Job 37 10

Job 37:10 kjv

By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.

Job 37:10 nkjv

By the breath of God ice is given, And the broad waters are frozen.

Job 37:10 niv

The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen.

Job 37:10 esv

By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast.

Job 37:10 nlt

God's breath sends the ice,
freezing wide expanses of water.

Job 37 verses

Job 37 10 Meaning

Job 37:10 presents a vivid declaration of God's absolute sovereignty over nature, specifically highlighting His power to create ice and freeze vast expanses of water. Elihu, in his discourse, attributes these powerful meteorological phenomena directly to the divine "breath" or command, underscoring God's effortless and complete control over the elemental forces of creation. It portrays a divine act that transforms the state of matter on a grand scale, demonstrating God's majesty and wisdom.

Job 37 10 Context

Job 37:10 is part of Elihu's final discourse (Job 32-37) where he seeks to articulate God's majesty and wisdom. Throughout these chapters, Elihu focuses heavily on God's overwhelming power as manifested in natural phenomena – especially storms, rain, clouds, lightning, and meteorological patterns. He argues that these displays are evidence of God's wisdom, righteousness, and incomprehensible greatness, serving both as judgments and as means of sustaining creation.

Elihu's aim is to humble Job by showing the infinite gap between God's understanding and man's limited perception. Chapter 37 transitions from thunder, lightning, and rain to the awe-inspiring cold phenomena, emphasizing the unpredictability and vast scale of God's control over all aspects of weather. This specific verse portrays the sudden appearance of ice and freezing waters as a direct, powerful, and deliberate act of God, preparing the way for God's own voice to emerge from the storm, further revealing His omnipotence (Job 38ff). This assertion stands in stark contrast to prevailing polytheistic beliefs of the ancient Near East, which often attributed such forces to various distinct nature deities. Elihu explicitly grounds these occurrences in the sole power of the one God.

Job 37 10 Word analysis

• From the breath of God:

  • "From the breath of" (מִנְּשָׁמַת / min-nəšāmát): The Hebrew word neshamah (נְשָׁמָה) refers to breath, blast, or spirit. While related to ruach (wind, spirit), neshamah often signifies a more intense or vital emanation, such as the "breath of life" given to Adam (Gen 2:7). Here, it denotes an active, forceful outpouring or command from the divine essence. It's not a mere metaphor but implies a direct, causative influence, showing God's intimate involvement and instantaneous power.
  • "God" (אֵל / ’ēl): A common, majestic term for God, emphasizing His supreme power and deity. Used in Job frequently to denote the one, true divine power responsible for all creation.
  • Significance: This phrase is profoundly significant, establishing the direct divine causality. The formation of ice is not an impersonal natural process or the result of a secondary force; it is a direct outflow from God's own being or a powerful command from His will, showcasing effortless omnipotence.

• ice is given:

  • "ice" (קֶרַח / qeraḥ): Refers specifically to frozen water, frost, or hailstones. In a region where severe freezing was perhaps less common but impactful, the sudden appearance of such a solid transformation of water would be awe-inspiring.
  • "is given" (יִנָּתֵן / yinnāṯēn): This is a Niphal (passive) imperfect form of nathan (נָתַן), meaning "to give, put, place." The passive voice underscores that God is the active agent who bestows or causes the ice to appear. It highlights God's purposeful and deliberate action, rather than an accidental or self-generating phenomenon.
  • Significance: The passive phrasing ("is given") emphasizes that the ice does not form spontaneously but is deliberately provided by God, affirming His purposeful oversight and active hand in all natural processes.

• and the broad waters are frozen hard:

  • "and the broad waters" (וּמֶרְחָב מַיִם / u-merḥāv mayim): Merhav (מֶרְחָב) denotes a broad, wide, or expansive space, suggesting large bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, or large flood areas. Mayim (מַיִם) is the standard Hebrew word for water.
  • "are frozen hard" (בְּמוּצָק / bi-mûṣāq): Derived from the root yatsaq (יָצַק), which means "to pour out, cast, mold, solidify" (as in metal). Here, it vividly describes the waters being rendered solid and unmoving, like cast metal. This term emphasizes the profound and unyielding transformation of a fluid state into a rigid, impenetrable one.
  • Significance: This phrase vividly describes the immense scale of God's power—not just small patches of ice, but vast expanses of water made solid. It speaks to God's capacity to alter fundamental states of matter (liquid to solid) across significant areas, demonstrating absolute mastery over physical laws and natural forces.

• Words-group analysis:

  • The entire verse portrays God's majestic command over nature. "From the breath of God" provides the divine origin and effortless cause, linking the effect directly to His essence and power. The transformation of "broad waters" into "frozen hard" demonstrates the comprehensive and mighty scope of this divine act, impacting large geographical features with apparent ease. This illustrates Elihu's ongoing argument: human beings, even someone righteous like Job, cannot fathom or replicate such power, hence should humbly acknowledge God's superior wisdom and sovereignty.

Job 37 10 Bonus section

• The depiction of God's breath as the cause of ice also subtly touches on the theological concept of God's active involvement in both the physical world and the spiritual realm. His "breath" can signify creative power, sustainment, and also judgment, as seen in biblical narratives where the "blast of His nostrils" can cause significant natural events or destruction (e.g., Exod 15:8). Here, it specifically pertains to the wonders of the physical world.
• This verse contributes to the wider biblical portrayal of natural phenomena, particularly weather, as revelatory acts of God, not just scientific occurrences. The ancient Israelites and Job's contemporaries would have viewed such events as clear demonstrations of divine power and governance, not merely consequences of impersonal laws.
• Elihu's detailed description of the weather cycle, culminating in phenomena like ice, implicitly poses a rhetorical challenge: if humans cannot even control or fully understand these basic natural forces, how can they question God's ultimate plan and wisdom concerning human suffering or justice? This foreshadows God's direct questions to Job in Job 38 about His mastery over creation.

Job 37 10 Commentary

Job 37:10 serves as a powerful declaration of God's unmatched control over the natural world, reinforcing a key theme in Elihu's speech: the inscrutable majesty of the Creator. The imagery of ice forming "from the breath of God" implies not a struggle or complex process, but an effortless, instantaneous, and purposeful divine act. This "breath" is symbolic of His commanding will and creative power, which previously breathed life into humanity (Gen 2:7) and brought the heavens into being (Ps 33:6). It highlights that such formidable natural transformations, from fluid waters to solid ice across vast distances, are not random occurrences but direct manifestations of God's ongoing, active presence and control within His creation. The phrase "broad waters are frozen hard" underscores the scale and intensity of this divine operation, further diminishing human wisdom and ability in comparison. The verse acts as a profound call to humility and awe before the incomprehensible and sovereign God.