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Job 38:28

“The Treasures of Snow, Hail, and Weather”· Job 38:22–35Read in context
King James Version
Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
KJV (with Strong's)
Hath H3426 the rain H4306 a father H1? or who hath begotten H3205 the drops H96 of dew H2919?
Complete Jewish Bible
Does the rain have a father? Who is the father of dewdrops?
Berean Standard Bible
Does the rain have a father? Who has begotten the drops of dew?
American Standard Version
Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
World English Bible Messianic
Does the rain have a father? Or who fathers the drops of dew?
Geneva Bible (1599)
Who is the father of the rayne? or who hath begotten the droppes of the dewe?
Young's Literal Translation
Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
Tagalog · ADB
May ama ba ang ulan? O sinong nanganak sa mga patak ng hamog?
Translation
See on the biblical-era map
In the KJVVerse 13,822 of 31,102 · 44.4%

Study this verse

Summary

Job 38:28 presents a profound rhetorical challenge from God, emerging from the whirlwind to confront Job's limited human understanding. Through the questions, "Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?", God highlights that the origins and intricate formation of even the most common and vital natural phenomena—rain and dew—are entirely beyond human comprehension, control, or independent causation. This serves as a majestic demonstration of God's singular, sovereign wisdom, omnipotence, and meticulous, active involvement in sustaining His creation, ultimately designed to humble Job and all humanity before the Creator's unfathomable ways and absolute authority.

Context

Literary Context

Job 38:28 is strategically placed within the opening of God's first direct discourse to Job, spanning Job 38-39. This divine speech marks a dramatic turning point in the book, following Job's final lament and the exhaustive, yet ultimately insufficient, theological debates of his friends and Elihu concerning suffering and divine justice. Rather than directly addressing Job's complaints or justifying His actions in human terms, God immediately challenges Job's presumption to question divine wisdom with the piercing inquiry, "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?" (Job 38:2). God then embarks on a breathtaking tour of creation, systematically highlighting the intricate workings of the cosmos, from laying the earth's foundations (Job 38:4-7) to controlling the mysteries of the sea, light, darkness, and various meteorological phenomena. The rhetorical questions in verse 28 regarding rain and dew are integral to this sustained divine interrogation, meticulously crafted to expose the vast chasm between finite human knowledge and infinite divine omniscience, thereby preparing Job for a transformative encounter with God's unassailable sovereignty.

Historical & Cultural Context

In the ancient Near East, particularly within the arid or semi-arid climate of the biblical lands (including the traditional setting of Job in Edom), rain and dew were not merely atmospheric occurrences but were universally recognized as indispensable, life-sustaining provisions. Rainfall was absolutely critical for successful agriculture, pasturage, and the very survival of human and animal life; prolonged drought was a constant existential threat and often interpreted as a sign of divine judgment, while abundant rain was an unambiguous mark of divine blessing. Dew, though seemingly less dramatic, was equally vital, especially during rainless seasons, providing essential moisture for vegetation. Unlike the surrounding polytheistic cultures, which frequently attributed weather phenomena to a pantheon of deities (e.g., Baal as the storm god, controlling fertility and rain), the Israelite worldview, profoundly articulated in the book of Job, unequivocally asserted that Yahweh alone held absolute dominion over all elements of nature. The rhetorical questions about the "father" of rain and the "begetter" of dew directly refute any notion of independent natural forces or rival divine powers, powerfully reinforcing the exclusive, singular sovereignty of the one true God over all creation.

