The Meaning of Job 37:6 Explained

Job 37:6

KJV: For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.

YLT: For to snow He saith, 'Be on the earth.' And the small rain and great rain of His power.

Darby: For he saith to the snow, Fall on the earth! and to the pouring rain, even the pouring rains of his might.

ASV: For he saith to the snow, Fall thou on the earth; Likewise to the shower of rain, And to the showers of his mighty rain.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For he saith  to the snow,  Be thou  [on] the earth;  likewise to the small  rain,  and to the great  rain  of his strength. 

What does Job 37:6 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 37:6 mean?

For to the snow He says Fall [on] the earth and Likewise to the rain gentle and the rain of heavy His strength
כִּ֤י לַשֶּׁ֨לַג ׀‪‬ יֹאמַ֗ר הֱוֵ֫א אָ֥רֶץ וְגֶ֥שֶׁם מָטָ֑ר וְ֝גֶ֗שֶׁם מִטְר֥וֹת עֻזּֽוֹ

לַשֶּׁ֨לַג ׀‪‬  to  the  snow 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁלֶג 
Sense: snow.
יֹאמַ֗ר  He  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הֱוֵ֫א  Fall 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָוָה 
Sense: Qal).
אָ֥רֶץ  [on]  the  earth 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וְגֶ֥שֶׁם  and  Likewise  to  the  rain 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: גֶּשֶׁם  
Sense: rain, shower.
מָטָ֑ר  gentle 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָטָר  
Sense: rain.
וְ֝גֶ֗שֶׁם  and  the  rain 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: גֶּשֶׁם  
Sense: rain, shower.
מִטְר֥וֹת  of  heavy 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מָטָר  
Sense: rain.
עֻזּֽוֹ  His  strength 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹז  
Sense: might, strength.