New International Version
Job 36:31
31This is the way he governs the nations and provides food in abundance.
Job 36:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For by these he judges peoples; he gives food in abundance.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For by these He judges the peoples; He gives food in abundance.
- New Living Translation (NLT)By these mighty acts he nourishes the people, giving them food in abundance.
Context of Job 36:31
29Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds, how he thunders from his pavilion? 30See how he scatters his lightning about him, bathing the depths of the sea. This is the way he governs the nations and provides food in abundance. 32He fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark. 33His thunder announces the coming storm; even the cattle make known its approach.
Read all of Job 36Job 36:31 word by word
כִּי־בָ֭ם יָדִ֣ין עַמִּ֑ים יִֽתֶּן־אֹ֥כֶל לְמַכְבִּֽיר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Job 36:31
- Job 37:13He brings the clouds to punish people, or to water his earth and show his love.
- Job 38:22“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail,
- Genesis 6:17I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.
- Genesis 7:17For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth.
- Genesis 19:24Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens.
- Exodus 9:23When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt;
- Deuteronomy 8:2Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
- Joshua 10:11As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them, and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.
- 1 Samuel 2:10those who oppose the Lord will be broken. The Most High will thunder from heaven; the Lord will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
- 1 Samuel 7:10While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites.
- 1 Samuel 12:18Then Samuel called on the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel.
- Job 38:26to water a land where no one lives, an uninhabited desert,
- Psalms 65:9You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.
- Psalms 104:13He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
- Psalms 136:25He gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.
- Acts 14:17Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”
Commentaries on Job 36:31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31By them judgeth he the people - He makes storms, tempests, winds, hurricanes, tornadoes, thunder and lightning, drought and inundation, the instruments of his justice, to punish rebellious nations. He giveth meat in abundance - Though by these he punishes offenders, yet through the same, as instruments, he provides for the wants of men and animals in general. Storms, tempests, and hurricanes, agitate the lower regions of the atmosphere, disperse noxious…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31For by them judgeth he the people - By means of the clouds, the rain, the dew, the tempest, and the thunderbolt. The idea seems to be, that he makes use of all these to execute his purposes on mankind. He can either make them the means of imparting blessings, or of inflicting the severest, judgments. He can cause the tornado to sweep over the earth; he can arm the forked lightning against the works of art; he can withhold rain and dew, and spread over a…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 24-33Verses 24-33 Elihu endeavours to fill Job with high thought of God, and so to persuade him into cheerful submission to his providence. Man may see God's works, and is capable of discerning his hand in them, which the beasts are not, therefore they ought to give him the glory. But while the worker of iniquity ought to tremble, the true believer should rejoice. Children should hear with pleasure their Father's voice, even when he speaks in terror to his…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 31The Hebrew yadin typically means he judges or he governs. But some commentators propose an alternate reading, yazun (meaning "he nourishes"). This aligns with the theme of God's provision (Job 38:26; Psalms 65:9–13; 104:13–15, 27–28). The more common meaning of yadin is “judge,” which would mean that God does all things to bless his people and judge his enemies (Job 37:11–13; 38:22–23; see Genesis 6:17; 19:24; Exodus 9:23–25; Joshua 10:11–14; 1 Samuel…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3131. These (rain and lightnings) are marvellous and not to be understood (Job 36:29), yet necessary. "For by them He judgeth (chastiseth on the one hand), &c. (and on the other, by them) He giveth meat" (food), &c. (Job 37:13; 38:23, 27; Ac 14:17).Read the comment
Topics related to Job 36:31
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Job 36
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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