Jeremiah 10:13
in Jeremiah 10When 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
When he uttereth his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries.
KJV
When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.
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This verse in Jeremiah 10
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
When ... - i. e., the rushing downpour of rain follows immediately upon the thunder. The rest of the verse is identical with marginal reference; but probably the words belong to Jeremiah, the Psalm being of comparatively late date. With rain - For the rain Psa 135:7.
This site's exposition
He established the world by His wisdom
on Jeremiah 10:12-13
The LORD “made the earth by His power”, “established the world by His wisdom” and “stretched out the heavens by His understanding”. Verse 13 turns from making to governing, the lightning, rain and wind brought “from His storehouses”. Weather is an office only the true God holds.
This site's exposition
the waters in the heavens roar
Barnes reads the roar of the waters in the heavens as the rain that rushes down after the thunder. The rest of the verse matches Psalm 135:7, and Barnes holds that the words are Jeremiah's own, the psalm being later. Weather answers to its Maker.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"And He brought up clouds from the end of the earth." This saying fell to us recently also in the psalm, and we were saying how God "brought up clouds from the end of the earth." Which things it is necessary to take up again—for those who know, for the clarification and reminder of what has been said, but for those who have forgotten or were not present, for the plain understanding of this, whether it be revealed and made manifest or however it may be understood. And we were saying that the saints are clouds. For the phrase "your truth is unto the clouds" cannot be referred to the lifeless clouds; but the truth of God is unto the clouds, which hear the commandment of God and know where they should send forth rain and from what places they should withhold it. For, as of clouds which exist, to which God gives command not to rain or to rain, it is written, "I will command the clouds not to rain rain upon it." Now in the case of these clouds, when there is no rain, God does not command the clouds not to rain rain upon the vineyard or upon the land, but no cloud appears at all, as is written in the third book of Kingdoms, where, during the time of the drought, no cloud appeared; but when, according to the word of the prophecy of Elijah, the rain was about to come, a trace of a cloud appeared "like the trace of a man," and it became a cloud producing the rain. But as of clouds that do exist, yet are ordered not to rain when the soul happens to be unworthy of the rain, it is said, "I will command the clouds not to rain rain upon it." Therefore each of the saints is a cloud. Moses was a cloud, and as a cloud he said: "Attend, O heaven, and I will speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. […]
(Verse 13.) By his voice, he gives a multitude of waters in the sky, and he lifts up the clouds from the ends of the earth. He made lightning for rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses. He gives a multitude of waters in the heavens at his voice. For all the doctrine of the Lord flows from the heavens, as David says: You will separate God a voluntary rain for your inheritance, and it was weakened, but you have perfected it. And he raises or brings forth the clouds from the ends of the earth (Psal.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
It was a common saying even among the Greeks-- He that sets up to be another god ought first to make another world. While the heathen worship gods that they made, we worship the God that made us and all things. First, The earth is a body of vast bulk, has valuable treasures in its bowels and more valuable fruit on its surface.
): When he uttereth his voice (gives the word of command) there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, which are poured out on the earth, whether for judgment or mercy, as he intends them.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
When he uttereth his voice,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Literally, "At the voice of His giving forth," that is, when He thunders. Ps 29:3-5). waters-- (Ge 1:7) --above the firmament; heavy rains accompany thunder. vapours . . . ascend-- (Ps 135:7). treasures--His stores.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters - This is a plain allusion to a storm of thunder and lightning, and the abundance of rain which is the consequence. Water is composed of two gases, hydrogen and oxygen: the electric or galvanic spark decomposes them, and they become air; when recomposed, they form water. The lightning acts upon the hydrogen and oxygen, which are found In the atmospheric air: they are decomposed, and water or rain is the consequence; which, being heavier than the air falls down in the form of rain. This verse and the three following are the same in substance, and nearly in words, as Jer 51:16, and following.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
At the sound of His giving At the time the sound comes that He is giving a multitude of water in the heavens.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לְק֨וֹל | lekol | to [the] sound of | H6963 → | 506 times |
| תִּתּ֜וֹ | tito | giving forth he | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| הֲמ֥וֹן | hamon | a tumult of | H1995 → | 83 times |
| מַ֙יִם֙ | mayim | waters | H4325 → | 581 times |
| בַּשָּׁמַ֔יִם | bashamayim | in the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| וַיַּעֲלֶ֥ה | vaiyaaleh | and he made come up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| נְשִׂאִ֖ים | nesiim | clouds | H5387 → | |
| מִקְצֵ֣ה | miktzeh | from [the] end of | H7097 → | 97 times |
| הָאָ֑רֶץ | haeretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| בְּרָקִ֤ים | berakim | lightning<s> | H1300 → | |
| לַמָּטָר֙ | lamatar | for the rain | H4306 → | |
| עָשָׂ֔ה | ʾasah | he makes | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וַיּ֥וֹצֵא | vaiyotze' | and he brought out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| ר֖וּחַ | ruach | [the] wind | H7307 → | 378 times |
| מֵאֹצְרֹתָֽיו׃ | meotzerotav | from storehouses his | H214 → | 79 times |
לְק֨וֹלto [the] sound of
lekolH6963 →506 times
תִּתּ֜וֹgiving forth he
titoH5414 →2011 times
הֲמ֥וֹןa tumult of
hamonH1995 →83 times
מַ֙יִם֙waters
mayimH4325 →581 times
בַּשָּׁמַ֔יִםin the heavens
bashamayimH8064 →421 times
וַיַּעֲלֶ֥הand he made come up
vaiyaalehH5927 →890 times
נְשִׂאִ֖יםclouds
nesiimH5387 →
מִקְצֵ֣הfrom [the] end of
miktzehH7097 →97 times
הָאָ֑רֶץthe earth
haeretzH776 →2504 times
בְּרָקִ֤יםlightning<s>
berakimH1300 →
לַמָּטָר֙for the rain
lamatarH4306 →
עָשָׂ֔הhe makes
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
וַיּ֥וֹצֵאand he brought out
vaiyotze'H3318 →1067 times
ר֖וּחַ[the] wind
ruachH7307 →378 times
מֵאֹצְרֹתָֽיו׃from storehouses his
meotzerotavH214 →79 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Job 38:22Have you entered the storehouses of snow or observed the storehouses of hail,
it leads to
- Job 37:6
For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the gentle rain, ‘Pour out a mighty downpour.’
- Psalms 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.
- Job 6:16
darkened because of the ice and the inflow of melting snow,
- Job 37:6
Through
Psalms 135:7He 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.
it leads to
- Job 28:25–26
When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
- Zechariah 10:1
Ask the LORD for rain in springtime; the LORD makes the storm clouds, and He will give everyone showers of rain and crops in the field.
- Jeremiah 51:16
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…
- Job 28:25–26
Through
Psalms 18:13The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded— hailstones and coals of fire.
it leads to
- Psalms 104:7
At Your rebuke the waters fled; at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away—
- 1 Samuel 7:10
As the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel, Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering. But that day the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they fled…
- Psalms 104:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 8.