Job 36:31
in Job 36For by these He judges the nations and provides food in abundance.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For by these he judgeth the peoples; He giveth food in abundance.
KJV
For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.
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This verse in Job 36
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For by them judgeth he the people - By means of the clouds, the rain, the dew, the tempest, and the thunderbolt. The idea seems to be, that he makes use of all these to execute his purposes on mankind. He can either make them the means of imparting blessings, or of inflicting the severest, judgments. He can cause the tornado to sweep over the earth; he can arm the forked lightning against the works of art; he can withhold rain and dew, and spread over a land the miseries of famine.
This site's exposition
He draws up drops of water
on Job 36:27-33
The rain cycle opens a weather catalogue running into chapter 37. Delitzsch reads “by these He judges the nations” as rain doing double duty, feeding and disciplining. Gill takes “The thunder declares His presence” as the speech overtaken by the storm it describes, the whirlwind heard before it speaks.
This site's exposition
He judges the nations
Albert Barnes names the means by which God judges the nations: clouds, rain, dew, storm and thunder. He can withhold rain as readily as He sends it. Matthew Henry, citing Psalm 65, sees the same clouds provide food in abundance.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XXVII · Written before 604.
proposed
For by these things judgeth He the people, and giveth food to many mortals. By these words of preachers, that is drops of the clouds, by these lightnings of miracles, God doubtless judges the peoples; because He invites their terrified hearts to repentance. For when they hear heavenly things, when they attend to marvellous works, they soon return into their own hearts, and afflicting themselves for their former wickednesses, dread eternal torments.
To will means properly to act for an end, and so he shows the end of these works, "Through these he judges the peoples," because men are punished by them, "and he gives food to many mortal men," in the sense that the rains are …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Judgeth - By thunder and lightning, and rain from the clouds, he executes his judgments against ungodly people. By the same clouds, he provides plentiful showers dropping fatness on the earth.
1 Elihu also proceeded, and said, 2 Suffer me a little, and I will show thee that I have yet to speak on God's behalf. 3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. 4 For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:89%@v2-4
For by them judgeth he the people,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
When he pleases by them he judges the people he is angry with. Storms, and tempests, and excessive rains, destroying the fruits of the earth and causing inundations, come from the clouds; but, on the other hand, from them, usually, he gives meat in abundance; they drop fatness upon the pastures that are clothed with flocks, and the valleys that are covered with corn, Ps. lxv.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
These (rain and lightnings) are marvellous and not to be understood (Job 36:29), yet necessary. "For by them He judgeth (chastiseth on the one hand), &c. (and on the other, by them) He giveth meat" (food), &c.
By them judgeth he the people - He makes storms, tempests, winds, hurricanes, tornadoes, thunder and lightning, drought and inundation, the instruments of his justice, to punish rebellious nations. He giveth meat in abundance - Though by these he punishes offenders, yet through the same, as instruments, he provides for the wants of men and animals in general. Storms, tempests, and hurricanes, agitate the lower regions of the atmosphere, disperse noxious vapours, and thus render it fit for respiration; and without these it would soon become a stagnant, putrid, and deadly mass, in which neither animals could live, nor vegetables thrive. And by dews, rains, snows, frosts, winds, cold, and heat, he fructifies the earth, and causes it to bring forth abundantly, so that every thing living is filled with plenteousness. Some critics translate this latter clause thus: - He passeth sentence amain. I cannot see this meaning in the original words. Not one of the versions has so understood them; nor does this translation, supposing even that the Hebrew would bear it, give so fine and so elegant an idea as that of the common version. I always feel reluctant to give a sense in any case that is not supported in some of its parts by any of the ancient versions, and more especially when it is contrary to the whole of them; and still more particularly when opposed to the Arabic, which in the Book of Job, containing so many Arabisms, I consider to be of very great importance.
The words behind it
7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בָ֭ם | vam | by them | ||
| יָדִ֣ין | yadin | he judges | H1777 → | |
| עַמִּ֑ים | ʾamim | peoples | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| יִֽתֶּן־ | yiten- | he gives | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֹ֥כֶל | ʾokhel | food | H400 → | 43 times |
| לְמַכְבִּֽיר׃ | lemakhbir | to abundance | H4342 → |
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
בָ֭םby them
vam
יָדִ֣יןhe judges
yadinH1777 →
עַמִּ֑יםpeoples
ʾamimH5971 →1873 times
יִֽתֶּן־he gives
yiten-H5414 →2011 times
אֹ֥כֶלfood
ʾokhelH400 →43 times
לְמַכְבִּֽיר׃to abundance
lemakhbirH4342 →
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
Acts 14:17Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”
it leads to
- Romans 1:19–20
For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
- Joel 2:23
Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for He has given you the autumn rains for your vindication. He sends you showers, both autumn and spring rains, as…
- Job 5:10
He gives rain to the earth and sends water upon the fields.
- Deuteronomy 11:14
then I will provide rain for your land in season, the autumn and spring rains, that you may gather your grain, new wine, and oil.
- Romans 1:19–20
Through
Psalms 136:25He gives food to every creature. His loving devotion endures forever.
it leads to
- Psalms 145:15
The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season.
- Psalms 104:27
All creatures look to You to give them their food in due season.
- Psalms 145:15
Through
Job 37:13Whether for punishment or for His land, He accomplishes this in His loving devotion.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 18:45
Meanwhile, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain began to fall. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.
- Job 38:26–27
to bring rain on a barren land, on a desert where no man lives,
- 1 Kings 18:45
About Job
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Job; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XXVII; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.