Job 38:34

Job 38:34 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
• New International Version (NIV)“Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water?
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a flood of waters may cover you?
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That an abundance of water may cover you?

Context of Job 38:34

32Can you direct the constellations through the seasons or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens? 33Do you know the laws of the universe? Can you use them to regulate the earth? “Can you shout to the clouds and make it rain? 35Can you make lightning appear and cause it to strike as you direct? 36Who gives intuition to the heart and instinct to the mind?

Job 38:34 word by word

הֲתָרִ֣ים לָעָ֣ב קוֹלֶ֑ךָ וְֽשִׁפְעַת־מַ֥יִם תְּכַסֶּֽךָּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Canst thou lift upרוּםrûm · to exaltH7311
• thy voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• to the cloudsעָב‛âb · cloudH5645
• that abundanceשִׁפְעָהshiph‛âh · abundanceH8229
• of watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
• may coverכָּסָהkâsâh · to coverH3680

Cross-references for Job 38:34

• 1 Samuel 12:18So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people were terrified of the Lord and of Samuel.
• Amos 5:8It is the Lord who created the stars, the Pleiades and Orion. He turns darkness into morning and day into night. He draws up water from the oceans and pours it down as rain on the land. The Lord is his name!
• Zechariah 10:1Ask the Lord for rain in the spring, for he makes the storm clouds. And he will send showers of rain so every field becomes a lush pasture.
• James 5:18Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.

Commentaries on Job 38:34

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 34Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds - Canst thou produce lightning and thunder, that water may be formed, and poured down upon the earth? Thunder is called קלות koloth, voices; for it is considered the voice of God: here then Job's voice, קולך kolecha, is opposed to the voice of Jehovah!Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 34Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee? - That is, canst thou command the clouds so that they shall send down abundant rain? Bouillier supposes that there is an allusion here to the incantations which were pretended to be practiced by the Magi, by which they claimed the power of producing rain at pleasure; compare Jeremiah 14:22, “Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles (the idols that they worship)…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 25-41Verses 25-41 Hitherto God had put questions to Job to show him his ignorance; now God shows his weakness. As it is but little that he knows, he ought not to arraign the Divine counsels; it is but little he can do, therefore he ought not to oppose the ways of Providence. See the all-sufficiency of the Divine Providence; it has wherewithal to satisfy the desire of every living thing. And he that takes care of the young ravens, certainly will not be wanting…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-41God challenges Job. Job admits he cannot judge the moral world. God shows Job's ignorance of the natural world's elements related to the realm of heaven, weather, animals, and birds (38:4–21; 22–38; 39–39:30).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-3819-38. The marvels in heaven. "What is the way (to the place wherein) light dwelleth?" The origin of light and darkness. In Ge 1:3-5, 14-18, "light" is created distinct from, and previous to, light-emitting bodies, the luminaries of heaven.Read the comment

Topics related to Job 38:34

• Blessing
• God
• Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena

In the dictionaries

• Bar
• Consume
• Covert
• Dark
• Hitherto
• Loose
• Reserve
• Satisfy
• Spring
• Sweet

Commentaries on Job 38

• 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
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings