Job 37:22
Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty.
Original Language Analysis
מִ֭צָּפוֹן
out of the north
H6828
מִ֭צָּפוֹן
out of the north
Strong's:
H6828
Word #:
1 of 7
properly, hidden, i.e., dark; used only of the north as a quarter (gloomy and unknown)
זָהָ֣ב
Fair weather
H2091
זָהָ֣ב
Fair weather
Strong's:
H2091
Word #:
2 of 7
gold, figuratively, something gold-colored (i.e., yellow), as oil, a clear sky
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
4 of 7
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
Cross References
Psalms 104:1Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.Jude 1:25To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.Hebrews 12:29For our God is a consuming fire.Hebrews 1:3Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;Job 40:10Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.Proverbs 25:23The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.1 Chronicles 29:11Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.Nahum 1:3The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
Historical Context
Elihu's speeches (Job 32-37) bridge Job's complaints and God's response. Speaking as a younger man respecting his elders yet convinced of truth, Elihu prepared Job for divine encounter. His emphasis on God's transcendent majesty corrects Job's overly familiar tone while avoiding the friends' legalistic accusations. Ancient wisdom literature often concluded with doxology, turning from human confusion to divine glory.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you maintain both reverence for God's 'terrible majesty' and confidence in approaching Him through Christ?
- When has contemplating God's transcendent glory helped put your suffering in perspective?
- What does the 'gold from the north' teach about finding God's glory even in difficult circumstances?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Fair weather cometh out of the north (זָהָב מִצָּפוֹן, zahav mitzaphon)—literally 'gold from the north,' referring either to golden sunlight breaking through northern clouds or the golden splendor of God's glory. The north, in ancient Near Eastern cosmology, was associated with divine presence (Psalm 48:2, Isaiah 14:13). With God is terrible majesty (נוֹרָא הוֹד, nora hod)—'terrible' meaning awesome, fear-inspiring; 'majesty' (הוֹד, hod) denotes splendor, glory, magnificence.
Elihu concludes his speeches by directing attention to God's transcendent glory. The 'terrible majesty' combines beauty and danger—like Moses unable to see God's face and live (Exodus 33:20). This prepares for God's appearance in the whirlwind (Job 38:1). The verse establishes that approaching God requires reverence; He is not a cosmic counselor to be questioned but the Sovereign before whom we bow. Yet His 'terrible majesty' doesn't preclude relationship—Moses spoke with God face to face (Deuteronomy 34:10), and Christ enables us to approach God's throne boldly (Hebrews 4:16). The tension between transcendence and immanence defines biblical faith.