Job 37:11
New International Version
He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them.

New Living Translation
He loads the clouds with moisture, and they flash with his lightning.

English Standard Version
He loads the thick cloud with moisture; the clouds scatter his lightning.

Berean Standard Bible
He loads the clouds with moisture; He scatters His lightning through them.

King James Bible
Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud:

New King James Version
Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds.

New American Standard Bible
“He also loads the clouds with moisture; He disperses the cloud of His lightning.

NASB 1995
“Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud; He disperses the cloud of His lightning.

NASB 1977
“Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud; He disperses the cloud of His lightning.

Legacy Standard Bible
Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud; He scatters the cloud of His lightning.

Amplified Bible
“He loads the thick cloud with moisture; He disperses the cloud of His lightning.

Christian Standard Bible
He saturates clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He saturates clouds with moisture; He scatters His lightning through them.

American Standard Version
Yea, he ladeth the thick cloud with moisture; He spreadeth abroad the cloud of his lightning:

Contemporary English Version
Rain clouds filled with lightning appear at God's command,

English Revised Version
Yea, he ladeth the thick cloud with moisture; he spreadeth abroad the cloud of his lightning:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Yes, he loads the thick clouds with moisture and scatters his lightning from the clouds.

Good News Translation
Lightning flashes from the clouds,

International Standard Version
He also loads the clouds with moisture, scattering his lightning with the clouds.

Majority Standard Bible
He loads the clouds with moisture; He scatters His lightning through them.

NET Bible
He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through the clouds.

New Heart English Bible
Yes, he loads the thick cloud with moisture. He spreads abroad the cloud of his lightning.

Webster's Bible Translation
Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud:

World English Bible
Yes, he loads the thick cloud with moisture. He spreads abroad the cloud of his lightning.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Indeed, by filling He presses out a cloud, [and] His light scatters a cloud.

Young's Literal Translation
Yea, by filling He doth press out a cloud, Scatter a cloud doth His light.

Smith's Literal Translation
Also by watering he will cast down the cloud: he will scatter the cloud of his light:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Corn desireth clouds, and the clouds spread their light :

Catholic Public Domain Version
Crops desire clouds, and the clouds scatter their light.

New American Bible
The clouds too are laden with moisture, the storm-cloud scatters its light.

New Revised Standard Version
He loads the thick cloud with moisture; the clouds scatter his lightning.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The clouds are stretched out greatly; he spreads the clouds by his light.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And gently are spread out the clouds, and he scatters the clouds of his light
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Yea, He ladeth the thick cloud with moister, He spreadeth abroad the cloud of His lightning;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And if a cloud obscures what is precious to him, his light will disperse the cloud.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Elihu Proclaims God's Majesty
10By the breath of God the ice is formed and the watery expanses are frozen. 11 He loads the clouds with moisture; He scatters His lightning through them. 12They swirl about, whirling at His direction, accomplishing all that He commands over the face of all the earth.…

Cross References
Psalm 147:8
who covers the sky with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow on the hills.

Isaiah 55:10
For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat,

Jeremiah 10:13
When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.

Psalm 135:7
He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.

Proverbs 3:20
By His knowledge the watery depths were broken open, and the clouds dripped with dew.

Genesis 9:13-16
I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. / Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, / I will remember My covenant between Me and you and every living creature of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. ...

Nahum 1:3
The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. His path is in the whirlwind and storm, and clouds are the dust beneath His feet.

Psalm 104:13
He waters the mountains from His chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of His works.

Isaiah 45:8
Drip down, O heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open up that salvation may sprout and righteousness spring up with it; I, the LORD, have created it.

Jeremiah 14:22
Can the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies alone send showers? Is this not by You, O LORD our God? So we put our hope in You, for You have done all these things.

Matthew 5:45
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Acts 14:17
Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”

James 5:17-18
Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. / Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops.

Revelation 11:6
These witnesses have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophecy, and power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.

Luke 8:24-25
The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and they subsided, and all was calm. / “Where is your faith?” He asked. Frightened and amazed, they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him!”


Treasury of Scripture

Also by watering he wearies the thick cloud: he scatters his bright cloud:

he wearieth

Job 36:27,28
For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof: …

he scattereth

Job 36:30,32
Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea…

Isaiah 18:4
For so the LORD said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.

Matthew 17:5
While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

his bright cloud.

