Job 37:12

UMBREIT for "watering," &c., translates; "Brightness drives away the clouds, His light scattereth the thick clouds"; the parallelism is thus good, but the Hebrew hardly sanctions it.

it--the cloud of lightning. counsels--guidance (Ps 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.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

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. […]