Job 37:12

Job 37:12 And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth.

Ver. 12. And it is turned round about by his counsels] Vertit Dominus et revertit, The Lord turneth and returneth; letteth out, and bringeth back the clouds, as it were by a rope, at his own pleasure; a metaphor from mariners, who skilfully manage the ropes of the ship to best advantage. In like sort the clouds are by God’s cunning turned about in a circuit (as Beza rendereth it), that is, in a round compass or circle; they are not carried up and down the air by any wandering and inconstant motion; but they are, as it were, by certain engines (so he maketh the metaphor) of Almighty God, turned about at his own pleasure, when and where he thinketh good to use them; for he best knoweth where is most need of rain, snow, &c., and therefore he by his wisdom driveth them hither and thither, for the fulfilling of his purpose. Some refer this text to the revolution of the heavenly orbs, which is also done by God.

That they may do whatsoever he commandeth them] A metaphor like that, Lev 25:21, where God saith that he will command his blessing upon the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years. Now if the senseless creature so readily obey God, how much more should we! And if he be Lord of tempests, he is also of diseases and disasters. Cheer up, therefore, and ply the throne of grace. He will see that all shall go well with his supplicants.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

it--the cloud of lightning.

counsels--guidance (Psa 148:8); literally, "steering"; the clouds obey God's guidance, as the ship does the helmsman. So the lightning (see on Job 36:31-32); neither is haphazard in its movements.

they--the clouds, implied in the collective singular "it."

face of the world, &c.--in the face of the earth's circle.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 12. And it is turned round about by his counsels] The original is difficult: והוא מסבות מתהפך בתחבולתו vehu mesibboth mithhappech bethachbulothav; which has been thus paraphrased: And he-the sun, makes revolutions - causes the heavenly bodies to revolve round him, turning round himself - turning round his own axis, by his attachments - his attractive and repulsive influences, by which the heavenly bodies revolve round him, and by which, as if strongly tied to their centre, בחבל bechebel, with a cable or rope, they are projected to their proper distances, and prevented from coming too near, or flying off too far.

That they may do whatsoever he commandeth them] That men may perform his will, availing themselves of the influences of the sun, moon, times, seasons, c., to cultivate the earth for the sustenance of themselves and their cattle.

Upon the face of the world in the earth.] אל פני תבל ארצה al peney thebel aretsah, over the surface of the habitable world. Perhaps the above exposition may appear to be too far-fetched and possibly the passage refers only to the revolutions of the seasons, and the operations connected with them.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

12. In the second clause the words are lit. “that they may do,” the plur. referring to “cloud” (Job_37:11) collectively. Others make the pronoun they refer to men, which is very unnatural. The expression “the whole earth” is lit. the world of the earth, Pro_8:31.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And it is turned round about by his counsels,.... The cloud is, and that by the wind, which is turned about to all points of the compass, according to the will of God; by the counsels of him who sits at the helm, as the word signifies, and orders all things according to the counsel of his own will: to which owing every shifting of the wind, and the various motions of the clouds;

that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth; as all his creatures do; the several meteors in the air, clouds, stormy wind, fire, hail, snow, and vapour, all fulfilling his word; and which they do everywhere in the several parts of the world whither they are sent, Psa 107:25. So ministers of the word drop down or withhold the rain of Gospel doctrine, and carry it into the several places of the world, as the Lord directs them; see Isa 5:6.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

And it is turned round about - The word here rendered “it” (הוא hû') may refer either to the “cloud,” and then it will mean that it is driven about at the pleasure of God; or it may refer to God, and then it will mean that “he” drives it about at pleasure. The sense is not materially varied. The use of the Hebrew participle rendered “turned about” (in Hithpael), would rather imply that it refers to the cloud. The sense then is, that it turns itself round about - referring to the appearance of a cloud in the sky that rolls itself about from one place to another.

