Job 37:15

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

Dost thou know {H3045} when God {H433} disposed {H7760} them, and caused the light {H216} of his cloud {H6051} to shine {H3313}?

Do you know how God puts them in place, how he causes lightning to flash from his cloud?

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

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

Commentary

Job 37:15 is part of Elihu’s lengthy discourse to Job, where he challenges Job’s understanding of God’s power, wisdom, and justice. In this rhetorical question, Elihu confronts Job with the incomprehensible nature of God's control over the natural world, specifically the weather and light phenomena.

Context

This verse is found within Elihu's final speech (Job chapters 32-37), which serves as a prelude to God's direct address to Job from the whirlwind. Throughout his discourse, Elihu aims to defend God's righteousness and sovereignty, correcting what he perceives as Job's presumption and limited perspective. In chapter 37, Elihu extensively describes God's awesome power manifest in natural elements like snow, rain, thunder, and lightning, emphasizing that human understanding cannot fully grasp the intricate workings of divine providence in creation. Elihu's questions, like the one in Job 36:26, continually highlight the vast gap between God's infinite knowledge and human finite comprehension.

Key Themes

  • Divine Omniscience and Omnipotence: The core message is God's absolute control over every aspect of creation, from the precise arrangement of clouds to the stunning display of lightning. Elihu posits that humans cannot possibly know "when God disposed them," highlighting His unmatched wisdom and power.
  • Human Limitation and Ignorance: The rhetorical question underscores humanity's profound inability to comprehend the intricate mechanisms of the natural world, let alone the divine mind behind them. This theme serves to humble Job and, by extension, all humanity, before the Creator.
  • God's Majesty in Creation: The natural world, with its awe-inspiring phenomena, is presented as a testament to God's glory and majesty. The "light of his cloud" is not merely a physical event but a manifestation of God's glorious presence and power, echoing instances like the glory cloud in the wilderness that signified His presence.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word translated "disposed" is 'arakh (עָרַךְ), which means "to arrange," "to set in order," or "to prepare." This implies a deliberate, methodical, and purposeful ordering of the clouds and weather systems by God, not a random occurrence. The phrase "the light of his cloud to shine" (אוֹר עֲנָנוֹ - 'or 'anano) most commonly refers to lightning, a powerful and sudden illumination from dark clouds. However, it can also carry the connotation of the radiant light of God's glory or presence breaking forth from within or through the clouds, emphasizing a divine revelation through natural phenomena.

Practical Application

Job 37:15 calls us to a posture of humility and awe before the Creator. In a world that often seeks to explain everything through natural laws, this verse reminds us that the ultimate source and sustainer of these laws is God Himself. It encourages us to:

  • Cultivate Humility: Recognize the vastness of God's knowledge and power compared to our own limited understanding.
  • Trust in Divine Providence: Even when we don't understand the "why" or "how" of life's circumstances, we can trust that God is arranging all things with purpose, just as He disposes the clouds and causes His light to shine.
  • Find Awe in Creation: See the natural world not just as a scientific phenomenon, but as a continuous display of God's magnificent artistry and power, prompting worship and reverence. The Psalmist similarly marvels at God's control over elements like vapors, lightning, and winds.
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Cross-References

  • Isaiah 40:26 (2 votes)

    Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these [things], that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that [he is] strong in power; not one faileth.

  • Job 28:24 (2 votes)

    For he looketh to the ends of the earth, [and] seeth under the whole heaven;

  • Job 28:27 (2 votes)

    Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

  • Job 36:30 (2 votes)

    Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.

  • Job 36:32 (2 votes)

    With clouds he covereth the light; and commandeth it [not to shine] by [the cloud] that cometh betwixt.

  • Job 37:11 (2 votes)

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

  • Psalms 119:90 (2 votes)

    Thy faithfulness [is] unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.