Job 38:23
in Job 38which I hold in reserve for times of trouble, for the day of war and battle?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, Against the day of battle and war?
KJV
Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
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This verse in Job 38
Commentary
10 notes on this verseGod sometimes uses things like this for the correction of men, as we have already seen, "He judges the peoples with these things." (36:31) So he says, "These things which I have prepared for a time of the enemy," that is for a time when …
This site's exposition
the storehouses of snow
on Job 38:22-24
God names the “storehouses of snow” and hail as held “in reserve for times of trouble, for the day of war and battle”. Barnes reads the military language deliberately, the snow and hail that fall as ordinary weather also standing ready as instruments of judgment.
This site's exposition
the day of war and battle
Adam Clarke reads the times of trouble from the Hebrew as a season of tightness, when frost binds the earth. John Gill finds the stored hail at work against Egypt in Exodus 9:25 and held in reserve for Revelation 16:21. Gill calls it God's artillery.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Obviously this does not mean that there exist such storehouses, but he simply shows that these elements are at his complete disposal when he wants, as if he took them from his own reserves. "And is there a store of them for you against the time of your enemies, for the day of wars and battles?" You certainly understand that he wants to emphasize their opportunity, the fact that they come at the right moment and never at random. Then he equally speaks about all the rest, that is, about rain, hail and, on the other hand, about the Notus.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Hast thou entered into the treasures of snow, or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have prepared against the time of the enemy, against the day of battle and war? What else must be understood by the 'snow' or 'hail,' but the cold and hard hearts of the wicked? For as charity is designated by warmth, so also in Holy Scripture wickedness is wont to be designated by cold. For it is written, As a cistern maketh its water cold, so doth its own wickedness make cold the soul.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Which I have reserved against the time of trouble,.... For the punishment or affliction of men; and is explained as follows, against the day of battle and war? as his artillery and ammunition to light his enemies with. Of hail we have instances in Scripture, as employed against the Egyptians and Canaanites, Exo 9:25; and of a reserve of it in the purposes of God, and in prophecy against the day of battle with antichrist, Rev 16:21; and so Jarchi interprets it here of the war of Gog and Magog.
): " Hast thou entered into these and taken a view of them?" In the clouds the snow and hail are generated, and thence they come in such abundance that one would think there were treasures of them laid up in store there, whereas indeed they are produced extempore -- suddenly, as I may say, and pro re nata -- for the occasion.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
"What is the way (to the place wherein) light dwelleth?" The origin of light and darkness. In Ge 1:3-5, 14-18, "light" is created distinct from, and previous to, light-emitting bodies, the luminaries of heaven.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Reserved against the time of trouble - לעת צר leeth tsar, “to the season of strictness,” i.e., the season when the earth is constringed or bound by the frost. Against the day of battle and war? - Hailstones being often employed as instruments of God’s displeasure against his enemies, and the enemies of his people. There is probably an allusion here to the plague of hail sent on the Egyptians. See Exo 9:23 (note), and the notes there, for more particulars concerning hailstones, remarkable showers of them, etc. There may be also a reference to Jos 10:10-11 (note), where a destructive shower of what are called hailstones fell upon the Canaanitish kings who fought against Israel. See the note there also.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Which I have reserved - As if they were carefully treasured up to be brought forth as they shall be needed. The idea is, that they were entirely under the direction of God. The time of trouble - Herder “the time of need.” The meaning probably is, that he had kept them in reserve for the time when he wished to bring calamity on his enemies, or that he made use of them to punish his foes; compare the notes at Job 36:31-
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| חָשַׂ֥כְתִּי | chasakhti | I have kept back | H2820 → | 28 times |
| לְעֶת־ | leet- | for [the] time of | H6256 → | 296 times |
| צָ֑ר | tzar | distress | H6862 → | 109 times |
| לְי֥וֹם | leyom | for [the] day of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| קְ֝רָ֗ב | kerav | battle | H7128 → | |
| וּמִלְחָמָֽה׃ | umilchamah | and warfare | H4421 → | 320 times |
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
חָשַׂ֥כְתִּיI have kept back
chasakhtiH2820 →28 times
לְעֶת־for [the] time of
leet-H6256 →296 times
צָ֑רdistress
tzarH6862 →109 times
לְי֥וֹםfor [the] day of
leyomH3117 →2304 times
קְ֝רָ֗בbattle
keravH7128 →
וּמִלְחָמָֽה׃and warfare
umilchamahH4421 →320 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
Revelation 16:21And great hailstones weighing almost a hundred pounds each rained down on them from above. And men cursed God for the plague of hail, because it was so horrendous.
it leads to
- Revelation 11:19
Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and an earthquake,…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 10:11
As they fled before Israel along the descent from Beth-horon to Azekah, the LORD cast down on them large hailstones from the sky, and more of them were killed by the hailstones than by…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 16:9
And the people were scorched by intense heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues; yet they did not repent and give Him glory.
- Revelation 8:7
Then the first angel sounded his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, along with a third of the…
- Revelation 16:11
and curse the God of heaven for their pains and sores; yet they did not repent of their deeds.
- Revelation 11:19
Through
Isaiah 30:30And the LORD will cause His majestic voice to be heard and His mighty arm to be revealed, striking in angry wrath with a flame of consuming fire, and with cloudburst, storm, and hailstones.
it leads to
- Isaiah 29:6
you will be visited by the LORD of Hosts with thunder and earthquake and loud noise, with windstorm and tempest and consuming flame of fire.
- Psalms 18:13–14
The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded— hailstones and coals of fire.
- Isaiah 29:6
Through
Joshua 10:11As they fled before Israel along the descent from Beth-horon to Azekah, the LORD cast down on them large hailstones from the sky, and more of them were killed by the hailstones than by…
it leads to
- Isaiah 28:2
Behold, the Lord has one who is strong and mighty. Like a hailstorm or destructive tempest, like a driving rain or flooding downpour, he will smash that crown to the ground.
- Isaiah 28:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
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 on the Book of Job; 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 XXIX; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, COMMENTARY ON JOB 38:22-23; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.