Job 37:11

Old Testament Wisdom/Poetry ASV (1901)

What does Job 37:11 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Yea, he ladeth the thick cloud with moisture; He spreadeth abroad the cloud of his lightning:” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Yea, he ladeth the thick cloud with moisture; He spreadeth abroad the cloud of his lightning:
Job 37:11 — American Standard Version

Context — Job 37

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
11Yea, he ladeth the thick cloud with moisture; He spreadeth abroad the cloud of his lightning:

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud, etc.] By filling it with a multitude of water, it is as it were loaded and made weary with it; and especially by sending it about thus loaded from place to place before discharged, when it becomes as a weary traveller; and then by letting down the water in it, whereby it spends itself like one that is weary; an emblem of ministers that spend and are spent for the good of men: some render it by serenity or fair weather, and so Mr. Broughton, “by clearness he wearieth the thick vapours;” by causing a clear sky he dispels them; he scattereth his bright cloud; thin light clouds that have nothing in them, and are soon dispersed and come to nothing,…”
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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
“How the thunderclouds are dispersed, or else employed by God, either for correction or mercy. by watering--by loading it with water. wearieth--burdeneth it, so that it falls in rain; thus "wearieth" answers to the parallel "scattereth" (compare, see on Job 37:9); a clear sky resulting alike from both. bright cloud--literally, "cloud of his light," that is, of His lightning. UMBREIT for "watering," &c., translates; "Brightness drives away the clouds, His light scattereth the thick clouds"; the parallelism is thus good, but the Hebrew hardly sanctions it.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Also by watering - Very various interpretations have been given of this phrase. Herder renders it, “His brightness rendeth the clouds.” Umbreit, Und Heiterkeit vertreibt die Wolke - “and serenity or clearness drives away the clouds.” Prof. Lee, “For irrigation is the thick cloud stretched out.” Rosenmuller, “Splendor dispels the clouds.” Luther, “The thick clouds divide themselves that it may be clear.” Coverdale, “The clouds do their labor in giving moistness.” The Vulgate, “The grain desires the clouds,” and the Septuagint, “The cloud forms the chosen” - ἐκλεκτον eklekton. This variety of interpretation arises from the uncertainty of the meaning of the original word - ברי berı̂y.…”
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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
“Watering - The earth. They spend themselves and are exhausted watering the earth, until they are weary. Wearieth - Them with much water, and making them to go long journeys to water remote parts, and at last to empty themselves there: all which things make men weary; and therefore are here said to make the clouds weary by a common figure. Scattereth - As for the white and lightsome clouds, he scatters and dissolves them by the wind or sun. Job 37:12”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“he wearieth: Job 36:27, Job 36:28 he scattereth: Job 36:30, Job 36:32; Isa 18:4; Mat 17:5 his bright cloud: Heb. the cloud of his light Job 37:12”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“11 Also He loadeth the clouds with water, He spreadeth far and wide the cloud of His light, 12 And these turn themselves round about, Directed by Him, that they execute All that He hath commanded them Over the wide earth. 13 Whether for a scourge, or for the good of His earth, Or for mercy, He causeth it to discharge itself. With אף extending the description, Elihu, in the presence of the storm that is in the sky, continually returns to this one marvel of nature. The old versions connect בּרי partly with בּר, electus (lxx, Syr., Theod.) or frumentum (Symm., Jer.), partly with בּרה = בּרר in the signification puritas, serenitas (Targ.); but בּרי is, as Schultens has already perceived, the…”
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Sources and verification