Job 38:28
Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
Original Language Analysis
הֲיֵשׁ
Hath
H3426
הֲיֵשׁ
Hath
Strong's:
H3426
Word #:
1 of 8
there is or are (or any other form of the verb to be, as may suit the connection)
אָ֑ב
a father
H1
אָ֑ב
a father
Strong's:
H1
Word #:
3 of 8
father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application
א֥וֹ
H176
א֥וֹ
Strong's:
H176
Word #:
4 of 8
desire (and so probably in proverbs 31:4); hence (by way of alternative) or, also if
מִי
H4310
מִי
Strong's:
H4310
Word #:
5 of 8
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix
Cross References
Jeremiah 14:22Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O LORD our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things.Psalms 147:8Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.Job 29:19My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.Job 38:8Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?Proverbs 3:20By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.Jeremiah 10:13When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.Jeremiah 5:24Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.Matthew 5:45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.Genesis 27:39And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;Genesis 27:28Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
Historical Context
Baal worship in Canaan centered on a storm/fertility god supposedly controlling rain. God's question demolishes such idolatry—Baal doesn't "father" rain; Yahweh creates it by decree. This would call Israel away from syncretistic tendencies toward pure monotheism and exclusive worship of the Creator.
Questions for Reflection
- What modern "baals" do people credit for provision that actually comes from God alone?
- How does recognizing God as the source of every blessing affect our gratitude and worship?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
"Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?" God asks whether natural phenomena have human-like parentage. The Hebrew holid (הוֹלִיד, "beget/father") uses procreation language for rain and dew. The answer is clear—only God generates these. This challenges pagan mythologies that personified natural forces as deities or divine offspring. Rain and dew aren't autonomous beings but God's direct provision. The question teaches that acknowledging God as source of all blessing is foundational to right theology and worship.