Job 37 · Verse 22

Job 37:22

Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty.
Job 37:22, King James Version

Job 37:22 in other translations

BSBOut of the north He comes in golden splendor; awesome majesty surrounds Him.
WEBOut of the north comes golden splendor. With God is awesome majesty.
ASVOut of the north cometh golden splendor: God hath upon him terrible majesty.
YLTFrom the golden north it cometh, Beside God is fearful honour.
DARBYFrom the north cometh gold; with God is terrible majesty.
BBEA bright light comes out of the north; God's glory is greatly to be feared.
WebsterFair weather cometh from the north: with God is terrible majesty.

What does Job 37:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
22. Rather, "golden splendor." Maurer translates "gold." It is found in northern regions. But God cannot be "found out," because of His "Majesty" (Job 37:23). Thus the twenty-eighth chapter corresponds; English Version is simpler. the north--Brightness is chiefly associated with it (see on Job 23:9). Here, perhaps, because the north wind clears the air (Pr 25:23). Thus this clause answers to the last of Job 37:21; as the second of this verse to the first of Job 37:21. Inverted parallelism. (See Is 14:13; Psa 48:2). with God--rather, "upon God," as a garment (Psa 104:1, 2). majesty--splendor.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 22 Fair weather cometh out of the north - Is this any version of the original מצפון זהב יאתה mitstsaphon zahab yeetheh? which is rendered by almost every version, ancient and modern, thus, or to this effect: "From the north cometh gold." Calmet justly remarks, that in the time of Moses, Job, and Solomon, and for a long time after, gold was obtained from Colchis, Armenia, Phasis, and the land of Ophir, which were all north of Judea and Idumea; and are in the Scriptures ordinarily termed the north country. "But what relation can there be between, Gold cometh out of the north, and, With God is terrible majesty?" Answer: Each thing has its properties, and proper characteristics, which distinguish it; and each country has its advantages. Gold, for instance, comes from the northern countries; so praises offered to the Supreme God should be accompanied with fear and trembling: and as this metal is from the north, and northern countries are the places whence it must be procured; so terrible majesty belongs to God, and in him alone such majesty is eternally resident. As זהב zahob, which we translate gold, (see Job 28:16), comes from a root that signifies to be clear, bright, resplendent, etc.; Mr. Good avails himself of the radical idea, and translates it splendor: - "Splendor itself is with God; Insufferable majesty." But he alters the text a little to get this meaning, particularly in the word יאתה yeetheh, which we translate cometh, and which he contends is the pronoun אתה itself; the י yod, as a performative, here being, as he thinks, an interpolation. This makes a very good sense; but none of the ancient versions understood the place thus, and none of the MSS. countenance this very learned critic's emendation.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 37:21-24

Elihu concludes his discourse with some great sayings concerning the glory of God. Light always is, but is not always to be seen. When clouds come between, the sun is darkened in the clear day. The light of God's favour shines ever towards his faithful servants, though it be not always seen. Sins are clouds, and often hinder us from seeing that bright light which is in the face of God. Also, as to those thick clouds…

Read the full comment on Job 37:21-24 →

Job 37:22 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.

מִ֭צָּפוֹןMi.tza.fonfrom [the] northH6828
זָהָ֣בza.HavgoldH2091
יֶֽאֱתֶ֑הye.'e.Tehit comesH857
עַל\־'al-[is] onH5921
אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ'e.Lo.ahGodH433
נ֣וֹרָאNo.ra'awesome ofH3372
הֽוֹד\׃HodmajestyH1935

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

Cross references for Job 37:22

  • Psalms 104:1

    Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

  • Jude 1:25

    To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

  • Hebrews 12:29

    For our God is a consuming fire.

  • Habakkuk 3:3-19

    God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power. Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting. …

  • 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.

  • Proverbs 25:23

    The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

  • 1 Chronicles 29:11

    Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.

  • Job 40:10

    Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.

  • Hebrews 1:3

    Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

  • Psalms 145:5

    I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

  • Psalms 76:12

    He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.

  • Psalms 66:5

    Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fair. Heb. Gold weather.
Pr 25:23
with.
40:10; 1Ch 29:11; Ps 29:4; 66:5; 68:7,8; 76:12; 93:1; 104:1; 145:5
Isa 2:10,19; Mic 5:4; Na 1:3; Hab 3:3-19; Heb 1:3; 12:29; Jude 1:25

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

Context

  • Job 37:21

    And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the wind passeth, and cleanseth them.

  • Job 37:22

    Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty.

  • Job 37:23

    Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.

Read all of Job 37

Job 37:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Viniendo de la parte del norte la dorada claridad. En Dios hay una majestad terrible.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		L’or vient du nord; – par-devers ✝Dieu est la majesté terrible.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Aus dem Norden kommt Gold: - um Gott ist furchtbare Pracht;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ab aquilone aurum venit, et ad Deum formidolosa laudatio.