Key Themes

Job 38:28 significantly contributes to several profound themes central to the book of Job and broader biblical theology. Foremost among these is Divine Sovereignty and Omnipotence, which underscores God's absolute, unchallenged control over every facet of creation, especially the meteorological processes essential for life. Rain and dew are depicted as having God alone as their ultimate "father" or originator, emphasizing His active, personal, and meticulous involvement in sustaining the world. This verse also powerfully highlights Human Ignorance and Humility. By posing questions Job cannot possibly answer, God vividly demonstrates the profound limitations of human understanding and wisdom when contrasted with His infinite knowledge. It serves as a divine call for humanity to recognize its finite place before the Creator, fostering a spirit of reverent awe and humble submission, a posture Job ultimately embraces in Job 42:1-6. Furthermore, the verse illuminates the Mystery and Intricacy of Creation. Even seemingly common and everyday occurrences like rainfall and dew formation are presented as profound mysteries that bear witness to the unfathomable wisdom, precision, and artistry of God's design. This theme encourages a deep and abiding appreciation for the wonders of the natural world as a continuous, tangible revelation of God's glory and power.

Exposition and Analysis

Key Word Analysis

Hath yêsh' H3426

This word, often translated as "is" or "are," functions here as an interrogative, implying existence or possession. In the context of "Hath the rain a father?", it challenges the very notion of an independent origin or humanly discernible source for rain. God is rhetorically asking if rain possesses a "father" in the conventional sense, thereby asserting that no such earthly or created entity exists, and only He is its ultimate source. It underscores the rhetorical nature of the question, demanding a recognition of divine causation.

Father ʼâb' H1

A fundamental Hebrew word, "father" denotes the ultimate source, originator, or cause. In this profound rhetorical question, it signifies not merely a progenitor but the one who establishes, sustains, and exercises complete control. By asking if rain has a "father," God emphatically asserts that no created being, natural process, or pagan deity can claim to be the independent source of rain; only God Himself occupies that unique, exclusive role. This term powerfully emphasizes divine causation, personal involvement, and absolute authority, directly contrasting with any deistic or polytheistic view of a detached or shared creator.

Begotten yâlad' H3205

This primitive root means "to bear young," "to bring forth," or "to produce." When applied to the "drops of dew," it highlights the deliberate, intentional, and precise act of creation and formation. Dew is not a random or spontaneous occurrence but is specifically "begotten" or brought into existence through God's direct will and intricate design. The use of this term, paralleling "father," powerfully reinforces the idea of God as the active, personal, and sole agent behind these natural phenomena, emphasizing His meticulous care, detailed control, and profound artistry over even the smallest, most delicate elements of His creation.

Verse Breakdown

"Hath the rain a father?"

This is a potent rhetorical question, designed not for Job to provide an answer, but to lead him to the inescapable conclusion that only God can be considered the "father" or ultimate source of rain. It directly challenges any human tendency to seek purely naturalistic explanations or to attribute control over this vital phenomenon to anything other than the divine. The question inherently implies that rain does not originate from human effort, an autonomous natural cycle independent of God, or the capricious will of pagan deities. Instead, its very existence and sustenance are solely divine, serving as a powerful demonstration of God's sovereign power over a phenomenon absolutely essential for all life.

"or who hath begotten the drops of dew?"

This second rhetorical question serves as a powerful parallel to the first, reinforcing the same profound truth through the lens of a slightly different, yet equally vital, natural phenomenon. "Drops of dew" are distinct from rain, often appearing in the absence of rainfall and forming in a delicate, almost imperceptible manner. The verb "begotten" emphasizes the precise, intricate, and intentional formation of each individual drop, highlighting God's meticulous attention to detail. Just as rain has no earthly "father," dew has no earthly "begetter." Both questions collectively point to God as the sole, ultimate, and meticulous orchestrator of all weather and atmospheric conditions, demonstrating His comprehensive and detailed control over every aspect of creation, from the grand, life-giving storms to the smallest, most delicate forms of moisture.

Literary Devices

Job 38:28 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its profound theological message and underscore God's unassailable sovereignty. The most prominent is the Rhetorical Question. God poses these questions not to elicit information from Job, but to make an undeniable point and to expose the inherent limitations of Job's (and indeed, all humanity's) knowledge and understanding. By asking "Hath the rain a father?" and "who hath begotten the drops of dew?", God compels Job to confront his utter inability to provide an answer, thereby vividly highlighting the vast, unbridgeable chasm between finite human comprehension and infinite divine wisdom. This device serves powerfully to humble Job and underscore God's incomprehensible and unchallengeable sovereignty. Closely related is Personification, where inanimate natural phenomena are attributed human-like familial roles. Rain is said to have a "father," and dew is "begotten," as if by a parent. This personification serves to emphasize the intentional, purposeful, and profoundly personal origin of these natural elements, attributing their existence directly to a divine "parent" or ultimate originator rather than to impersonal, random forces. Finally, the verse exhibits striking Parallelism, a hallmark feature of Hebrew poetry. The two clauses, "Hath the rain a father?" and "or who hath begotten the drops of dew?", mirror each other in both their grammatical structure and their underlying theological meaning. This repetition with variation powerfully reinforces the central idea that both major and minor forms of precipitation originate solely from the direct, sovereign act of God, adding significant emphasis and poetic force to God's majestic declaration of His absolute control over creation.

Theological and Thematic Connections

Job 38:28 stands as a powerful theological declaration concerning God's active, intimate, and continuous involvement in the natural world, directly challenging any deistic notion that God merely created the world and then withdrew. It profoundly affirms His ongoing providence, demonstrating that even the most common and seemingly mundane aspects of creation, such as the formation of rain and dew, are direct results of His sovereign will, meticulous design, and active sustenance. This verse unequivocally underscores that God is not a distant architect but a present, engaged sustainer, whose wisdom and power are infinitely beyond human comprehension. It calls humanity to a posture of profound humility and reverent awe, compelling us to recognize the vastness of our intellectual limitations and the non-existence of our control over the cosmos, while God's wisdom is boundless and His authority absolute. This profound truth should naturally lead to a deeper, more unwavering trust in His providential care, even and especially in circumstances we cannot understand, knowing that the God who meticulously orchestrates the heavens also holds our lives in His omnipotent hand.

Reflection and Application

Job 38:28 invites us to cultivate a profound and transformative sense of awe and humility before the Creator. In a contemporary world that often seeks to explain every phenomenon through purely naturalistic processes, this verse powerfully reminds us that the ultimate source, intricate design, and ongoing sustenance of creation point unequivocally to a divine mind and an omnipotent hand. It challenges our intellectual pride, urging us to acknowledge the vastness of what we do not know and to humbly embrace the mystery of God's ways. For the believer, this truth fosters a deeper, more resilient trust: if God meticulously orchestrates the rain and dew, which are absolutely essential for physical sustenance, how much more will He care for our spiritual, emotional, and physical needs? This verse encourages us to find profound comfort and security in His unwavering sovereignty, especially when facing trials, uncertainties, or moments where our lives feel chaotic or unpredictable. We are reminded that the same God who governs the immense cosmos is intimately involved in sustaining our individual lives and governing all our circumstances. Ultimately, it calls us to worship Him not only for His immense power but also for His unfathomable wisdom and meticulous care, which are gloriously evident in every single drop of rain and dew.

Questions for Reflection

  1. What specific aspects of creation do I often take for granted that, upon closer, prayerful reflection, reveal God's incredible wisdom, power, and meticulous care?
  2. How does acknowledging God's absolute and comprehensive sovereignty over natural phenomena impact my trust in Him during times when my life feels chaotic, unpredictable, or beyond my control?
  3. In what practical ways does this verse challenge my own intellectual pride or my inherent desire for complete understanding and control over my circumstances?

FAQ

Why does God ask rhetorical questions instead of giving direct answers to Job's suffering?

God's rhetorical questions throughout Job 38-39 serve a crucial, transformative purpose far beyond merely providing factual information. They are meticulously designed to expose the vast, unbridgeable chasm between finite human knowledge and infinite divine omniscience, thereby profoundly humbling Job. God does not directly explain Job's suffering because, in this specific context, the problem of suffering is ultimately secondary to the more fundamental problem of Job's limited perspective on God's majestic governance of the entire universe. By posing questions about the creation, sustenance, and intricate workings of the world—questions that Job cannot possibly answer, such as the origin of rain and dew—God powerfully demonstrates His infinite wisdom, boundless power, and absolute authority, which far transcend Job's capacity to comprehend or challenge. The divine objective is not to justify God's actions to Job in human terms, but rather to re-establish God's unquestionable authority and sovereignty, leading Job to a place of humble, reverent trust and submission rather than continuing to demand explanations or justification.

