Job 36:30
Job 36:30 in Multiple Translations
See how He scatters His lightning around Him and covers the depths of the sea.
Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.
Behold, he spreadeth his light around him; And he covereth the bottom of the sea.
See, he is stretching out his mist, covering the tops of the mountains with it.
See how he scatters lightning around him, and covers the depths of the sea in darkness.
Beholde, he spreadeth his light vpon it, and couereth the bottome of the sea.
Lo, He hath spread over it His light, And the roots of the sea He hath covered,
Behold, he spreads his light around him. He covers the bottom of the sea.
Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.
And lighten with his light from above, he shall cover also the ends of the sea.
He causes lightning to flash all around him, but he causes the bottom of the oceans to remain dark.
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 36:30
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Job 36:30 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
הֵן
פָּרַ֣שׂ
עָלָ֣י/ו
אוֹר֑/וֹ
וְ/שָׁרְשֵׁ֖י
הַ/יָּ֣ם
כִּסָּֽה
הֵן
hên
H2005
look!
Part
פָּרַ֣שׂ
pâras
H6566
to spread
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
עָלָ֣י/ו
ʻal
H5921
upon
Prep | Suff
אוֹר֑/וֹ
ʼôwr
H216
light
N-cs | Suff
וְ/שָׁרְשֵׁ֖י
sheresh
H8328
root
Conj | N-mp
הַ/יָּ֣ם
yâm
H3220
West
Art | N-ms
כִּסָּֽה
kâçâh
H3680
to cover
V-Piel-Perf-3ms
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Job 36:30
הֵן
hên
H2005
"look!"
Part
An expression meaning look or behold, used to get someone's attention, like in the prophet Isaiah's writings. It can also express surprise or introduce a hypothetical situation.
Definition: interj 1) behold, lo, though hypothetical part 2) if Aramaic equivalent: hen (הֵן "look!" H2006A)
Usage: Occurs in 311 OT verses. KJV: behold, if, lo, though. See also: Genesis 3:22; Job 2:6; Psalms 51:7.
פָּרַ֣שׂ
pâras
H6566
"to spread"
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
This word means to spread or break something apart, like scattering or stretching out. It is used to describe physical and figurative actions in the Bible.
Definition: 1) to spread, spread out, stretch, break in pieces 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to spread out, display 1a2) to spread over 1b) (Niphal) to be scattered, be spread out 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to spread out 1c1) to scatter
Usage: Occurs in 66 OT verses. KJV: break, chop in pieces, lay open, scatter, spread (abroad, forth, selves, out), stretch (forth, out). See also: Exodus 9:29; Psalms 44:21; Psalms 68:15.
עָלָ֣י/ו
ʻal
H5921
"upon"
Prep | Suff
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Definition: prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) 1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity) 1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion) 1h) to (as a dative)
Usage: Occurs in 4493 OT verses. KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, [idiom] with. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 24:13; Genesis 41:33.
אוֹר֑/וֹ
ʼôwr
H216
"light"
N-cs | Suff
Light, including natural light from the sun or stars, and also spiritual light from God. It can refer to happiness, prosperity, or understanding. In the Bible, God is often described as the source of light and life.
Definition: 1) light 1a) light of day 1b) light of heavenly luminaries (moon, sun, stars) 1c) day-break, dawn, morning light 1d) daylight 1e) lightning 1f) light of lamp 1g) light of life 1h) light of prosperity 1i) light of instruction 1j) light of face (fig.) 1k) Jehovah as Israel's light
Usage: Occurs in 110 OT verses. KJV: bright, clear, [phrase] day, light (-ning), morning, sun. See also: Genesis 1:3; Psalms 78:14; Psalms 4:7.
וְ/שָׁרְשֵׁ֖י
sheresh
H8328
"root"
Conj | N-mp
A root is the underground part of a plant. In the Bible, it can also mean a source or foundation, like in the book of Job.
Definition: 1) root 1a) root (literal) 1b) root (of people involving firmness or permanence) (fig) 1c) root, bottom (as lowest stratum) (fig) Aramaic equivalent: sho.resh (שֹׁ֫רֶשׁ "root" H8330)
Usage: Occurs in 32 OT verses. KJV: bottom, deep, heel, root. See also: Deuteronomy 29:17; Isaiah 11:1; Psalms 80:10.
הַ/יָּ֣ם
yâm
H3220
"West"
Art | N-ms
Refers to a large body of water like the Mediterranean Sea or a sea in general, sometimes specifically the west or seaward direction.
Definition: This name means sea, seaward, westward Another name of eph.ron (עֶפְרוֹן "(Mount )Ephron" H6085H)
Usage: Occurs in 339 OT verses. KJV: sea ([idiom] -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern, side, -ward). See also: Genesis 1:10; Joshua 17:10; Psalms 8:9.
כִּסָּֽה
kâçâh
H3680
"to cover"
V-Piel-Perf-3ms
To cover something means to fill up hollows or hide something from view, as seen in many biblical stories. This verb is used in various forms throughout the Bible, such as to cover oneself with clothing or to conceal something for protection. It can also mean to overwhelm or spread over something.
