Job 28:25
To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.
Original Language Analysis
לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת
To make
H6213
לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת
To make
Strong's:
H6213
Word #:
1 of 6
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
לָר֣וּחַ
for the winds
H7307
לָר֣וּחַ
for the winds
Strong's:
H7307
Word #:
2 of 6
wind; by resemblance breath, i.e., a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the
מִשְׁקָ֑ל
the weight
H4948
מִשְׁקָ֑ל
the weight
Strong's:
H4948
Word #:
3 of 6
weight (numerically estimated); hence, weighing (the act)
וּ֝מַ֗יִם
the waters
H4325
וּ֝מַ֗יִם
the waters
Strong's:
H4325
Word #:
4 of 6
water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern flood myths (Enuma Elish, Epic of Gilgamesh, Atrahasis) depicted water as primordial chaos that gods struggled to control. Job's theology is radically different—water and wind aren't chaotic forces but precisely measured elements under God's sovereign design. The vocabulary of weighing and measuring reflects commercial practices (using balance scales and measuring vessels), applying economic precision to cosmic governance. This connects to Job 38:4-11, where God questions Job about creation's foundations and setting boundaries for the sea.
Questions for Reflection
- How does understanding that God 'weighs' even the wind challenge our perception of natural disasters as random or chaotic?
- What does God's precise measurement of creation's forces teach about His attention to detail in governing your life?
- If God regulates nature with such mathematical precision, how should this affect your trust in His wisdom during life's storms?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure—God's wisdom manifests in creation's precise calibration. La'asot la-ruach mishqal (לַעֲשׂוֹת לָרוּחַ מִשְׁקָל, to make for the wind weight/measure) personifies wind as something weighed with exact proportions. The paradox is intentional—wind seems weightless and uncontrollable, yet God assigned it specific mass and force. Mayim tikken be-midah (מַיִם תִּכֵּן בְּמִדָּה, waters He regulated by measure) uses takan (תָּכַן), meaning to measure, regulate, or establish by standard.
This verse reveals that apparent chaos in nature—fierce winds, torrential rains—actually operates under divine mathematical precision. Ancient peoples experienced wind and water as unpredictable, destructive forces. Job counters: these elements follow exact specifications set at creation. The imagery anticipates modern meteorology and hydrology discovering quantifiable laws governing atmospheric pressure, precipitation cycles, and fluid dynamics. God didn't create randomly but engineered creation with meticulous exactitude. Isaiah 40:12 echoes this: 'Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span?'