Christ-Centered Fulfillment

While Job 38:28 speaks majestically of the Creator God's sovereign control over the elements of rain and dew, its ultimate fulfillment and deepest redemptive meaning are gloriously revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The New Testament unequivocally teaches that all things were created through Him and for Him, and indeed, in Him all things hold together and cohere (Colossians 1:16-17). The very "father" of rain and "begetter" of dew is none other than the Triune God, with the Son, the pre-existent Word, serving as the active agent in all creation. Jesus Himself dramatically demonstrated this divine authority over nature, famously calming a raging storm with a mere word, causing His disciples to marvel in profound awe, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" (Mark 4:39-41). This miraculous display directly echoes God's rhetorical questions to Job, revealing that the one who controls the elements is indeed divine, possessing the very power that Job could not comprehend. Furthermore, just as God provides physical sustenance through the provision of rain and dew, Jesus offers the ultimate spiritual sustenance, declaring Himself the "living water" that eternally quenches spiritual thirst (John 4:10-14) and the "bread of life" that satisfies the deepest human hunger (John 6:35). The profound mystery of creation's intricate workings, so powerfully highlighted in Job 38:28, ultimately points forward to the even greater, more glorious mystery of the Incarnation, where the Creator Himself became flesh (John 1:14) to redeem His fallen creation. Thus, the God who meticulously orchestrates every single drop of dew is the very same God who, in Christ, meticulously works all things—even our suffering and trials—for the ultimate good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

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Public-domain commentary

Matthew Henry

From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 38:25–41. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.

1662–1714 · 17 verses
Passage under commentJob 38:25–41
I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points(1.) (2.) Details[1.] [2.] Fine details

Hitherto God had put such questions to Job as were proper to convince him of his ignorance and short-sightedness. Now he comes, in the same manner, to show his impotency and weakness. As it is but little that he knows, and therefore he ought not to arraign the divine counsels, so it is but little that he can do, and therefore he ought not to oppose the proceedings of Providence. Let him consider what great things God does, and try whether he can do the like, or whether he thinks himself an equal match for him.

I.God has thunder, and lightning, and rain, and frost, at command, but Job has not, and therefore let him not dare to compare himself with God, or to contend with him. Nothing is more uncertain than what weather it shall be, nor more out of our reach to appoint; it shall be what weather pleases God, not what pleases us, unless, as becomes us, whatever pleases God pleases us. Concerning this observe here,

1.How great God is.

(1.)He has a sovereign dominion over the waters, has appointed them their course, even then when they seem to overflow and to be from under his check, Job 38:25. He has divided a water-course, directs the rain where to fall, even when the shower is most violent, with as much certainty as if it were conveyed by canals or conduit-pipes. Thus the hearts of kings are said to be in God's hand; and as the rains, those rivers of God, he turns them whithersoever he will. Every drop goes as it is directed. God has sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more return to cover the earth; and we see that he is able to make good what he has promised, for he has the rain in a water-course.

(2.)He has dominion over the lightning and the thunder, which go not at random, but in the way that he directs them. They are mentioned here because he prepares the lightnings for the rain, Psa 135:7. Let not those that fear God be afraid of the lightning or the thunder, for they are not blind bullets, but go the way that God himself, who means no hurt to them, directs.

(3.)In directing the course of the rain he does not neglect the wilderness, the desert land (Job 38:26, Job 38:27), where no man is.

[1.]Where there is no man to be employed in taking care of the productions. God's providence reaches further than man's industry. If he had not more kindness for many of the inferior creatures than man has, it would go ill with them. God can make the earth fruitful without any art or pains of ours, Gen 2:5, Gen 2:6. When there was not a man to till the ground, yet there went up a mist and watered it. But we cannot make it fruitful without God; it is he that gives the increase.

[2.]Where there is no man to be provided for nor to take the benefit of the fruits that are produced. Though God does with very peculiar favour visit and regard man, yet he does not overlook the inferior creatures, but causes the bud of the tender herb to spring forth for food for all flesh, as well as for the service of man. Even the wild asses shall have their thirst quenched, Psa 104:11. God has enough for all, and wonderfully provides even for those creatures that man neither has service from nor makes provision for.

(4.)He is, in a sense, the Father of the rain, Job 38:28. It has no other father. He produces it by his power; he governs and directs it, and makes what use he pleases of it. Even the small drops of the dew he distils upon the earth, as the God of nature; and, as the God of grace, he rains righteousness upon us and is himself as the dew unto Israel. See Hos 14:5, Hos 14:6; Mic 5:7.

(5.)The ice and the frost, by which the waters are congealed and the earth incrustrated, are produced by his providence, Job 38:29, Job 38:30. These are very common things, which lessens the strangeness of them. But, considering what a vast change is made by them in a very little time, how the waters are hid as with a stone, as with a grave-stone, laid upon them (so thick, so strong, is the ice that covers them), and the face even of the deep is sometimes frozen, we may well ask, "Out of whose womb came the ice? What created power could produce such a wonderful work?" No power but that of the Creator himself. Frost and snow come from him, and therefore should lead our thoughts and meditations to him who does such great things, past finding out. And we shall the more easily bear the inconveniences of winter-weather if we learn to make this good use of it.

2.How weak man is. Can he do such things as these? Could Job? No, v. 34, 35.

(1.)He cannot command one shower of rain for the relief of himself or his friends: "Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, those bottles of heaven, that abundance of waters may cover thee, to water thy fields when they are dry and parched?" If we lift up our voice to God, to pray for rain, we may have it (Zac 10:1); but if we lift up our voice to the clouds, to demand it, they will soon tell us they are not at our beck, and we shall go without it, Jer 14:22. The heavens will not her the earth unless God hear them, Hos 2:21. See what poor, indigent, depending creatures we are; we cannot do without rain, nor can we have it when we will.

(2.)He cannot commission one flash of lightning, if he had a mind to make use of it for the terror of his enemies (Job 38:35): "Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go on thy errand, and do the execution thou desirest? Will they come at thy call, and say unto thee, Here we are?" No, the ministers of God's wrath will not be ministers of ours. Why should they, since the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God? See Luk 9:55.

II.God has the stars of heaven under his command and cognizance, but we have them not under ours.

Our meditations are now to rise higher, far above the clouds, to the glorious lights above. God mentions particularly, not the planets, which move in lower orbs, but the fixed stars, which are much higher. It is supposed that they have an influence upon this earth, notwithstanding their vast distance, not upon the minds of men or the events of providence (men's fate is not determined by their stars), but upon the ordinary course of nature; they are set for signs and seasons, for days and years, Gen 1:14. And if the stars have such a dominion over this earth (Job 38:33), though they have their place in the heavens and are but mere matter, much more has he who is their Maker and ours, and who is an Eternal Mind. Now see how weak we are.

1.We cannot alter the influences of the stars (Job 38:31), not theirs that are instrumental to produce the pleasures of the spring: Canst thou loose the bands of Orion? - that magnificent constellation which makes so great a figure (none greater), and dispenses rough and unpleasing influences, which we cannot control nor repel. Both summer and winter will have their course. God can change them when he pleases, can make the spring cold, and so bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, and the winter warm, and so loose the bands of Orion; but we cannot.

2.It is not in our power to order the motions of the stars, nor are we entrusted with the guidance of them. God, who calls the stars by their names (Psa 147:4), calls them forth in their respective seasons, appointing them the time of their rising and setting. But this is not our province; we cannot bring forth Mazzaroth - the stars in the southern signs, nor guide Arcturus - those in the northern, Job 38:32. God can bring forth the stars to battle (as he did when in their courses they fought against Sisera) and guide them in the attacks they are ordered to make; but man cannot do so.

3.We are not only unconcerned in the government of the stars (the government they are under, and the government they are entrusted with, for they both rule and are ruled), but utterly unacquainted with it; we know not the ordinances of heaven, Job 38:33. So far are we from being able to change them that we can give no account of them; they are a secret to us. Shall we then pretend to know God's counsels, and the reasons of them? If it were left to us to set the dominion of the stars upon the earth, we should soon be at a loss. Shall we then teach God how to govern the world?

III.God is the author and giver, the father and fountain, of all wisdom and understanding, Job 38:36.

The souls of men are nobler and more excellent beings than the stars of heaven themselves, and shine more brightly. The powers and faculties of reason with which man is endued, and the wonderful performances of thought, bring him into some alliance to the blessed angels; and whence comes this light, but from the Father of lights? Who else has put wisdom into the inner parts of man, and given understanding to the heart?

1.The rational soul itself, and its capacities, come from him as the God of nature; for he forms the spirit of man within him. We did not make our own souls, nor can we describe how they act, nor how they are united to our bodies. He only that made them knows them, and knows how to manage them. He fashioneth men's hearts alike in some things, and yet unlike in others.

2.True wisdom, with its furniture and improvement, comes from him as the God of grace and the Father of every good and perfect gift. Shall we pretend to be wiser than God, when we have all our wisdom from him? Nay, shall we pretend to be wise above our sphere, and beyond the limits which he that gave us our understanding sets to it? He designed we should with it serve God and do our duty, but never intended we should with it set up for directors of the stars or the lightning.

IV.God has the clouds under his cognizance and government, but so have not we, Job 38:37.

Can any man, with all his wisdom, undertake to number the clouds, or (as it may be read) to declare and describe the nature of them? Though they are near us, in our own atmosphere, yet we know little more of them than of the stars which are at so great a distance. And when the clouds have poured down rain in abundance, so that the dust grows into solid mire and the clods cleave fast together (Job 38:38), who can stay the bottles of heaven? Who can stop them, that it may not always rain? The power and goodness of God are herein to be acknowledged, that he gives the earth rain enough, but does not surfeit it, softens it, but does not drown it, makes it fit for the plough, but not unfit for the seed. As we cannot command a shower of rain, so we cannot command a fair day, without God; so necessary, so constant, is our dependence upon him.

V.God provides food for the inferior creatures, and it is by his providence, not by any care or pains of ours, that they are fed.

The following chapter is wholly taken up with the instances of God's power and goodness about animals, and therefore some transfer to it the last three verses of this chapter, which speak of the provision made,

1.For the lions, Job 38:39, Job 38:40. "Thou dost not pretend that the clouds and stars have any dependence upon thee, for they are above thee; but on the earth thou thinkest thyself paramount; let us try that then: Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? Thou valuest thyself upon thy possessions of cattle which thou wast once owner of, the oxen, and asses, and camels, that were fed at thy crib; but wilt thou undertake the maintenance of the lions, and the young lions, when they couch in their dens, waiting for a prey? No, needest not do it, they can shift for themselves without thee: thou canst not do it, for thou hast not wherewithal to satisfy them: thou darest not do it; shouldst thou come to feed them, they would seize upon thee. But I do it." See the all-sufficiency of the divine providence: it has wherewithal to satisfy the desire of every living thing, even the most ravenous. See the bounty of the divine Providence, that, wherever it has given life, it will give livelihood, even to those creatures that are not only not serviceable, but dangerous, to man. And see its sovereignty, that it suffers some creatures to be killed for the support of other creatures. The harmless sheep are torn to pieces, to fill the appetite of the young lions, who yet sometimes are made to lack and suffer hunger, to punish them for their cruelty, while those that fear God want no good thing.