Definition: 1) to cover, conceal, hide 1a) (Qal) conceal, covered (participle) 1b) (Niphal) to be covered 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to cover, clothe 1c2) to cover, conceal 1c3) to cover (for protection) 1c4) to cover over, spread over 1c5) to cover, overwhelm 1d) (Pual) 1d1) to be covered 1d2) to be clothed 1e) (Hithpael) to cover oneself, clothe oneself
Usage: Occurs in 149 OT verses. KJV: clad self, close, clothe, conceal, cover (self), (flee to) hide, overwhelm. Compare H3780 (כָּשָׂה). See also: Genesis 7:19; Psalms 32:1; Psalms 32:5.
Study Notes — Job 36:30
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 36:30 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 36:30
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 36:30
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 36:30
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 36:30
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 36:30
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 36:30
- Cambridge Bible on Job 36:30
- Barnes' Notes on Job 36:30
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 36:30
- Sermons on Job 36:30
Context — Elihu Describes God’s Power
28which the clouds pour out and shower abundantly on mankind.
29Furthermore, who can understand how the clouds spread out, how the thunder roars from His pavilion?
30See how He scatters His lightning around Him and covers the depths of the sea.
31For by these He judges the nations and provides food in abundance. 32He fills His hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 38:8–11 | Who enclosed the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its blanket, when I fixed its boundaries and set in place its bars and doors, and I declared: ‘You may come this far, but no farther; here your proud waves must stop’? |
| 2 | Job 38:34–35 | Can you command the clouds so that a flood of water covers you? Can you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’? |
| 3 | Genesis 1:9 | And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear.” And it was so. |
| 4 | Exodus 15:4–5 | Pharaoh’s chariots and army He has cast into the sea; the finest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The depths have covered them; they sank there like a stone. |
| 5 | Job 38:25 | Who cuts a channel for the flood or clears a path for the thunderbolt, |
| 6 | Psalms 104:5–9 | He set the earth on its foundations, never to be moved. You covered it with the deep like a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. At Your rebuke the waters fled; at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away— the mountains rose and the valleys sank to the place You assigned for them— You set a boundary they cannot cross, that they may never again cover the earth. |
| 7 | Exodus 14:28 | The waters flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had chased the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. |
| 8 | Exodus 14:22 | and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left. |
| 9 | Psalms 18:11–16 | He made darkness His hiding place, and storm clouds a canopy around Him. From the brightness of His presence His clouds advanced— hailstones and coals of fire. The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded— hailstones and coals of fire. He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them. The channels of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed, at Your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. |
| 10 | Luke 17:24 | For just as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so will be the Son of Man in His day. |
Job 36:30 Summary
[This verse, Job 36:30, is saying that God is so powerful that He can make lightning flash all around Him, and He can even light up the deepest parts of the ocean. This shows us that God is in control of everything, even the biggest and most powerful things in the world, like the sea and the weather, as seen in other passages like Psalms 107:25 and Isaiah 51:15. It's like what we read in Psalms 104:1-4, where God is described as the one who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundations of the earth. By trusting in God's power and control, we can have peace and confidence, even in the midst of difficult circumstances, as seen in verses like Isaiah 26:3-4 and Philippians 4:6-7.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for God to scatter His lightning around Him?
This phrase is a metaphor for God's power and control over the natural world, as seen in Job 36:30, and is similar to other descriptions of God's power in the Bible, such as in Psalms 97:4 and Isaiah 30:30.
How does God's control over the sea relate to His judgment of the nations?
As stated in Job 36:31, God's control over the natural world, including the sea, is a demonstration of His power to judge the nations, and is also seen in other passages like Psalms 65:7 and Jeremiah 31:35.
What is the significance of God covering the depths of the sea with lightning?
This image emphasizes God's ability to illuminate and penetrate even the darkest and deepest parts of creation, much like the way Jesus is described as the light of the world in John 8:12 and 1 John 1:5.
How can we apply the concept of God's power in Job 36:30 to our everyday lives?
By recognizing God's control over the natural world, we can trust in His sovereignty and provision, as seen in verses like Matthew 6:26 and Luke 12:22-24, and seek to glorify Him in all aspects of our lives.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways you have seen God's power displayed in the natural world, and how has that affected your faith?
- How does the image of God scattering lightning around Him impact your understanding of His character and majesty?
- What are some areas of your life where you need to trust in God's sovereignty and provision, and how can you apply the principles of Job 36:30 to those situations?
- In what ways can you glorify God through your response to His power and control over the natural world, as described in Job 36:30 and other passages like Romans 1:20 and Psalms 19:1-6?
