Job 38 35

Job 38:35 kjv

Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go and say unto thee, Here we are?

Job 38:35 nkjv

Can you send out lightnings, that they may go, And say to you, 'Here we are!'?

Job 38:35 niv

Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, 'Here we are'?

Job 38:35 esv

Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go and say to you, 'Here we are'?

Job 38:35 nlt

Can you make lightning appear
and cause it to strike as you direct?

Job 38 verses

Job 38 35 Meaning

Job 38:35 is part of God’s first speech to Job, challenging his limited understanding and perspective. The verse rhetorically asks Job if he possesses the power and authority to command lightnings, dispatching them to do his bidding, and having them respond instantly, "Here we are!" It highlights the immense, unchallengeable sovereignty of God over all creation, contrasting it sharply with human weakness and inability, even over seemingly chaotic natural phenomena.

Job 38 35 Context

Job 38:35 is situated within the dramatic climax of the Book of Job, where God finally speaks to Job from a whirlwind (Job 38:1). After chapters of lament from Job and speculative counsel from his friends, God intervenes directly, not to answer Job’s specific questions about his suffering, but to correct his presumption and challenge his limited understanding of the universe. The entire sequence in chapters 38-41 comprises a barrage of rhetorical questions concerning God’s mastery over creation, ranging from cosmic phenomena (light, darkness, oceans, stars) to meteorological processes (rain, snow, ice, lightning) and the instincts of wild animals. The aim is not to explain suffering, but to humble Job by exposing his profound ignorance and incapacity in contrast to God’s absolute wisdom, power, and detailed superintendence over all things. Verse 35 specifically highlights the effortless control God has over even the most erratic and destructive elements, something entirely beyond human ability.

Job 38 35 Word analysis

• Can you send forth:

  • Hebrew: תְשַׁלַּח (təšallaḥ) from שָׁלַח (shalach), meaning "to send," "stretch out," or "release." This word implies not just ability but active command and authorization. It challenges Job's power to dispatch lightnings as agents.
  • Significance: It underscores God's complete and authoritative delegation of action to elements, an act no human can replicate.

• lightnings:

  • Hebrew: בְּרָקִים (bəraqim), plural of בָּרָק (baraq), meaning "lightning," "flash," or "thunderbolt."
  • Significance: In the ancient world, lightning was a terrifying, uncontrollable force, often associated with divine power or destructive deities (like Baal, the Canaanite storm god). God's rhetorical question is a polemic against such false beliefs, asserting His unique and effortless mastery over even these most formidable and seemingly chaotic elements. God is not merely associated with storms but commands them.

• that they may go:

  • Significance: Implies motion under command, directed by an external will, not self-generated. It highlights the absolute obedience of the elements.

• and say to you, 'Here we are!':

  • Hebrew: וְיֹאמְרוּ לְךָ הִנֵּנוּ (vəyoʼməru ləkā hinnēnū). הִנֵּנוּ (hinnenū) literally means "Behold us" or "Here we are." It is a powerful response in the Bible signifying readiness, submission, and immediate presence, often in answer to a divine summons (e.g., Abraham responding to God, "Here I am!").
  • Significance: This is the critical personification. It attributes agency and consciousness to lightnings, not literally, but to dramatize their instantaneous and obedient response to God's command. They don't just appear randomly; they are sent and report for duty. Job, by contrast, could not command even a minor natural event, let alone expect such immediate, sentient obedience from an element like lightning. It powerfully illustrates the vast gulf between divine sovereignty and human limitation.

• Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go:

  • Significance: This phrase challenges Job’s capacity for cosmic-level command and delegation. The chaotic, fleeting nature of lightning is presented as perfectly controlled and directed by God, flying precisely to designated places. Humans might try to understand or predict weather, but they cannot direct it.

• and say to you, ‘Here we are!’?:

  • Significance: This final phrase elevates the rhetorical question from mere physical control to one of command and intelligent submission. It demonstrates the seamless, efficient, and complete compliance of the created order to its Creator’s will. This level of precise control and subservient readiness is utterly beyond any human experience or capability, underscoring Job's profound inferiority in power and wisdom compared to God.

Job 38 35 Bonus section

• The rhetorical questions throughout Job 38-41 serve as a divine argument ad ignorantiam (to ignorance), demonstrating that if Job cannot even comprehend or manage the basics of creation, how can he possibly presume to understand or question God's intricate judgments or ways?
• The portrayal of lightning as obedient and responsive foreshadows New Testament portrayals of Jesus' authority over nature, where the wind and waves instantly obey His command (Mark 4:41), illustrating His full divinity and identification with the God who spoke from the whirlwind.
• The phrase "Here we are!" (hinnenū) typically signifies an individual's readiness and availability to God (e.g., Abraham, Samuel, Isaiah). Applying it metaphorically to inanimate (or energetic) phenomena like lightning reinforces the absolute, unhesitating, and comprehensive obedience of creation to its Maker, providing a stark contrast to human reluctance or questioning.

Job 38 35 Commentary

Job 38:35 is a pinnacle moment in God's response to Job. Instead of explaining Job's suffering, God lays bare the immensity of His own creative power and sovereign rule over the universe, reducing Job's protests to insignificance. The specific imagery of commanding lightnings is profoundly effective: lightnings are erratic, dangerous, and utterly uncontrollable from a human perspective. Yet, God portrays them as disciplined servants, waiting on His command, going precisely where sent, and even "reporting for duty" with a respectful, submissive response.

This verse challenges not only Job's self-perception but also any anthropocentric view of the world or any reliance on false gods who supposedly controlled natural elements. It dismantles the notion that humans could ever grasp or influence divine cosmic order. The question implicitly asserts God's meticulous care and precise governance over even the most rapid and seemingly chaotic forces of nature. The answer, obvious to Job and to any listener, is a resounding "No." Job cannot command even a flash of lightning. This realization humbles Job profoundly, forcing him to acknowledge his creatureliness and God's incomparable glory. It highlights that the same precise, unfathomable power that orders lightning is the same power guiding his life, even through suffering.