TRV
Translation
Berean Standard Bible
The tempest comes from its chamber, and the cold from the driving north winds.
American Standard Version
Out of the chamberof the south cometh the storm, And cold out of the north.
Geneva Bible (1599)
The whirlewind commeth out of the South, and the colde from the North winde.
Young's Literal Translation
From the inner chamber cometh a hurricane, And from scatterings winds--cold,
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In the KJVVerse 13,779 of 31,102
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Commentary on Job 37 verses 6–13
6 ¶ For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.
7 He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work.
8 Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.
9 Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north.
10 By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.
11 Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud:
12 And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth.
13 He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.
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 make less noise. As,
I. In the snow and rain, Job 37:6. Thunder and lightning happen usually in the summer, but here he takes notice of the winter-weather. Then he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; he commissions it, he commands it, he appoints it, where it shall light and how long it shall lie. He speaks, and it is done: as in the creation of the world, Let there be light, so in the works of common providence, Snow, be thou on the earth. Saying and doing are not two things with God, though they are with us. When he speaks the word the small rain distils and the great rain pours down as he pleases - the winter-rain (so the Septuagint), for in those countries, when the winter was past, the rain was over and gone, Sol 2:11. The distinction in the Hebrew between the small rain and the great rain is this, that the former is called a shower of rain, the latter of rains, many showers in one; but all are the showers of his strength: the power of God is to be observed as much in the small rain that soaks into the earth as in the great rain that batters on the house-top and washes away all before it. Note, The providence of God is to be acknowledged, both by husbandmen in the fields and travellers upon the road, in every shower of rain, whether it does them a kindness of a diskindness. It is sin and folly to contend with God's providence in the weather; if he send the snow or rain, can we hinder them? Or shall we be angry at them? It is as absurd to quarrel with any other disposal of Providence concerning ourselves or ours. The effect of the extremity of the winter-weather is that it obliges both men and beasts to retire, making it uncomfortable and unsafe for them to go abroad. 1. Men retire to their houses from their labours in the field, and keep within doors (Job 37:7): He seals up the hand of every man. In frost and snow, husbandmen cannot follow their business, nor some tradesmen, nor travellers, when the weather is extreme. The plough is laid by, the shipping laid up, nothing is to be done, nothing to be got, that men, being taken off from their own work, may know his work, and contemplate that, and give him the glory of that, and, by the consideration of that work of his in the weather which seals up their hands, be led to celebrate his other great and marvellous works. Note, When we are, upon any account, disabled from following our worldly business, and taken off from it, we should spend our time rather in the exercises of piety and devotion (in acquainting ourselves with the works of God and praising him in them) than in foolish idle sports and recreations. When our hands are sealed up our hearts should be thus opened, and the less we have at any time to do in the world the more we should thereby be driven to our Bibles and our knees. 2. The beasts also retire to their dens and remain in their close places, Job 37:8. It is meant of the wild beasts, which, being wild, must seek a shelter for themselves, to which by instinct they are directed, while the tame beasts, which are serviceable to man, are housed and protected by his care, as Exo 9:20. The ass has no den but his master's crib, and thither he goes, not only to be safe and warm, but to be fed. Nature directs all creatures to shelter themselves from a storm; and shall man alone be unprovided with an ark?
II. In the winds, which blow from different quarters and produce different effects (Job 37:9): Out of the hidden place (so it may be read) comes the whirlwind; it turns round, and so it is hard to say from which point it comes but it comes from the secret chamber, as the word signifies, which I am not so willing to understand of the south, because he says here (Job 37:17) that the wind out of the south is so far from being a whirlwind that it is a warming, quieting, wind. But at this time, perhaps, Elihu saw a whirlwind-cloud coming out of the south and making towards them, out of which the Lord spoke soon after, Job 38:1. Or, if turbulent winds which bring showers come out of the south, cold and drying blasts come out of the north to scatter the vapours and clear the air of them.
III. In the frost, Job 37:10. See the cause of it: It is given by the breath of God, that is, by the word of his power and the command of his will; or, as some understand it, by the wind, which is the breath of God, as the thunder is his voice; it is caused by the cold freezing wind out of the north. See the effect of it: The breadth of the waters is straitened, that is, the waters that had spread themselves, and flowed with liberty, are congealed, benumbed, arrested, bound up in crystal fetters. This is such an instance of the power of God as, if it were not common, would be next to a miracle.
