Job 38:1

“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, etc.] As soon as Elihu had done speaking, who saw the tempest rising, and gave hints of it, (<183702>Job 37:2,14); and hastened to finish his discourse. This was raised to give notice of the Lord being about to appear, and to display his majesty, and to command reverence and attention. The Targum calls it the whirlwind of distress, as it might be to Job; and a representation of the distressed and disturbed state and condition in which he was. The person that spoke out of it is Jehovah the Son of God, the eternal Word, who very probably appeared in an human form; there was an object seen, (<184205>Job 42:5); and spoke with an articulate voice…”

“(Job 38:1-41) Jehovah appears unexpectedly in a whirlwind (already gathering Job 37:1-2), the symbol of "judgment" (Psa 50:3-4, &c.), to which Job had challenged Him. He asks him now to get himself ready for the contest. Can he explain the phenomena of God's natural government? How can he, then, hope to understand the principles of His moral government? God thus confirms Elihu's sentiment, that submission to, not reasonings on, God's ways is man's part. This and the disciplinary design of trial to the godly is the great lesson of this book. He does not solve the difficulty by reference to future retribution: for this was not the immediate question; glimpses of that truth were already given…”

“Then the Lord answered Job - This speech is addressed particularly to Job, not only because he is the principal personage referred to in the book, but particularly because he had indulged in language of murmuring and complaint. God designed to bring him to a proper state of mind before he appeared openly for his vindication. It is the purpose of God, in his dealings with his people, “to bring them to a proper state of mind” before he appears as their vindicator and friend, and hence, their trials are often prolonged, and when he appears, he seems at first to come only to rebuke them. Job had indulged in very improper feelings, and it was needful that those feelings should be subdued before…”

“Lord - The eternal word, Jehovah, the same who spake from mount Sinai. Answered - Out of a dark and thick cloud, from which he sent a tempestuous wind, as the harbinger of his presence. In this manner God appears and speaks to awaken Job and his friends, to the more serious attention to his words; and to testify his displeasure both against Job, and them, that all of them might be more deeply humbled and prepared to receive, and retain the instructions which God was about to give them. Job 38:2”

“38:1–42:6 Finally, the Lord answered Job. In this final section, the Lord challenges Job’s overreaching self-defense with a display of his works that remind Job of God’s transcendent greatness. 38:1–40:5 God challenges Job, who acknowledges his inability to judge the moral world by demonstrating his ignorance of the natural world’s cosmic (38:4-21) and meteorological elements (38:22-38), animals, and birds (38:39–39:30). 38:1-3 God challenged Job from out of the whirlwind. The Old Testament commonly associates storms with God’s presence (2 Kgs 2:1, 11; Ezek 1:4; Nah 1:3). Job finally had an audience with God (Job 13:22-23).”

“Job 37:1, Job 37:2, Job 37:9, Job 37:14; Exo 19:16-19; Deu 4:11, Deu 4:12, Deu 5:22-24; Kg1 19:11; Kg2 2:1, Kg2 2:11; Eze 1:4; Nah 1:3 Job 38:2”

“1 Then Jehovah answered Job out of the storm, and said: 2 Who then darkeneth counsel With words without knowledge? 3 Gird up now thy loins as a man: I will question thee, and inform thou me! "May the Almighty answer me!" Job has said, Job 31:35; He now really answers, and indeed out of the storm (Chethib, according to a mode of writing occurring only here and Job 40:6, מנהסערה, arranged in two words by the Keri), which is generally the forerunner of His self-manifestation in the world, of that at least by which He reveals Himself in His absolute awe-inspiring greatness and judicial grandeur. The art. is to be understood generically, but, with respect to Elihu's speeches, refers to the storm…”