Read & Study the Bible Online - Bible Portal
Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Job 37:1-5

Thunder and lightning, which usually go together, are sensible indications of the glory and majesty, the power and terror, of Almighty God, one to the ear and the other to the eye; in these God leaves not himself without witness of his greatness, as, in the rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, he leaves not himself without witness of his goodness (Acts 14:17), even to the most stupid and unthinking. Though there are natural causes and useful effects of them, which the philosophers undertake... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Job 37:6-13

The changes and extremities of the weather, wet or dry, hot or cold, are the subject of a great deal of our common talk and observation; but how seldom do we think and speak of these things, as Elihu does here, with an awful regard to God the director of them, who shows his power and serves the purposes of his providence by them! We must take notice of the glory of God, not only in the thunder and lightning, but in the more common revolutions of the weather, which are not so terrible and which... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 37:1

At this also my heart trembleth ,.... At the greatness and majesty of God, not only as displayed in those works of his before observed, but as displayed in those he was about to speak of: such terrible majesty is there with God, that all rational creatures tremble at it; the nations of the world, the kings and great men of the earth, and even the devils themselves, Isaiah 64:2 . Good men tremble in the worship of God, and at the word of God; and even at the judgments of God on wicked men,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 37:2

Hear attentively the noise of his voice ,.... Of the voice of God in the clouds; and of thunder, which is his voice, Job 40:9 . Elihu being affected with it himself, exhorts the company about him to hearken and listen to it, and learn something from it; and the sound that goeth out of his mouth : as the former clause may have respect to loud thunder, a more violent crack or clap of it; so this may intend some lesser whispers and murmurs of it at a distance; or a rumbling noise in the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 37:3

He directeth it under the whole heaven ,.... His voice of thunder, which rolls from one end of the heaven to the other: he charges the clouds with it, and directs both it and them where they shall go and discharge; what tree, house, or man, it shall strike; and where the rain shall fall when the clouds burst: yet Pliny F24 Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 43. atheistically calls thunder and lightning chance matters. Thus the ministers of the word, who are compared to clouds, Isaiah 5:6 , are... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 37:4

After it a voice roareth ,.... After the lightning comes a violent crack or clap of thunder, which is like the roaring of a lion. Such is the order of thunder and lightning, according to our sense and apprehension of them; otherwise in nature they are together: but the reasons given why the lightning is seen before, and so the same in the flash and report of a gun, are, because the sense of seeing is quicker than the sense of hearing F25 Senec. Nat. Quaest. l. 2. c. 12. so Aristot.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 37:5

God thundereth marvellously with his voice ,.... Or "marvels" F3 נפלאות "mirabilia", Pagninus, Montanus. , or marvellous things, which may respect the marvellous effects of thunder and lightning: such as rending rocks and mountains; throwing down high and strong towers; shattering to pieces high and mighty oaks and cedars, and other such like effects, mentioned in Psalm 29:5 ; and there are some things reported which seem almost incredible, were they not well attested facts; as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 37:6

For he saith to the snow, be thou on the earth ,.... In the original it is, be thou earth: hence one of the Rabbins formed a notion, that the earth was created from snow under the throne of glory, which is justly censured by Maimonides F6 Moreh Nevochim, par. 2. c. 26. ; for there is a defect of the letter ב , as in 2 Chronicles 34:30 ; as Aben Ezra observes; and therefore rightly supplied by us, on the earth. This is one of the great and incomprehensible things of God. What is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 37:7

He sealeth up the hand of every man ,.... That is, by deep snows and heavy rains being on the earth; where, as travellers are stopped in their journeys, and cannot proceed, so various artificers are hindered from their work, and husbandmen especially from their employment in the fields; so that their hands are as it were shut up and sealed, that they cannot work with them. Sephorno interprets this of the fruits and increase of the earth being produced and brought to perfection by means of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 37:8

Then the beasts go into dens ,.... When snow and rains are on the earth in great abundance, then the wild beasts of the field, not being able to prowl about, betake themselves to dens; where they lie in wait, lurking for any prey that may pass by, from whence they spring and seize it; and remain in their places ; until the snow and rains are finished. As for other beasts, Olaus Magnus F13 Ut supra. (De Ritu Gent. Septentr. l. 19. c. 15.) observes, that when such large snows fall,... read more

Group of Brands