Gill's Exposition on Job 36:30
Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it,.... Upon his tabernacle; that is, upon the clouds, which are his tabernacle; either the light of the sun, whereby the clouds are dispersed and blotted out; an
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 36:30
Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea. Light - lightning. It - His tabernacle. The light, in an instant spread over the vast mass of dark clouds, forms a striking picture.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 36:30
His light, i.e. the lightning; of which the whole context speaks, which is fitly called God’ s light, as it is called God’ s lightning, , because God only can light it. Upon it, i.e. upon the cloud, which is in a manner the candlestick in which God sets up this light. Covereth the bottom of the sea; the lightning spreads far and wide over all the parts of the sea, and pierceth deep, reaching even to the bottom of it, and spreading itself upon it, and so covering it like a gay and glorious garment, suddenly cast over and covering the body of a man or woman; or as God is said to cover himself with light as with a garment, .
Trapp's Commentary on Job 36:30
Job 36:30 Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.Ver. 30. Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it] That is, his fair weather, clearing up the cloudy sky, as some expound it; or, as others, his lightning shot forth every way, Psalms 18:13; Psalms 18:15; Psalms 144:6. Or the sunbeams spread upon the sea, and drawing up vapours; unde mare hoc loco nubium radix dicitur, saith Brentius, whence the sea is here called the root of the clouds; or the surface of the sea is called the root of it, in regard to the wandering waves which are cut in asunder, after the manner of roots; so saith Vatablus. Those that by light here understand lightnings, say, that God maketh them dart so abundantly through the waters of the sea, that they do, as it were, cover all the bottom of it.
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 36:30
(30) His light appears to mean here the lightning which flashes forth from the cloud. And covereth the bottom of the sea.—Literally, it hath covered the roots of the sea: i.e., it, the lightning, or He, God, hath covered those clouds which are composed of the roots of the sea, that is, the drops of water which are exhaled from the sea.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 36:30
Verse 30. He spreadeth his light upon it] Or, as Mr. Good translates, "He throweth forth from it his flash." These two verses may both have an allusion to the sudden rarefaction of that part of the atmosphere whence the thunder proceeds, by the agency of the electric fluid; the rushing in of the air on each side to restore the equilibrium, which the passage of the fire had before destroyed. The noise produced by this sudden rushing in of the air, as well as that occasioned by the ignition of the hydrogen gas, which is one of the constituents of water, is the thunder of his tabernacle, viz., the atmosphere, where God appears, in such cases, to be manifesting his presence and his power. Elihu says that God spreadeth his light upon it. This is spoken in reference to the flashes and coruscations of lightning in the time of thunder storms, when, even in a dark night, a sudden flash illuminates for a moment the surface of the earth under that place. And covereth the bottom of the sea.] He doth whatsoever it pleaseth him in the heavens above, in the earth beneath, in the sea, and in all deep places. Yea, the depths of the sea are as much under his control and influence as the atmosphere, and its whole collection of vapours, meteors, and galvanic and electric fluids.
Cambridge Bible on Job 36:30
30. Though God is enveloped in the dark cloud, He is there encircled with His light, which, though the masses of waters cover Him, manifests itself to men’s eyes in the lightning that shoots from the cloud and illumines it. the bottom of the sea] lit. the roots of the sea, a singular figure, which must mean the deeps or recesses of the sea. The reference is no doubt to the masses of water in the thunder clouds which enshroud the Almighty, but the precise idea of the poet is uncertain. Either he must call the heavenly waters the “sea” (cf. Psalms 29:3), and mean by its “roots” its densest recesses; or if he refer to the sea on earth, his idea must be that it has been, as it were, drawn up from its bottom in cloud and vapour to form the pavilion of the Lord. This second idea has a certain extravagance which makes it less probable.
Barnes' Notes on Job 36:30
Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it - That is, upon his tabernacle or dwelling-place - the clouds. The allusion is to lightning, which flashes in a moment over the whole heavens. The image is exceedingly beautiful and graphic.
Whedon's Commentary on Job 36:30
30. Light upon it — More properly, light around himself. Covereth the bottom of the sea — Covereth (himself) with the roots of the sea. Others read as in the text of Authorized Version.
Sermons on Job 36:30
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
(Through the Bible) Job 38-42 by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the variety and intricacy of God's creation, using the example of snowflakes. He mentions how Job, in the Bible, recognized the uniqueness of |
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When Compassion Offends God by Carter Conlon | In this sermon, the preacher reflects on the divine order and clockwork of the universe. He emphasizes that despite our discussions and disputes about what is right and wrong, the |
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God's Goal for You by Bill McLeod | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of living a life filled with God's love. He highlights the historical context of slavery and how some individuals would willi |
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Harmony of the Universe by Clement of Rome | Clement of Rome preaches about the divine order and harmony established by God in the heavens, the earth, and all of creation. He emphasizes how everything in the universe, from th |
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(Genesis) Genesis 1:9-13 by J. Vernon McGee | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the creation of the earth as described in the Bible. He emphasizes that God called the dry land "earth" and created it as a habitable place f |
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Easter Conference 1979-03 New Creation by Aldy Fam Fanous | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of spending time in fellowship with God. He compares the fast-paced and busy nature of life in the USA to the need for individ |
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The Origin of the Universe by John Whitcomb | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the topic of the origin of the universe from a biblical and scientific perspective. They mention that the Son of God brought the entire univer |