Job 36 · Verse 29

Job 36:29

Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?

Job 36:29, King James Version

Job 36:29 in other translations

BSB	Furthermore, who can understand how the clouds spread out, how the thunder roars from His pavilion?
WEB	Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds and the thunderings of his pavilion?
ASV	Yea, can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, The thunderings of his pavilion?
YLT	Yea, doth any understand The spreadings out of a cloud? The noises of His tabernacle?
DARBY	But can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the crashing of his pavilion?
BBE	And who has knowledge of how the clouds are stretched out, or of the thunders of his tent?
Webster	Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?

What does Job 36:29 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

29. (Job 37:5). God's marvels in thunder and lightnings. spreadings, &c.--the canopy of thick clouds, which covers the heavens in a storm (Psa 105:39). the noise--"crashing"; namely, thunder. of his tabernacle--God being poetically said to have His pavilion amid dark clouds (Psa 18:11; Is 40:22).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 29 Can any understand the spreadings of the clouds - Though the vapor appear to be fortuitously raised, and subject, when suspended in the atmosphere, to innumerable accidents, to different winds and currents which might drive it all to the sandy deserts, or direct its course so that it should fall again into the great deep from which it has been exhaled, without watering and refreshing the earth; yet so does the good and wise providence of God manage this matter, that every part of the arable terrene surface receives an ample supply; and in every place, where requisite, it may be truly said that "The rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and water the earth, and cause it to bring forth and bud, that it may minister seed to the sower, and bread to the eater." In Egypt, where there is little or no rain, the earth is watered by the annual inundation of the Nile; there, because this system of evaporation is not necessary, it does not exist. Who can account for this economy? How are these clouds so judiciously and effectually spread through the atmosphere, so as to supply the wants of the earth, of men, and of cattle? I ask, with Elihu, "Who can understand the spreadings of these clouds?" And I should like to see that volunteer in the solution of paradoxes who would step forward and say, I am the man. The noise of his tabernacle? - By the tabernacle we may understand the whole firmament or atmospheric expansion; the place where the Almighty seems more particularly to dwell; whence he sends forth the rain of his strength, and the thunder of his power. The noise must refer to the blowing of winds and tempests. or to the claps, peals, and rattling of thunder, by means of the electric fluid.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 36:24-33

Elihu endeavours to fill Job with high thought of God, and so to persuade him into cheerful submission to his providence. Man may see God's works, and is capable of discerning his hand in them, which the beasts are not, therefore they ought to give him the glory. But while the worker of iniquity ought to tremble, the true believer should rejoice. Children should hear with pleasure their Father's voice, even when he…

Read the full comment on Job 36:24-33 →

Job 36:29 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אַ֣ף'afalsoH637

אִם\־'im-ifH518

יָ֭בִיןYa.vinanyone understandsH995

מִפְרְשֵׂי\־mif.re.sei-[the] spreading out<s> ofH4666

עָ֑ב'Avdark cloudH5645

תְּ֝שֻׁא֗וֹתte.shu.'ot[the] crashes ofH8663

סֻכָּתֽוֹ\׃su.ka.Topavilion hisH5521

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Job 36:29

Job 37:16
Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?
Job 37:2-5
Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth. He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth. After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard. God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.
Psalms 29:3-10
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn. …
Job 26:14
Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?
Nahum 1:3
The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
Job 38:9
When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
Psalms 18:13
The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
Habakkuk 3:10
The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.
Psalms 104:7
At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.
1 Kings 18:44-45
And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
Psalms 104:3
Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
Job 38:37
Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the spreadings.
37:16; 38:9,37; 1Ki 18:44,45; Ps 104:3
the noise.
37:2-5; Ps 18:13; 29:3-10; 77:16-19; 104:7; Na 1:3; Hab 3:10

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Job 36:28
Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.
Job 36:29
Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?
Job 36:30
Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.

Read all of Job 36

Job 36:29 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	¿Quién podrá tampoco comprender la extensión de las nubes, y el sonido estrepitoso de su pabellón?
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Mais qui peut comprendre le déploiement de la nuée, le fracas de son tabernacle?
German Elberfelder 1871	Versteht man gar das Ausbreiten des Gewölks, das Krachen seines Zeltes?
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Si voluerit extendere nubes quasi tentorium suum,