Job 36:29 kjv
Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?
Job 36:29 nkjv
Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds, The thunder from His canopy?
Job 36:29 niv
Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds, how he thunders from his pavilion?
Job 36:29 esv
Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, the thunderings of his pavilion?
Job 36:29 nlt
Who can understand the spreading of the clouds
and the thunder that rolls forth from heaven?
Job 36 29 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 104:3 | He lays the beams of His upper chambers on their waters; He makes the clouds His chariot... | God's use of clouds as a divine vehicle |
| Psa 147:8 | Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who prepares rain for the earth... | God's sovereignty over clouds and rain |
| Psa 18:13 | The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice... | God's powerful voice, like thunder |
| Psa 29:3-9 | The voice of the LORD is over the waters; The God of glory thunders... | Majestic description of God's thunder-voice |
| Exo 9:23, 28 | The LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire came down to the earth... Entreat the LORD, for there has been enough thunder... | God's use of thunder as judgment/power |
| Exo 19:16 | Then it came to pass on the third day... that there were thunderings... on the mountain. | God's awe-inspiring presence at Sinai |
| Jer 10:13 | When He utters His voice, There is a multitude of waters in the heavens; And He causes the clouds to ascend... | God's command over clouds and rain |
| Job 37:2-5 | Listen carefully to the thunder of His voice, And the rumbling that comes from His mouth... | Direct context of God's thunderous voice |
| Amos 4:13 | For behold, He who forms mountains... And declares to man what His thought is, Who makes the morning darkness... | God's wisdom and power in creation |
| Psa 18:11 | He made darkness His secret place; His canopy around Him was dark waters... | God's hidden, dark dwelling place |
| Psa 97:2 | Clouds and darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. | God's majestic and mysterious presence |
| 2 Chr 6:1 | Then Solomon spoke: "The LORD has said He would dwell in the dark cloud." | God's chosen dwelling in obscurity |
| 1 Kgs 8:12 | Then Solomon said, "The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud." | Confirmation of God's dwelling in darkness |
| Isa 19:1 | Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud... | God's divine movement and control |
| Job 9:10 | He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number. | God's incomprehensible works |
| Job 11:7-9 | "Can you search out the deep things of God?... It is higher than heaven... Deeper than Sheol..." | Humanity's inability to comprehend God's depths |
| Job 26:14 | Indeed these are the fringes of His ways; And how small a whisper we hear of Him! | God's vastness far exceeds human understanding |
| Psa 139:6 | Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it. | Limits of human understanding God's ways |
| Isa 40:28 | There is no searching of His understanding. | God's infinite understanding |
| Isa 55:8-9 | "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. | God's wisdom and ways transcend humanity's |
| Rom 11:33-34 | Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!... who has known the mind of the LORD? | God's profound and unsearchable wisdom |
| 1 Cor 2:16 | "For who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?"... | Limits of human understanding God's mind |
Job 36 verses
Job 36 29 Meaning
Job 36:29 presents a rhetorical question from Elihu, emphasizing the unfathomable nature of God's power and wisdom as displayed in creation. It questions humanity's ability to truly comprehend the intricate workings of the spreading of clouds and the powerful, majestic thunder emanating from God's unseen dwelling place, thereby underscoring divine transcendence and human cognitive limitations.
Job 36 29 Context
Job 36:29 is part of Elihu's third discourse (Job 36-37), where he speaks passionately, seeking to correct both Job and the three friends. Elihu argues for God's unsearchable greatness and His just governance through various means, including suffering. He appeals to God's powerful acts in nature as proof of divine omnipotence and wisdom, far surpassing human comprehension. Chapters 36 and 37 specifically detail God's control over meteorological phenomena (rain, clouds, lightning, thunder, snow, ice) to illustrate His absolute sovereignty. This verse serves as a rhetorical setup, introducing the overwhelming power and mystery of a looming storm that Elihu is about to describe, directly preceding God's ultimate appearance from the whirlwind, further reinforcing humanity's limited understanding of the divine. Elihu’s arguments implicitly push back against the limited views of God held by Job's friends and Job himself, by highlighting the awe-inspiring, mysterious aspects of God’s rule.
Job 36 29 Word analysis
אִם־יָבִין (ʾim-yāḇīn): "Indeed, can anyone understand?" or "Who can understand?"
- אִם (ʾim): An interrogative particle, introducing a rhetorical question that implies a strong negative answer, or expresses a strong challenge. It denotes impossibility.
- יָבִין (yāḇīn): From the root bin, meaning "to understand," "to perceive," "to discern," "to have insight." Here, it refers to a full intellectual grasp and comprehension.
מִפְרַשׂ (mip̄ras̱): "the spreading"
- From the root paras, meaning "to spread out," "to extend." It denotes something being unfolded, stretched out. This term captures the vast and pervasive nature of clouds across the sky.
עָב (ʿāḇ): "of the clouds"
- Refers to thick, heavy clouds, often storm clouds, associated with density and opacity, suitable for divine manifestation or the hiddenness of God.
וְתַשֻׁאֹות (wəṯašūʾōṯ): "or the thunderings"
- וְ (wə): Conjunction, "and" or "or."
- תַשֻׁאֹות (ṯašūʾōṯ): A less common Hebrew word, referring to mighty, resounding noises, tumults, or the mighty roar of thunder. It implies an overwhelming sound of great power and volume, far more than mere noise.
סֻכָּתֹו (sukkāṯōw): "from His pavilion?"
- סֻכָּה (sukkāh): "booth," "tent," "pavilion," "tabernacle." It often denotes a temporary dwelling or a covered enclosure.
- ־תֹו (-ōw): The third person masculine singular possessive suffix, referring to God.
- In context, it metaphorically represents God's secret, hidden dwelling place, from which His majestic power and glory are manifested, often shrouded in cloud or darkness. It implies that while we witness the effects (thunder), the source and its inner workings are concealed and beyond reach.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds": This phrase poses a fundamental challenge to human knowledge. It emphasizes the immense scale, intricate dynamics, and profound mystery inherent in something as common as cloud formation and movement, implying that even visible natural processes are far too complex for full human grasp.
- "or the thunderings from His pavilion?": This second part adds an auditory element and deepens the mystery by connecting the physical phenomenon (thunder) directly to God's hidden, sacred abode. The thunder is not just a sound; it's a mighty noise originating from God's secret "tent," suggesting a display of His immediate and unapproachable power, originating from a source humans cannot penetrate or fully comprehend.
Job 36 29 Bonus section
Elihu's lengthy discourse, including Job 36:29, functions as a literary and theological bridge within the book of Job. While not perfectly aligned with Job's complaints or offering the ultimate solution, Elihu redirects Job's attention from his suffering and the supposed injustice of God to God's overarching majesty, wisdom, and the inherent limits of human knowledge regarding divine ways. This verse and the broader context prime both Job and the reader for God's appearance in the whirlwind, where He Himself poses similar rhetorical questions about creation (Job 38-41). The scientific advancements that explain cloud formation and the physics of thunder still do not fully diminish the theological truth Elihu conveys: the "why" and the ultimate "who" behind creation's complexity, and the ultimate purpose of God's power display, remain objects of faith and profound awe, underscoring human finite wisdom compared to God's infinite wisdom.
Job 36 29 Commentary
Job 36:29 is a pivotal rhetorical question in Elihu's argument, setting the stage for a comprehensive exposition of God's unassailable majesty and sovereignty through His works in creation. By asking if anyone can "understand" the spreading clouds or thunder from God's pavilion, Elihu challenges the intellectual and experiential limits of humanity. The very ubiquity and daily occurrence of clouds and thunder serve as persistent, visible evidence of divine power, yet their underlying mechanics and deeper purposes remain beyond full human intellectual grasp. The "spreading of the clouds" speaks to the vast and orderly, yet seemingly spontaneous, processes that govern global weather patterns. The "thunderings from His pavilion" metaphorically links the overwhelming sound and power of a storm directly to God's hidden dwelling place, signifying that even common phenomena are direct emanations of His incomprehensible being and actions. This verse strongly reiterates the theme that God is the source of all natural phenomena, and His control over creation is absolute, purposeful, and beyond finite human capacity to dissect or truly comprehend, instilling a sense of awe and humility before His divine wisdom.