The Meaning of Job 36:30 Explained

Job 36:30

KJV: Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.

YLT: Lo, He hath spread over it His light, And the roots of the sea He hath covered,

Darby: Lo, he spreadeth his light around him, and covereth the bottom of the sea.

ASV: Behold, he spreadeth his light around him; And he covereth the bottom of the sea.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Behold, he spreadeth  his light  upon it, and covereth  the bottom  of the sea. 

What does Job 36:30 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 36:1-33 - He Despiseth Not Any
God is mighty, but He does not despise thee, though thou be the least of saints. His eyes are upon thee for good, and He will set thee before His throne forever. He will stoop to thy low dungeon, whispering instruction to thine ear and commanding thee to return. There are broad places before thee in which there shall be no straitness; tables await thee full of fatness. Thy path leads from thy present prison-house into liberty and light.
Remember the unsearchable numbers of His years. Behold the wonderful machinery by which He collects from ocean, lake, and stream the clouds which, like floating cisterns, carry the waters to be bleached in the snow of the hills, and oxidized in the torrent beds! There is more love than terror in creation. Nature's myriad voices proclaim with Scripture, "God is love." He cannot, therefore, be indifferent to the righteous man or neglect him. He may discipline him to make him hate sin; but, when this end is attained, He will assuredly withdraw His rod, Job 36:10-11. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 36

1  Elihu shows how God is just in his ways
16  How Job's sins hinder God's blessings
24  God's works are to be magnified

What do the individual words in Job 36:30 mean?

Look He scatters upon it his light and the depths of the sea covers
הֵן־ פָּרַ֣שׂ עָלָ֣יו אוֹר֑וֹ וְשָׁרְשֵׁ֖י הַיָּ֣ם כִּסָּֽה

הֵן־  Look 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
פָּרַ֣שׂ  He  scatters 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּרַשׂ  
Sense: to spread, spread out, stretch, break in pieces.
עָלָ֣יו  upon  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אוֹר֑וֹ  his  light 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹור  
Sense: light.
וְשָׁרְשֵׁ֖י  and  the  depths 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: שֹׁרֶשׁ  
Sense: root.
הַיָּ֣ם  of  the  sea 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
כִּסָּֽה  covers 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּסָה  
Sense: to cover, conceal, hide.