Job 38:31

“Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, etc.] Of which (see Gill on “<180909>Job 9:9”); and this constellation of the seven stars which is meant, rising in the spring, the pleasantnesses of the season, as the word may be rendered, may be intended here; which cannot be restrained or hindered from taking place in the proper course of the year; which is beautifully described in (<220212>Song of Solomon 2:12,13); and may in a spiritual sense relate to the effects of powerful and efficacious grace, the influences of which are irresistible, and cause a springtime in the souls of men, where it was before winter, a state of darkness, deadness, coldness, hardness, and unfruitfulness, but…”

“sweet influences--the joy diffused by spring, the time when the Pleiades appear. The Eastern poets, Hafiz, Sadi, &c., describe them as "brilliant rosettes." GESENIUS translates: "bands" or "knot," which answers better the parallelism. But English Version agrees better with the Hebrew. The seven stars are closely "bound" together (see on Job 9:9). "Canst thou bind or loose the tie?" "Canst thou loose the bonds by which the constellation Orion (represented in the East as an impious giant chained to the sky) is held fast?" (See on Job 9:9).”

“Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades? - The seven stars. On the meaning of the word used here (כימה kı̂ymâh), see the notes at Job 9:9. In regard to the meaning of the word rendered “sweet influences,” there has been considerable variety of interpretation. The Septuagint renders it, “Dost thou understand the band (δεσμόν desmon) of Pleiades?” The Hebrew word (מעדנה ma‛ădannâh) is naturally derived from a word signifying “pleasures,” or “delights” (מעדן ma‛âdan, from עדן ‛âdan, “to be soft, or pliant; to enjoy pleasure or delight”; hence, the word “Eden”), and then it would mean, as in our translation, the delightful influences of the Pleiades; or the influences supposed to…”

“Bind - Restrain or hinder them. Pleiades - The seven stars, which bring in the spring. Bands - By which it binds up the air and earth, by bringing storms of rain and hail or frost and snow. Orion - This constellation rises in November, and brings in winter. Both summer and winter will have their course? God indeed can change them when he pleases, can make the spring cold, and so bind the influences of Pleiades, and the winter warm, and so loose the bands of Orion; but we cannot. Job 38:32”

“Pleiades: or, the seven stars, Heb. Cimah, Job 9:9 \*marg. Amo 5:8 Orion: or, Cesil Job 38:32”

“31 Canst thou join the twistings of the Pleiades, Or loose the bands of Orion? 32 Canst thou bring forth the signs of the Zodiac at the right time, And canst thou guide the Bear with its children? 33 Knowest thou the laws of heaven, Or dost thou define its influence on the earth? That מעדגּות here signifies bindings or twistings (from עדן = ענד, Job 31:36) is placed beyond question by the unanimous translations of the lxx (δεσμόν) and the Targ. (שׁירי = σειράς), the testimony of the Masora, according to which the word here has a different signification from Sa1 15:32, and the language of the Talmud, in which מעדנין, Klim, c. 20, signifies the knots at the end of a mat, by loosing which it…”