IV. In the clouds, the womb where all these watery meteors are conceived, of which he had spoken, Job 36:28. Three sorts of clouds he here speaks of: - 1. Close, black, thick clouds, pregnant with showers; and these with watering he wearies (Job 37:11), that is, they spend themselves, and are exhausted by the rain into which they melt and are dissolved, pouring out water till they are weary and can pour out no more. See what pains, as I may say, the creatures, even those above us, take to serve man: the clouds water the earth till they are weary; they spend and are spent for our benefit, which shames and condemns us for the little good we do in our places, though it would be to our own advantage, for he that watereth shall be watered also himself. 2. Bright thin clouds, clouds without water; and these he scattereth; they are dispersed of themselves, and not dissolved into rain, but what becomes of them we know not. The bright cloud, in the evening, when the sky is red, is scattered, and proves an earnest of a fair day, Mat 16:2. 3. Flying clouds, which do not dissolve, as the thick cloud, into a close rain, but are carried upon the wings of the wind from place to place, dropping showers as they go; and these are said to be turned round about by his counsels, Job 37:12. The common people say that the rain is determined by the planets, which is as bad divinity as it is philosophy, for it is guided and governed by the counsel of God, which extends even to those things that seem most casual and minute, that they may do whatsoever he commands them; for the stormy winds, and the clouds that are driven by them, fulfil his word; and by this means he causes it to rain upon one city and not upon another, Amo 4:7, Amo 4:8. Thus his will is done upon the face of the world in the earth, that is, among the children of men, to whom God has an eye in all these things, of whom it is said that he made them to dwell on the face of the earth, Act 17:26. The inferior creatures, being incapable of doing moral actions, are incapable of receiving rewards and punishments: but, among the children of men, God causes the rain to come, either for the correction of his land or for a mercy to it, Job 37:13. (1.) Rain sometimes turns into a judgment. It is a scourge to a sinful land; as once it was for the destruction of the whole world, so it is now often for the correction or discipline of some parts of it, by hindering seedness and harvest, raising the waters, and damaging the fruits. Some have said that our nation has received much more prejudice by the excess of rain than by the want of it. (2.) At other times it is a blessing. It is for his land, that this may be made fruitful; and, besides that which is just necessary, he gives for mercy, to fatten it and make it more fruitful. See what a necessary dependence we have upon God, when the very same thing, according to the proportion in which it is given, may be either a great judgment or a great mercy, and without God we cannot have either a shower or a fair gleam.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 6–13. Public domain.
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Gregory the DialogistAD 604
MORALS ON THE BOOK OF JOB 27.51
“A tempest will come forth from the inner parts, and cold from Arcturus.” When holy Scripture mentions the inner parts, in opposition to Arcturus, it designates the quarter of the south, opposite to the parts of the north. Hence it is written in this same book, “Who makes Arcturus and the Orions and the inner parts of the south?” Because then the sun pervades with greater warmth the inner parts of the south, but it does not pursue its course at all in the north, by the word “inner parts” in this place is expressed the Jewish people, and by the term “Arcturus” the Gentile people. For they who had known the one and invisible God and obeyed his law, at least carnally, were kept, as it were, in the warmth of faith, under the glow of the midday sun. But because the Gentiles had not attained to any knowledge of heavenly wisdom, they were remaining, as it were, in the cold without the sun under the north. Moreover, a tempest impels, but cold oppresses with torpor. It is now rightly said, “A tempest will come forth from the inner parts, and cold from Arcturus.” As if it were plainly said, From the Jews there arises persecuting malice, and from the Gentiles oppressing power.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
51. When Holy Scripture mentions the inner parts, in opposition to Arcturus, it designates the quarter of the South, opposite to the parts of the North. Whence it is written in this same book; Who maketh Arcturus, and the Orions, and the inner parts of the South. [Job 9, 9] Because then the sun pervades with greater warmth the inner parts of the South, but does not pursue its course at all in the North [‘in Arcturo.’], by the word ‘inner parts’ in this place is expressed the Jewish people, but by the term ‘Arcturus’ the Gentile people. For they who had known the One and Invisible God, and obeyed His Law, at least carnally, were kept, as it were, in the warmth of faith, under the glow of the midday sun. But because the Gentiles had not attained to any knowledge of heavenly wisdom, they were remaining, as it were, in the cold, without the sun, under the North. But because a tempest impels, but cold oppresses with torpor; it is now rightly said, A tempest will come forth from the inner parts, and cold from Arcturus. As if it were plainly said; From the Jews there arises persecuting malice, and from the Gentiles oppressing power. For the precepts of the Law had not forbidden the performance of miracles, and yet the Jews sought to kill the Redeemer of the human race on account of these very miracles. And hence when unable to fulfil what they had begun, they flocked to the hall of Pilate, in order that he, whom no law could restrain when murdering unjustly, might himself put Him to death. A tempest therefore came forth from the inner parts, and cold from Arcturus, whilst the Gentile judge perpetrated with the authority of Rome, that which the Jews requested through envy.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Job 37:9, nestled within Elihu's profound and climactic discourse, powerfully articulates God's absolute and meticulous sovereignty over the vast forces of nature. It vividly portrays the divine command over the powerful, often destructive, winds originating from the southern desert regions and the chilling, life-altering cold that emanates from the northern territories. This verse stands as a compelling and humbling testament to the Creator's incomprehensible power, intricate wisdom, and pervasive control, inviting humanity to a posture of awe and submission before His majestic and unsearchable works.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Elihu's profound statement in Job 37:9 masterfully employs Juxtaposition and Merism to convey God's absolute and comprehensive sovereignty over the natural world. The immediate contrast between the "whirlwind" arriving from the "south" and "cold" emanating from the "north" creates a vivid and powerful image of opposing forces, yet both are presented as originating from and being commanded by divine will. This Juxtaposition serves to emphasize the vast breadth of God's control, extending from the most violent and hot atmospheric phenomena to the most chilling and life-altering. Furthermore, this pairing functions as a sophisticated form of Merism, where two contrasting parts are used to represent the entirety of a concept; "south" and "north" encompass all cardinal directions, and "whirlwind" and "cold" represent the full spectrum of atmospheric conditions. This rhetorical strategy effectively communicates that all weather, originating from every direction and encompassing every type, is meticulously and sovereignly under God's hand, thereby reinforcing His incomprehensible power, wisdom, and omnipresent governance.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 37:9 powerfully articulates the foundational biblical truth of God's absolute and pervasive sovereignty over creation, particularly the formidable forces of nature. Elihu's compelling argument is that if humanity, with all its ingenuity, cannot fully comprehend or control the intricate workings of the weather, how much less can they presume to grasp the profound and mysterious ways of the Almighty God? This verse profoundly reinforces the theological concept that God is not merely a distant, initial creator but an active, immanent, and meticulous ruler who orchestrates every detail of the cosmos, including seemingly chaotic and unpredictable weather patterns. It serves as a profound challenge to human presumption and invites a posture of deep humility, awe, and worship before the Creator, reminding us that even the most powerful natural phenomena are precisely calibrated instruments in His hands, serving His perfect purposes, whether for blessing, sustenance, or judgment. This divine control over nature is a recurring and central theme throughout the entirety of Scripture, testifying unequivocally to God's omnipotence, infinite wisdom, and His unwavering ability to use all elements to accomplish His sovereign will.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 37:9 calls us to a profound and transformative re-evaluation of our relationship with the natural world and, more importantly, with its magnificent Creator. In an era where rapid technological advancements often foster an illusion of human control and mastery over our environment, this verse serves as a sobering, yet majestic, reminder of God's ultimate, unchallengeable authority. It compels us to cultivate a deeper and more abiding sense of humility, recognizing that our understanding, our power, and our control are profoundly finite when compared to the infinite wisdom and boundless might of God, who effortlessly commands even the most formidable and seemingly untamed forces of nature. This profound humility should naturally lead to an unwavering trust in His divine providence, cultivating the assurance that whether we encounter the "whirlwind" of life's most tumultuous challenges or the "cold" of its most biting hardships, all circumstances are ultimately under His sovereign hand, meticulously working according to His perfect and benevolent will. Such a perspective fosters genuine and heartfelt worship, inspiring us to stand in reverent awe of the God whose power is truly beyond our comprehension, yet who graciously sustains, governs, and directs all things for His supreme glory and our ultimate good.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the "south" and "north" in this verse, and why are these specific directions mentioned?
Answer: The specific mention of "south" and "north" in Job 37:9 is profoundly significant because it reflects the typical weather patterns and the precise geographical understanding prevalent in the ancient Near East. Winds originating from the south (Hebrew: cheder, here an idiom for the south, but often associated with the desert regions of Arabia) were commonly known to be hot, dry, and frequently brought violent desert winds, such as the khamsin or sirocco, which could generate intense heat, dust storms, and the destructive force of a "whirlwind" (Hebrew: çûwphâh). Conversely, winds from the north (Hebrew: mᵉzâreh, literally "scatterer," referring to the north wind, typically from mountainous regions like Lebanon or Syria) consistently brought colder, often rain- or snow-bearing air masses, hence the "cold" (Hebrew: qârâh). By referencing these two opposing cardinal directions and their distinct, characteristic weather phenomena, Elihu powerfully emphasizes God's comprehensive and absolute control over all atmospheric conditions. This demonstrates His complete sovereignty over creation, from every direction and of every nature, grounding his profound theological point in observable and undeniable reality for his original audience.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Job 37:9 speaks profoundly of God's general sovereignty over creation, its ultimate fulfillment and deepest redemptive meaning are found perfectly embodied in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The very God who commands the whirlwind and the cold is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and for whom all things were created, and in whom all things hold together (Colossians 1:16-17). Jesus Himself, during His earthly ministry, powerfully demonstrated this divine authority over nature, famously calming a furious storm on the Sea of Galilee with a mere word, causing His awestruck disciples to marvel, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" (Matthew 8:27). He is the one who "upholds the universe by the word of his power" (Hebrews 1:3), ensuring that even the most chaotic and formidable forces of nature ultimately serve His sovereign redemptive purposes. The "whirlwind" of God's righteous judgment and the "cold" of humanity's spiritual despair ultimately find their profound resolution in Him, who bore the full wrath of God on the cross, making a way for reconciliation, peace, and eternal life for all who believe (Romans 5:1-2). Thus, Job 37:9 points forward to the cosmic Christ, the incarnate Lord, who embodies and exercises the very power over creation that Elihu attributes to God, inviting us not only to stand in awe but to worship and place our trust in the One who is Lord over all—both nature and salvation itself (Philippians 2:9-11).