Job 37:6
For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Job 36:27For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:Job 38:22Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,Ezekiel 13:13Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it.
Historical Context
In the ancient Near East, precipitation was attributed to competing deities in elaborate mythologies. Elihu's monotheistic meteorology insists on singular divine sovereignty—YHWH alone commands snow and rain. This was revolutionary in a world where farmers prayed to multiple weather gods.
Questions for Reflection
- What does God's personal address to snow and rain reveal about His relationship with creation versus deistic detachment?
- How does viewing weather as divine speech rather than random chance reshape your response to seasons of drought or abundance?
- Where else in Scripture does God command nature with a word, and what does this say about Christ's nature miracles?
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Analysis & Commentary
He saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth (le-sheleg 'emor heyeh-'arets, לַשֶּׁלֶג אֱמֹר הֱיֶה־אָרֶץ)—The imperative 'emor ('say' or 'be') personalizes God's command to inanimate creation. Snow and rain don't mechanically fall—they obey divine orders. The great rain of his strength (geshem 'oz, גֶּשֶׁם עֹז) literally means 'rain of might,' depicting torrential downpours as demonstrations of divine power.
This verse presents weather as God's direct speech-act, anticipating New Testament theology where Christ commands wind and waves (Mark 4:39). Creation responds to God's imperative word just as it did in Genesis 1: 'Let there be...' The same Hebrew verb hayah (הָיָה, 'be') that creates existence now commands weather patterns.