Job 36:30 kjv
Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.
Job 36:30 nkjv
Look, He scatters His light upon it, And covers the depths of the sea.
Job 36:30 niv
See how he scatters his lightning about him, bathing the depths of the sea.
Job 36:30 esv
Behold, he scatters his lightning about him and covers the roots of the sea.
Job 36:30 nlt
See how he spreads the lightning around him
and how it lights up the depths of the sea.
Job 36 30 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:2 | ...Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. | God's presence and ordering over primeval deep. |
| Gen 1:3-4 | Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light... | God's creative power establishing light. |
| Ps 18:14 | He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And His many lightnings... | God uses lightning as a display of power. |
| Ps 19:1 | The heavens tell of the glory of God; And their expanse declares His... | Nature reveals God's majesty and handiwork. |
| Ps 24:2 | For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers. | God's foundational control over the earth and its waters. |
| Ps 29:3-9 | The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders... | The Lord's voice, manifest in storms and lightning, controls creation. |
| Ps 74:13 | You divided the sea by Your might; You broke the heads of the sea monsters. | God's triumph over chaos, personified by the deep and its creatures. |
| Ps 77:18 | The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up... | Divine light and sound as indicators of God's presence and power. |
| Ps 89:9 | You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them. | God's sovereign command over the chaotic power of the sea. |
| Ps 104:6 | You covered it with the deep as with a garment; The waters stood above... | God's dominion over primeval waters. |
| Ps 135:7 | He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes... | God as the ultimate controller of atmospheric phenomena and lightning. |
| Ps 147:8 | Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who provides rain for the earth... | God's work in orchestrating the rain and clouds. |
| Job 37:3 | Under the whole heaven He lets it loose, And His lightning [אֹרֹו]... | Direct parallel to Elihu's description of God releasing His lightning. |
| Job 37:4 | After it a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice... | God's power manifested through thunder following lightning. |
| Job 38:12-18 | Have you ever in your life commanded the morning... entered the springs...? | God challenges Job on his lack of understanding regarding creation's depths. |
| Isa 40:12 | Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand... weighed the... | God's incomparable power and wisdom in controlling vast elements. |
| Isa 51:10 | Was it not You who dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep...? | God's historical mastery over the sea, even drying it. |
| Jer 10:13 | When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens... | God's control over storms, including clouds, rain, and lightning. |
| Amos 4:13 | For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind and declares... | God's vast creative power over all elements. |
| Jon 2:3 | For You had cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas... | God's sovereign control even in the hidden parts of the ocean. |
| Rom 1:20 | For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal.. | God's attributes, power, and divine nature are evident in creation. |
| Rev 21:1 | Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and... | The ultimate subjugation and removal of the "sea" in God's new creation. |
Job 36 verses
Job 36 30 Meaning
Job 36:30 describes God's absolute power and incomprehensible control over natural phenomena. Elihu emphasizes that God extends His brilliant light, often understood as lightning or divine radiance, across the expanse, simultaneously mastering and obscuring the profound, mysterious depths of the sea. This duality showcases His sovereign dominion over both the visible atmospheric wonders and the hidden, unknown foundations of creation, revealing His majesty beyond human comprehension.
Job 36 30 Context
Job 36:30 is part of Elihu’s final discourse (Job 32-37) to Job and his three friends. Elihu, a younger man, asserts God's righteousness, justice, and transcendent power, contrasting Him with human limitation and sinfulness. In chapters 36 and 37, Elihu specifically points to God's work in meteorological phenomena—clouds, rain, storms, lightning, and thunder—as evidence of His majesty, wisdom, and omnipotence, which are far beyond human comprehension. This verse comes as Elihu elaborates on God’s use of light, specifically lightning (ōr, potentially "divine light/radiance" in context of a storm), demonstrating God's awesome control not only in the visible sky but also in the most profound and hidden parts of creation, the "depths of the sea." Elihu is setting the stage for God's ultimate direct confrontation with Job, where similar themes of God's incomparable power in creation are further expounded (Job 38-41). This passage subtly corrects the narrow view that God only acts in punishment, emphasizing His grand, all-encompassing control over the natural world, revealing His wisdom to those who fear Him. Historically, ancient cultures often viewed the deep sea as a chaotic, mysterious realm, making God's mastery over it a profound statement of supreme deity.
