The Meaning of Job 37:21 Explained

Job 37:21

KJV: And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the wind passeth, and cleanseth them.

YLT: And now, they have not seen the light, Bright it is in the clouds, And the wind hath passed by and cleanseth them.

Darby: And now men see not the light as it gleameth, it is hidden in the skies. But the wind passeth by and cleareth them.

ASV: And now men see not the light which is bright in the skies; But the wind passeth, and cleareth them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And now [men] see  not the bright  light  which [is] in the clouds:  but the wind  passeth,  and cleanseth  them. 

What does Job 37:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 37:1-24 - The Light In The Clouds
As Elihu spoke a thunder-storm was gathering, and much of the imagery of this chapter is suggested by that fact. The little group listened to the sound of God's voice in the thunder. Peal followed peal without cessation, Job 37:4. The lightly-falling snow and the drenching showers are alike His work, whether they restrain men from their labor in the fields or drive the beasts to their dens, Job 37:8. From the storm Elihu turns naturally to the winter, with its ice and snow, and the frost that binds up the flow of the streams, Job 37:10. All these perform God's bidding in the earth.
How little we know of atmospheric phenomena! Why the north and south winds blow, what is the real nature of the azure, and what the red and gold of the northern lights! We cannot find out the Almighty. He is great and glorious, and cannot be unjust. But let us be more eager to look for the bright light in the clouds. It is always there. A rainbow for every storm; an arbor for every difficult hill; a sure hiding-place in every tempest. Such is Jesus to all who love and trust Him. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 37

1  God is to be feared because of his great works
15  His wisdom is unsearchable in them

What do the individual words in Job 37:21 mean?

And Even now cannot [men] look at the light bright [when] it [is] in the skies and when the wind has passed and cleared them
וְעַתָּ֤ה ׀ לֹ֘א רָ֤אוּ א֗וֹר בָּהִ֣יר ה֭וּא בַּשְּׁחָקִ֑ים וְר֥וּחַ עָ֝בְרָ֗ה וַֽתְּטַהֲרֵֽם

וְעַתָּ֤ה ׀  And  Even  now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
לֹ֘א  cannot 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
רָ֤אוּ  [men]  look  at 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
א֗וֹר  the  light 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֹור  
Sense: light.
בָּהִ֣יר  bright 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: בָּהִיר  
Sense: bright, brilliant (of light).
ה֭וּא  [when]  it  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
בַּשְּׁחָקִ֑ים  in  the  skies 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שַׁחַק  
Sense: dust, cloud.
וְר֥וּחַ  and  when  the  wind 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
עָ֝בְרָ֗ה  has  passed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
וַֽתְּטַהֲרֵֽם  and  cleared  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: טָהֵר  
Sense: to be clean, be pure.

What are the major concepts related to Job 37:21?

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