Job 38:9
New International Version
when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness,

New Living Translation
and as I clothed it with clouds and wrapped it in thick darkness?

English Standard Version
when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band,

Berean Standard Bible
when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its blanket,

King James Bible
When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

New King James Version
When I made the clouds its garment, And thick darkness its swaddling band;

New American Standard Bible
When I made a cloud its garment, And thick darkness its swaddling bands,

NASB 1995
When I made a cloud its garment And thick darkness its swaddling band,

NASB 1977
When I made a cloud its garment, And thick darkness its swaddling band,

Legacy Standard Bible
When I made a cloud its garment And dense gloom its swaddling band,

Amplified Bible
When I made the clouds its garment And thick darkness its swaddling band,

Christian Standard Bible
when I made the clouds its garment and total darkness its blanket,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its blanket,

American Standard Version
When I made clouds the garment thereof, And thick darkness a swaddling-band for it,

Contemporary English Version
and wrapped it in blankets of thickest fog.

English Revised Version
When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
when I clothed it with clouds and wrapped it up in dark clouds,

Good News Translation
It was I who covered the sea with clouds and wrapped it in darkness.

International Standard Version
when I made clouds to be its clothes and thick darkness its swaddling blanket,

Majority Standard Bible
when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its blanket,

NET Bible
when I made the storm clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band,

New Heart English Bible
when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness,

Webster's Bible Translation
When I made a cloud its garment, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it,

World English Bible
when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
In My making a cloud its clothing, "" And thick darkness its swaddling band,

Young's Literal Translation
In My making a cloud its clothing, And thick darkness its swaddling band,

Smith's Literal Translation
In my making the cloud its garment, and darkness its bandage:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
when I made a cloud the garment thereof, and wrapped it in a mist as in swaddling bands?

Catholic Public Domain Version
when I stationed a cloud as its garment and wrapped it in a mist as if swaddling an infant?

New American Bible
When I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling bands?

New Revised Standard Version
when I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
When I made the cloud the garment of the earth, and thick darkness a swaddling hand for it,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
When he set the work of the clouds her clothing, and thick darkness its swaddling band
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
When I made the cloud the garment thereof, And thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I made a cloud its clothing, and swathed it in mist.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God Challenges Job
8Who enclosed the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, 9when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its blanket, 10when I fixed its boundaries and set in place its bars and doors,…

Cross References
Genesis 1:2
Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

Psalm 104:6
You covered it with the deep like a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.

Proverbs 8:27-29
I was there when He established the heavens, when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, / when He established the clouds above, when the fountains of the deep gushed forth, / when He set a boundary for the sea, so that the waters would not surpass His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth.

Isaiah 40:22
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

Jeremiah 5:22
Do you not fear Me?” declares the LORD. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot cross it.

Psalm 33:7
He piles up the waters of the sea; He puts the depths into storehouses.

Psalm 148:4-6
Praise Him, O highest heavens, and you waters above the skies. / Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He gave the command and they were created. / He established them forever and ever; He issued a decree that will never pass away.

Isaiah 45:7
I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.

Amos 5:8
He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns darkness into dawn and darkens day into night, who summons the waters of the sea and pours them over the face of the earth—the LORD is His name—

Psalm 89:9-10
You rule the raging sea; when its waves mount up, You still them. / You crushed Rahab like a carcass; You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.

Isaiah 51:15
For I am the LORD your God who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of Hosts is His name.

Jeremiah 31:35
Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day, who sets in order the moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of Hosts is His name:

Matthew 8:26-27
“You of little faith,” Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm. / The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”

Mark 4:39-41
Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm. / “Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?” / Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

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

When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddling cloth for it,

thick

Genesis 1:2
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

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Job 38
1. God challenges Job to answer
4. God, by his mighty works, convinces Job of ignorance
31. and weakness














when I made
This phrase emphasizes God's active role as the Creator. The Hebrew root for "made" is "עָשָׂה" (asah), which conveys the idea of fashioning or crafting with intention and purpose. In the context of Job, this underscores God's sovereignty and wisdom in creation, reminding us that everything in the universe is a product of His divine will and meticulous design.

the clouds
The Hebrew word for "clouds" is "עָנָן" (anan). In ancient Near Eastern cultures, clouds were often seen as symbols of mystery and divine presence. Here, they serve as a metaphor for God's majesty and the hidden aspects of His creation. The clouds, as part of the earth's "garment," illustrate how God covers and protects His creation, much like a garment provides covering and protection to the body.

its garment
The term "garment" in Hebrew is "לְבוּשׁ" (lebush), which signifies clothing or covering. This imagery portrays the earth as being clothed by God, suggesting His care and provision. Just as a garment is tailored to fit, God's creation is perfectly suited to His purposes. This reflects the idea that the natural world is not random but is ordered and maintained by God's hand.

and wrapped it
The phrase "wrapped it" comes from the Hebrew "חָבַשׁ" (chabash), meaning to bind or encircle. This conveys the idea of God enveloping the earth with His creation, indicating His intimate involvement and control over the natural order. It suggests a protective and nurturing action, highlighting God's role as a caretaker of the world.

in thick darkness
The Hebrew for "thick darkness" is "עֲרָפֶל" (araphel), often associated with the presence of God, as seen in other biblical passages like Exodus 20:21. This darkness is not merely the absence of light but a profound mystery that surrounds God's ways and purposes. It serves as a reminder of the limits of human understanding and the depth of divine wisdom. In the context of Job, it challenges the reader to trust in God's unseen and incomprehensible plans, even amidst life's uncertainties.

Verse 9. - When I made the cloud the garment thereof. The account of creation here given is certainly not drawn wholly from Genesis It is to be viewed as a second, independent, account of the occurrences, in fuller detail, but vaguer, by reason of the poetical phraseology. And thick darkness a swaddllng-band for it. The infant sea, just come from the womb (ver. 8), is represented as clothed with a cloud, and swaddled in thick darkness, to mark its complete subjection to its Creator from the first.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
when I made
בְּשׂוּמִ֣י (bə·śū·mî)
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

the clouds
עָנָ֣ן (‘ā·nān)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6051: A cloud, the nimbus, thunder-cloud

its garment
לְבֻשׁ֑וֹ (lə·ḇu·šōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3830: A garment, clothing, raiment

and thick darkness
וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל (wa·‘ă·rā·p̄el)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6205: Cloud, heavy cloud

its blanket,
חֲתֻלָּתֽוֹ׃ (ḥă·ṯul·lā·ṯōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2854: A swathing cloth


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OT Poetry: Job 38:9 When I made clouds its garment (Jb)
Job 38:8
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