Job 36:30

Old Testament Wisdom/Poetry ASV (1901)

What does Job 36:30 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Behold, he spreadeth his light around him; And he covereth the bottom of the sea.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Behold, he spreadeth his light around him; And he covereth the bottom of the sea.
Job 36:30 — American Standard Version

Context — Job 36

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
30Behold, he spreadeth his light around him; And he covereth the bottom of the sea.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, etc.] Upon his tabernacle; that is, upon the clouds, which are his tabernacle; either the light of the sun, whereby the clouds are dispersed and blotted out; an emblem of the blotting out of sin, or the forgiveness of it, (<234422>Isaiah 44:22), which is like a clear shining after rain, (<102304>2 Samuel 23:4), or on a thin cloud, whereby the rainbow is formed, an emblem of peace and reconciliation by Christ; or lightning, which bursting out of the dark cloud is spread over it, when it seems to be all in flames. Cocceius renders it, “he spreads the light about himself”; God spreads it about himself, clothing himself with light as with a garment, and…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“light--lightning. it--His tabernacle (Job 36:29). The light, in an instant spread over the vast mass of dark clouds, forms a striking picture. spread--is repeated from Job 36:29 to form an antithesis. "He spreads not only clouds, but light." covereth the bottom--roots. of the sea--namely, with the light. In the storm the depths of ocean are laid bare; and the light "covers" them, at the same moment that it "spreads" across the dark sky. So in Psa 18:14-15, the discovering of "the channels of waters" follows the "lightnings." UMBREIT translates: "He spreadeth His light upon Himself, and covereth Himself with the roots of the sea" (Psa 104:2). God's garment is woven of celestial light and of…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it - That is, upon his tabernacle or dwelling-place - the clouds. The allusion is to lightning, which flashes in a moment over the whole heavens. The image is exceedingly beautiful and graphic. The idea of “spreading out” the light in an instant over the whole of the darkened heavens, is that which Elihu had in his mind, and which impressed him so forcibly. On the difficulty in regard to the translation of the Septuagint here, see Schleusner on the word ἡδὼ hēdō. And covereth the bottom of the sea - Margin, “roots.” The word roots is used to denote the bottom, as being the lowest part of a thing - as the roots of a tree. The meaning is that he covers…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Light - The lightning; fitly God's light, because God only can light it. It - Upon the cloud, which is in a manner the candlestick in which God sets up this light. The sea - The lightning spreads far and wide over all the parts of the sea, and pierceth deep, reaching even to the bottom of it. Job 36:31”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“he: Job 38:25, Job 38:34, Job 38:35; Luk 17:24 and: Job 38:8-11; Gen 1:9; Exo 14:22, Exo 14:28, Exo 15:4, Exo 15:5; Psa 18:11-16, Psa 104:5-9 bottom: Heb. roots Job 36:31”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“30 Behold, He spreadeth His light over Himself, And the roots of the sea He covereth. 31 For thereby He judgeth peoples, He giveth food in abundance. 32 Both hands He covereth over with light, And directeth it as one who hitteth the mark. 33 His noise announceth Him, The cattle even that He is approaching. A few expositors (Hirz., Hahn, Schlottm.) understand the celestial ocean, or the sea of the upper waters, by ים, Job 36:30; but it is more than questionable (vid., on Job 9:8) whether ים is used anywhere in this sense. Others as (Umbr., Ew.) the masses of water drawn up to the sky out of the depths of the sea, on which a Persian passage cited by Stick. (who, however, regards the Waw of…”
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Sources and verification