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Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary

Job 37:16

The balancings; how God doth as it were weigh and suspend the clouds in balances; so that although they are ponderous and flail of water, yet they are by his power kept up in the thin air from falling down upon us in spouts and floods, as sometimes they have done, and generally would do, if not overruled by a higher Providence. Which is perfect in knowledge; who exactly knows the weight. These are effects and evidences of his infinite power and knowledge.

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See also Job 37:16 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Job 37:16. _DOST THOU KNOW THE BALANCINGS OF THE CLOUDS_] How are the clouds suspended in the atmosphere? Art thou so well acquainted with the nature of _evaporation_, and the _gravity_ of the...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    DOST THOU KNOW THE BALANCINGS OF THE CLOUDS? - That is, Dost thou know how the clouds are poised and suspended in the air? The difficulty to be explained was, that the clouds, so full of water, did no...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER S 36:22--37:24 _ 1. God's power and presence in nature (Job 36:22)_ 2. The thunderstorm (Job 37:1) 3. The snow and the rain (Job 37:6) 4. Elihu's concluding remarks ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    Job is invited to consider God's wonders. Does he know how God lays His charge upon them, _i.e._ probably the phenomena just described by Elihu in Job 37:1? Does he understand the flashing of the ligh...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    CLOUDS. thick clouds....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _the balancings_ That is, how the clouds are poised in the heavens (comp. ch. Job 26:8), which Elihu regards as an unspeakable marvel....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Elihu's own imagination kindles at the thought of the wonders which he is unfolding, and he beseeches Job to observe them with a reverent awe, and learn from them the unsearchableness of Him who is th...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Job 36:26-33. The greatness and unsearchableness of God, seen in His marvellous operations in the skies; and exhortation to Job to allow these wonders duly to impress him, and to bow beneath the great...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    DOST THOU KNOW THE BALANCINGS OF THE CLOUDS, &C.— _Art thou acquainted with the balance of the atmosphere, the wonders of perfect wisdom?_ Heath....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    2. Man should realize his insignificant position and fear God. (Job 37:14-24) TEXT 37:14-24 14 HEARKEN UNTO THIS, O JOB: Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God. 15 Dost thou know how...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _DOST THOU KNOW THE BALANCINGS OF THE CLOUDS, THE WONDROUS WORKS OF HIM WHICH IS PERFECT IN KNOWLEDGE?_ Hebrew, 'Hast thou understanding of the balancings,' etc., how the clouds are poised in the air...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE BALANCING OF THE CLOUDS] the way in which they are poised....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE SPEECHES OF ELIHU (CONCLUDED) 2. The thunder is frequently called the voice of God: cp. Psalms 29. SOUND] RM 'muttering.'...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    JOB, A SERVANT OF GOD Job _KEITH SIMONS_ Words in boxes (except for words in brackets) are from the Bible. This commentary has been through Advanced Checking. CHAPTER 37 ELIHU INTRODUCES GOD TO...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    God does all these wonderful things. No person can do such things. Even today, people cannot control the weather. So we should learn that God deserves honour. He is greater than anybody else. We mus...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THE BALANCINGS OF THE CLOUDS. — How they are poised and suspended in the sky. “Ye clouds, that far above _me float_ and pause.” — Coleridge....

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    הֲ֭ תֵדַע עַל ־מִפְלְשֵׂי ־עָ֑ב מִ֝פְלְאֹ֗ות...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    XXVI. THE DIVINE PREROGATIVE Job 35:1; Job 36:1; Job 37:1 AFTER a long digression Elihu returns to consider the statement ascribed to Job, "It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE LIGHT IN THE CLOUDS Job 37:1 As Elihu spoke a thunder-storm was gathering, and much of the imagery of this chapter is suggested by that fact. The little group listened to the sound of God's voice...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The description of the storm commenced in the previous chapter and is here completed. There is first the drawing up of the water into the clouds, their spreading over the sky, the strange mutterings o...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Dost thou know the (m) balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge? (m) Which is sometimes changed into rain, or snow, hail or such like....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Paths. Hebrew, "the balancing of the clouds, the wondrous works of Him whose knowledge is perfect?" chap. xxxvi. 4. Dost thou know what suspends the heavy clouds in the air? (Calmet)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (14) В¶ Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God. (15) Dost thou know when God disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine? (16) Dost thou know the b...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 32 THROUGH 37. But these spiritual affections of Job did not prevent his turning this consciousness of integrity into a robe of self-righteousness which hid G...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    DOST THOU KNOW THE BALANCINGS OF THE CLOUDS?.... How those ponderous bodies, as some of them are very weighty, full of water, are poised, and hang in the air, without turning this way or the other, or...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge? Ver. 16. _Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds?_] _i.e._ How they are hung up even in the...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds?_ How God doth, as it were, weigh the clouds in balances; so that, although they are full of water, and heavy, yet they are by his power suspended in the t...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, by what power they are poised and gently float along in the atmosphere, THE WONDROUS WORKS OF HIM WHICH IS PERFECT IN KNOWLEDGE? Elihu here digresses to se...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    FINAL ADMONITION ADDRESSED TO JOB...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    MAN'S IMPOTENCE IN THE STORM (vv.1-5) As the storm breaks upon them, Elihu himself trembles (v.1). The thunder of God's voice calls for man's close attention and His lightning spreads over the whole...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    Does Job know how God could balance or suspend the clouds in the air when they are so heavy with water? Yes, these are the wonders created by One perfect in knowledge....

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    14-20 Due thoughts of the works of God will help to reconcile us to all his providences. As God has a powerful, freezing north wind, so he has a thawing, composing south wind: the Spirit is compared...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 37:16 know H3045 (H8799) clouds H5645 balanced H4657 works H4652 perfect H8549 knowledge H1843 the balancings -...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Elihu's discourse continued. God's majesty. CHARACTERS: God, Elihu, Job. CONCLUSION: We must all own that our finite understandings cannot comprehend the infinite perfections of God, but w...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Job 37:5. _God thundereth marvellously with his voice._ See on Psalms 29. This chapter is divided from the former, in the midst of a sublime description of a storm. Job 37:22. The golden splendour _co...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds?_ CLOUDS Note, in the address of Elihu, his close observation of God’s works in nature, and the admirable use he makes of them. I. The fact in nature. Wo...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 37:14 Elihu focuses on God’s majesty. He calls on Job to listen (HEAR THIS, O JOB) and consider this description in his complaint before God....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _ELIHU’S FOURTH SPEECH CONTINUED_ Elihu continues his discourse, apparently in the midst of loud thunder-claps, suddenly issuing from the storm-cloud out of which the Almighty was about to speak, and...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JOB 37:1 It has been already remarked that there is no natural division between Job 36:1 and Job 37:1.—the description of the thunderstorm and its effects runs on. From its effect on cattl...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    At this also my heart trembled, and is moved out of his place. Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth. He directs it under the whole heaven, and his lightni...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Isaiah 40:22; Jeremiah 10:12; Jeremiah 10:13; Job 26:8; Job 36:29;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Balancings — How God doth as it were weigh the clouds in balances, so that although they are full of water, yet they are kept up by the thin air....

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