2.For the young ravens, Job 38:41. As ravenous beasts, so ravenous birds, are fed by the divine Providence. Who but God provides for the raven his food? Man does not; he takes care only of those creatures that are, or may be, useful to him. But God has a regard to all the works of his hands, even the meanest and least valuable. The ravens' young ones are in a special manner necessitous, and God supplies them, Psa 147:9. God's feeding the fowls, especially these fowls (Mat 6:26), is an encouragement to us to trust him for our daily bread. See here,

(1.)What distress the young ravens are often in: They wander for lack of meat. The old ones, they say, neglect them, and do not provide for them as other birds do for their young: and indeed those that are ravenous to others are commonly barbarous to their own, and unnatural.

(2.)What they are supposed to do in that distress: They cry, for they are noisy clamorous creatures, and this is interpreted as crying to God. It being the cry of nature, it is looked upon as directed to the God of nature. The putting of so favourable a construction as this upon the cries of the young ravens may encourage us in our prayers, though we can but cry, Abba, Father.

(3.)What God does for them. Some way or other he provides for them, so that they grow up, and come to maturity. And he that takes this care of the young ravens certainly will not be wanting to his people or theirs. This, being but one instance of many of the divine compassion, may give us occasion to think how much good our God does, every day, beyond what we are aware of.

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Historical interpretation

Two Centuries of Reception

2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.

2 quotes · AD 407–604
Post-NiceneEarly Medieval
400500600

Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.

AD 407John ChrysostomPost-NiceneSourceCOMMENTARY ON JOB 38:28A-29A
God does not want to say that it comes out from his womb, God forbid! But then what do the words about “begetting” and “womb” mean in this context? As when the author said about the sea, “When its mother begot it,” he did not mean that it has a mother; so here he does not mean that [ice] came forth [literally] from God’s womb, but he wants to speak about its formation and origin.… Why then did he constantly use here the words about “begetting”? In my opinion he wants to allude to the One who is the first and only cause of everything and to the fact that creatures were shaped even before being completely perfected.
AD 604Gregory the DialogistEarly Medieval
54. As if He were saying, Except Myself, Who sprinkle, of My free grace, the barren earth of the human heart with drops of knowledge. For of this rain is said elsewhere, Thou wilt set apart, O God, a voluntary rain for thine inheritance. [Ps. 68, 9] For God sets apart a voluntary rain for His inheritance, because He grants it to us, not for own deserts, but from the bounty of His own benignity. And He is in this place called the father of this rain, for this reason, because His heavenly preaching is begotten in us, not for our merits, but from His grace. For the drops of dew, are the holy preachers themselves, who water the fields of our breast, (parched amid the evils of the present life, as though amid the gloom of a dry night,) with the grace of bounty from above. Of these drops it is said to obstinate Judah; Therefore the drops of rains have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain. [Jer. 3, 3] For the drops of dew are the same as the drops of rains. For when they soften down their preaching by any accommodation, they sprinkle, as it were, the tender dew. But when they say what they think of heavenly things, with the power with which they are strong, they pour forth, as it were, the flowing rain abundantly. Paul was sprinkling the dew, when saying to the Corinthians, For I determined to know nothing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. [1 Cor. 2, 2] And again he was pouring forth the rain, saying, O ye Corinthians, our mouth is opened unto you, our heart is enlarged. [2 Cor. 6, 11] Hence it is, that Moses, who knew that he would say bold things to the strong, and gentle to the weak, observed, Let my speech be waited for as the rain, and let my words descend as the dew. [Deut. 32, 2]
But, lo! we have heard with what favour the Gentiles are called, let us now hear with what severity Judah is rejected. We have heard how He cultivates what is desert, and waters what is barren: let us now hear how He casts forth those which seem to be, as it were, within. For He does not so gather His Elect, as not also to judge the reprobate; nor does He so forgive faults to some persons, as not to punish them in some also. For it is written, For mercy and wrath come from Him. Whence here also, after He had introduced so many gifts of grace, He conceals not the judgments of His wrath.
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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