Job 36 30 Word analysis
- Behold: The Hebrew "הִנֵּה" (hinnêh) is an interjection used to draw emphatic attention, signaling that what follows is significant and demands consideration. It serves to heighten the awe surrounding God’s actions.
- He: Refers to God (אֵל), reinforcing His singular, incomparable agency in creation and natural processes, which is a central theme in Elihu's argument.
- spreads: The Hebrew "פָּרַשׂ" (pāras) implies an extensive and dynamic action—to stretch out, scatter, or expand. It denotes God's power actively reaching and distributing His light across a vast expanse, indicating universal reach and thoroughness.
- His light: The Hebrew "אֹור" (
ōr) can mean general light, but in this context of storm phenomena, it frequently refers to the intense, brilliant flash of lightning or divine radiance/glory manifested in a storm. Elihu links divine power directly with these overwhelming natural displays. - around him: The phrase "עָלָיו" (
ālāyw) can mean "upon him" or "around him/over him." It suggests God's radiant light (lightning) is pervasive, surrounding Him, covering the atmosphere in every direction, demonstrating an omnidirectional and immense display of His presence. - And He covers: The Hebrew "וַיְכַסֶּה" (waykassēh) denotes an action of concealing, overlying, or asserting dominion. It implies God's full control over the sea's depths, able to shroud or rule them absolutely.
- the depths of the sea: The Hebrew "מְשָׁרְשֵׁי הַיָּם" (mĕshārshê hayyām) literally translates to "the roots of the sea." This evocative imagery refers to the lowest, most foundational, hidden, and inaccessible parts of the ocean. In ancient thought, the "roots" of anything represented its very foundation, origin, or the most profound, mysterious elements. This signifies God’s complete dominion not just over what is visible (the storm clouds and lightning), but also over what is deepest, hidden, chaotic, and beyond human exploration or comprehension.
Words-group Analysis:
- "spreads His light around him": This phrase paints a picture of God actively projecting His awesome power, manifested as dazzling light (lightning or divine brilliance), across the entire atmospheric domain. It suggests an active, far-reaching, and dynamic demonstration of His sovereignty.
- "He covers the depths of the sea": This juxtaposes the aerial phenomenon with profound abyssal control. God's power extends from the heavens down to the uttermost unseen and potentially chaotic regions. "Covers" suggests not merely concealing, but mastering and ruling. The "depths of the sea" symbolizes the vast, hidden, and powerful aspects of creation that are wholly subject to God's dominion, often serving as a metaphor for the mysterious and insurmountable forces. This pairing of heavenly display and abyssal control demonstrates God’s omnipresence and omnipotence over all known and unknown realms.
Job 36 30 Bonus section
This verse, within Elihu's speech, serves as a direct and indirect polemic against limited human understanding of God. Elihu subtly critiques Job's previous questioning of divine justice by showcasing God's overwhelming power and wisdom displayed throughout creation, which transcends simple cause-and-effect reasoning for suffering. This declaration implicitly challenges pagan conceptions of storm gods or sea deities by affirming Yahweh's sole, unchallenged sovereignty over both celestial lightning and the deep, demonstrating His incomparable and uncontested divine authority. The "roots of the sea" concept may also signify the foundational principles or deepest mysteries of the natural world, all of which are established and sustained by God. It indicates God's immanence in and transcendence over all creation.
Job 36 30 Commentary
Job 36:30 succinctly portrays God as the supreme Master of the cosmos, whose power is revealed in the dramatic natural cycles. Elihu uses the visible splendor of divine "light" (likely lightning within a storm) that God "spreads" as an outward, undeniable display of His power. Simultaneously, the Lord "covers the depths of the sea," exercising absolute control over the profound, often chaotic, and utterly hidden foundations of the earth. This imagery underscores that God’s authority reaches every domain, from the ethereal skies to the inscrutable abyss. He is neither limited by human understanding nor restricted to visible actions. Elihu emphasizes God's majesty and wisdom, not primarily His judgment, through these natural processes. The profound theological implication is that God's ways are beyond full human comprehension, demanding humility and awe. His complete dominion over elements like lightning and the sea’s roots exemplifies that no part of creation is outside His direct control or purview, compelling worship and submission from humanity.