposed, nothing hidden (Luke 12:2–3). Elihu hints that God sees all, even if Job feels left in the dark (Job 34:21–22). • Revelation 1:16 depicts Christ’s face “like the sun shining in all its brilliance,” further tying Job’s lesson to the ultimate disclosure of God’s glory in Christ. after the wind has swept them clean “…after the wind has swept them clean.” (Job 37:21c) • The “wind” clears dust and clouds, leaving a cloudless sky. God often uses wind to display His power and bring change (Exodus 14:21; Jonah 4:8). • In context (Job 37:9–13), Elihu has described storms God sends and then disperses. The same God who stirs chaos also restores calm, underscoring His sovereign control (Mark 4:39). • The cleansed heavens contrast with Job’s muddied perspective. Once God “sweeps clean” Job’s fog of confusion, divine purposes will become clearer (Job 42:5–6). summary Job 37:21 reminds us that if we cannot stare at the blazing sun after the wind clears the sky, we certainly cannot demand unmediated scrutiny of the Almighty. The verse calls for reverent humility: God’s glory is overwhelming, His sovereignty unquestionable, and our proper posture is worshipful trust until He Himself grants fuller understanding. |
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