By his counsels - By the counsels or purposes of God. It is not by any agency or power of its own, but it is by laws such as he has appointed, and so as to accomplish his will. The object is to keep up the idea that God presides over, and directs all these things. The word which is rendered “counsels” (תחבולה tachebûlâh) means properly a “steering, guidance, management,” Pro 11:14. It is usually applied to the act of steering, as a vessel, and then to prudent management, wise counsel, skillful measures. It is rendered “wise counsels,” and “counsels,” Pro 1:5; Pro 11:14; Pro 12:5; Pro 24:6, and “good advice,” Pro 20:18. It does not elsewhere occur in the Scriptures. The word is derived from חבל chebel, “a rope,” or חבל chôbêl, “a sailor, pilot,” and hence, the idea of “steering,” or “directing.” The meaning is, that the movements of the clouds are entirely under the “direction” of God, as the vessel is of the pilot or helmsman. The Septuagint appears not to have understood the meaning of the word, and have not attempted to translate it. They retain it in their version, writing it, θεεβουλαθὼq theeboulathōth, showing, among other instances, how the Hebrew was “pronounced” by them.

That they may do whatsoever he commandeth them - See Psa 147:17-18. The idea is, that even the clouds, which appear so capricious in their movements, are really under the direction of God, and are accomplishing his purposes. They do not move at haphazard, but they are under the control of one who intends to accomplish important purposes by them. Elihu had made this observation respecting the lightning Job 36:30-33, and he now says that the same thing was true of the clouds. The investigations of science have only served to confirm this, and to show that even the movements of the clouds are regulated by laws which have been ordained by a Being of infinite intelligence.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

It is turned round about; the clouds (now mentioned) are carried about to this or that place.

By his counsels; not by chance, (though nothing seems to be more casual and uncertain than the motions of the clouds,) but by his order and governance.

That they may do whatsoever he commandeth them; either be dispersed and pass away without effect, to the disappointment of the husbandmen’s hopes, or be dissolved in sweet and fruitful showers.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

12. It is turned… counsels — The changing, whirling, apparently capricious clouds are really under his guidance (“steering, after the manner of a ship,” Dillmann) for the accomplishment of his beneficent or retributive designs towards “the world of the earth;” more literally, on the face of the habitable land of the earth. Hengstenberg thinks that the expression it is turned, or “turns itself” (Hithpael, same as in Gen_3:24) round “in circles,” refers to the revolution of the seasons, which “accomplish, as it were, a complete course.” This would be a digression hardly justified by the preceding and following verses, which treat of the clouds as messengers of God’s mercy or his wrath.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And it is turned round about by his counsels, "It" (i.e. the cloud) is "turned round" (or directed in its course) "by his counsels," or under the guidance of his wisdom, and so conveys his rain whither he pleases. That they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth. There is no expressed antecedent to "they." Perhaps the showers are intended, or the atmospheric influences generally.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Turned - The clouds are carried about to this or that place. Not by chance (though nothing seems to be more casual than the motions of the clouds) but by his order and governance.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

sometimes it happens for correction

The word "correction" can be translated with a verbal phrase. The object of his "correction" is people. AT: "sometimes it happens to correct his people" (See: Abstract Nouns and Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

sometimes for his land

This means that the rain waters the ground and causes vegetation to grow. AT: "sometimes to water the land" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

sometimes as acts of covenant faithfulness

The abstract noun "faithfulness" can be stated as "faithful" or "faithfully." AT: "sometimes to act faithfully to his covenant" or "sometimes to be faithful to his people" (See: Abstract Nouns)

translationWords

command

world

covenant faithfulness

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

And he who is thus appointed.

turns around in circuits by His guidance [i.e., by the guidance] of the Omnipresent.

for their work namely, of the rains; for the work which is incumbent upon them to do, either good or evil, he is turned about with many circuits, as [the passage] that we learned (Rosh Hashanah 17b): if Israel were perfectly righteous on Rosh Hashanah so that [much] rain was decreed for them, and they should later become sinful—it would be impossible to decrease it [the amount of rain] because the decree would already have gone forth; but the Holy One, blessed be He, would let it come down out of its season and upon a land that did not require it. “And sometimes to do good”; how is this? etc.

whatever He commands them Those rains, to do on earth. [Another explanation: And he turns around in circuits with His guidance—He causes the clouds and the winds to encompass the mountains so that they should be watered from all sides. In the Aggadah of “Vehayah ekev” (Sifrei Ekev 39).]

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.