Jump to Previous
Abroad Bright Cloud Clouds Disperses Filling Light Loads Moisture Plentiful Press Scatter Scattereth Scatters Sends Spreadeth Spreads Thick Thunder-Flame Watering Wearieth Weighted
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Abroad Bright Cloud Clouds Disperses Filling Light Loads Moisture Plentiful Press Scatter Scattereth Scatters Sends Spreadeth Spreads Thick Thunder-Flame Watering Wearieth Weighted
Job 37
1. God is to be feared because of his great works
15. His wisdom is unsearchable in them














He loads the clouds with moisture
The phrase begins with the acknowledgment of God's sovereign control over nature. The Hebrew word for "loads" (מַשְׂבִּיעַ, masbi'a) conveys the idea of filling or satisfying, suggesting that God abundantly provides what is necessary for the clouds to fulfill their purpose. In the ancient Near Eastern context, clouds were often seen as carriers of divine blessing, particularly in the form of rain, which was crucial for agriculture and survival. This imagery underscores God's provision and the intricate balance He maintains in creation.

the clouds
In Hebrew, the word for "clouds" (עָבִים, 'avim) can also imply a sense of heaviness or thickness, indicating the weight of the moisture they carry. Clouds in the biblical narrative often symbolize God's presence and majesty, as seen in the pillar of cloud that guided the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21). Here, they serve as a testament to God's creative power and His ability to sustain life on earth.

with moisture
The term "moisture" (אוֹר, or) in this context refers to the water content within the clouds, essential for rain. This highlights the life-giving aspect of God's creation, as water is a fundamental element for life. Theologically, it reflects God's nurturing character, providing for His creation's needs. Historically, in a predominantly agrarian society, the regularity and abundance of rain were seen as direct blessings from God, reinforcing the dependence of humanity on divine provision.

He scatters His lightning through them
The scattering of lightning (בְּרָקָיו, b'raqav) illustrates God's dynamic and awe-inspiring power. Lightning, a natural phenomenon that can be both beautiful and terrifying, serves as a reminder of God's might and the fearsome aspect of His creation. In the ancient world, lightning was often associated with divine judgment or communication, as seen in the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16). This phrase emphasizes God's control over even the most powerful and unpredictable elements of nature.

through them
The phrase "through them" indicates the medium of the clouds as conduits for God's power. It suggests a divine orchestration where every element of nature is under God's command. This reflects the biblical theme of God's omnipresence and His intimate involvement in the workings of the world. Theologically, it reassures believers of God's sovereignty and His ability to use all aspects of creation for His purposes.

(11) He wearieth the thick cloud.--Also He ladeth the thick cloud with moisture, maketh it to be charged with rain. "He scattereth the cloud of His lightning," that is, which containeth His lightning. Others render, "Yea, the bright sun weareth out (disperseth) the thick cloud; it scattereth the cloud that holds His lightning. And it (the cloud) is turned round about by His counsels, that they may do His purpose, even all which He commandeth them, upon the face of the habitable world." Whether for correction, or for His land generally, or whether He causeth the rain to come as a special mercy:--these are the various purposes for which God reserves His showers.

Verse 11. - Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud; rather, also with moisture he ladeth the thick cloud. Elihu returns from his description of the winter season to the more ordinary condition of things. Rain is the chief necessity of Eastern countries; and God is ever providing it, causing moisture to be drawn up from earth and sea, and safely lodged in the clouds, whence it descends, as needed, and as commanded by God, upon the fields and plains that man cultivates. He scattereth his bright cloud. Most commentators see a reference to lightning here; and it is possible, no doubt, that such a reference is intended. "His bright cloud" - literally, "the cloud of his light" - may mean "the cloud in which his lightning is stored." But perhaps no more is meant than that God spreads abroad over the earth the clouds on which his sunlight rests. The genial showers of spring fall generally from clouds that are, in part at any rate, steeped in the sun's rays.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He loads
יַטְרִ֣יחַ (yaṭ·rî·aḥ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2959: To toil, be burdened

the clouds
עָ֑ב (‘āḇ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 5645: An envelope, darkness, a, cloud, a copse

with moisture;
בְּ֭רִי (bə·rî)
Preposition | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7377: Irrigation, a shower

He scatters
יָ֝פִ֗יץ (yā·p̄îṣ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6327: To be dispersed or scattered

His lightning
אוֹרֽוֹ׃ (’ō·w·rōw)
Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 216: Illumination, luminary

through them.
עֲנַ֣ן (‘ă·nan)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6051: A cloud, the nimbus, thunder-cloud


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OT Poetry: Job 37:11 Yes he loads the thick cloud (Jb)
Job 37:10
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