Job 38 28

Job 38:28 kjv

Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

Job 38:28 nkjv

Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew?

Job 38:28 niv

Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the drops of dew?

Job 38:28 esv

"Has the rain a father, or who has begotten the drops of dew?

Job 38:28 nlt

"Does the rain have a father?
Who gives birth to the dew?

Job 38 verses

Job 38 28 Meaning

Job 38:28 is part of the Lord's response to Job out of the whirlwind, a series of rhetorical questions challenging Job's limited understanding of the created order. The verse posits that common natural phenomena like rain and dew, which seem ordinary, have no earthly parentage or source but ultimately derive their existence and function directly from God's wisdom and power. It emphasizes God's exclusive role as the uncreated Creator and sustainer of the most vital life-giving elements.

Job 38 28 Context

Job 38 initiates the Lord's first direct address to Job, spoken from a whirlwind. Prior to this, Job and his friends have extensively debated the reasons for his suffering, largely presuming God's methods. Chapter 38 serves as a majestic and humbling display of God's omnipotence and omni-wisdom, not directly addressing Job's suffering, but questioning Job's understanding of the vast, intricate created order. God doesn't explain Himself, but rather overwhelms Job with the unfathomable complexity of the universe that He alone controls. Verse 28, specifically, highlights seemingly common meteorological phenomena—rain and dew—to underscore that even these have no known origin in human terms or natural parentage. Historically, in the ancient Near East, control over rain and fertility was often attributed to pagan deities like Baal or Hadad. This verse implicitly serves as a powerful polemic against such beliefs, asserting Yahweh's sole and sovereign authority over nature's fundamental elements, demonstrating Job's profound ignorance in areas God masterfully governs.

Job 38 28 Word analysis

• "Has" (הֲ - ha): A direct interrogative particle. It introduces a rhetorical question designed to elicit a negative answer from Job, or more accurately, an acknowledgment of his lack of knowledge and inability to provide a creator. It serves to highlight God's sole dominion.
• "the rain" (מָטָר - matar): The standard Hebrew word for rain. Here, it refers to a life-sustaining element critical for human survival in an agricultural society. Its formation and origin are presented as mysteries beyond human capacity or control.
• "a father?" (אָב - 'av): Literally, "father." This refers to a source, an originator, or a progenitor. The rhetorical question asserts that rain does not have a "father" in the sense of a physical or natural generator accountable to humanity, nor does it spring from human will or pagan deity.
• "Or" (וּמִי - umi): Connects the two parallel rhetorical questions. "And who."
• "who" (מִי - mi): Another interrogative pronoun, challenging Job or any human to identify the "begetter."
• "has begotten" (יָלַד - yalad): To bear, to bring forth, to father, to beget. Similar in concept to "father," it emphasizes the act of origination. The active verb form asserts that someone, or something, is the direct cause, which God implicitly declares to be Himself.
• "the drops" (אֶגְלֵי - 'eglei): Derived from a root meaning "to fall" or "to collect." Refers to droplets, specific, minute particles of liquid. Its precision suggests the intricate detail of creation, down to the smallest element.
• "of dew" (טָל - tal): Dew. A common form of moisture in arid regions, especially during rainless summer months. Its mysterious nightly appearance and its role in sustaining plant life made it a powerful symbol of divine blessing. Like rain, its origin is presented as beyond human understanding or control.
• "Has the rain a father?": This phrase underscores that the source of rain is not traceable to an earthly, visible "parent." It dismisses any idea of a natural, self-sustaining process devoid of divine oversight, or one controllable by human power.
• "Or who has begotten the drops of dew?": Parallel to the first phrase, this reinforces the same message concerning dew. The dual example covers two primary forms of moisture, both essential and both without any perceivable earthly progenitor. The use of "bebegotten" suggests an act of specific creation and production, not mere natural formation.
• Word-Group Analysis: The entire verse utilizes rhetorical questions concerning natural phenomena (rain and dew) and their origins ("father," "begotten"). This stylistic choice is fundamental to God's method of humbling Job. It highlights the vast, unbridgeable chasm between God's boundless wisdom and power, and humanity's limited knowledge. By choosing elements like rain and dew, which are vital for life but whose intricate mechanisms of formation were mysterious to ancient cultures, God demonstrates that even the "simple" aspects of creation are beyond human comprehension or control, let alone complex moral questions or divine governance. This implicitly challenges both human arrogance and any belief in competing divine powers over nature.

Job 38 28 Bonus section

The seemingly mundane phenomena of rain and dew were essential for survival in the Near East. Without them, there was no agriculture, no life. By asking about their "father" or "begetter," God is probing at the ultimate source of life and sustenance. The absence of a discernible physical "parent" for rain and dew points emphatically to an invisible, transcendent Source. This question challenges a purely materialistic or human-centric view of the world. It implicitly states that everything that sustains life emanates from God's personal design and constant activity. The very unpredictability of rain (e.g., sudden showers, droughts) served as a constant reminder to ancient peoples that control lay outside human hands, solely with the Divine. Thus, this verse transforms what appears to be a simple meteorological query into a profound theological statement about God's intimate, comprehensive, and sovereign involvement in every aspect of His creation.

Job 38 28 Commentary

Job 38:28 is a profound rhetorical challenge from God, not primarily to inform Job about meteorology, but to dismantle his presumed understanding of divine justice and cosmic order. By posing questions about the "father" of rain and the "begetter" of dew, God zeroes in on seemingly common natural occurrences whose ultimate origins were a mystery to Job and his contemporaries. The implicit answer is that God alone is their source, emphasizing His singular, creative power and sustaining providence. This serves as a stark contrast to any human claim of wisdom or any ancient polytheistic belief that ascribed rain to other gods like Baal, asserting Yahweh's unrivaled supremacy over the natural world. The verse underscores that even something as seemingly automatic as weather is an expression of God's active, minute governance. It illustrates that if Job cannot grasp the formation of a dewdrop, how can he presume to comprehend the righteousness of God's sovereign dealings with humanity, particularly in suffering? The verse is a powerful declaration of God's wisdom being inscrutable and His works beyond human fathoming, encouraging humility and awe before the Creator.