Job 38:29
Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
Original Language Analysis
מִבֶּ֣טֶן
Out of whose womb
H990
מִבֶּ֣טֶן
Out of whose womb
Strong's:
H990
Word #:
1 of 8
the belly, especially the womb; also the bosom or body of anything
מִ֭י
H4310
מִ֭י
Strong's:
H4310
Word #:
2 of 8
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix
יָצָ֣א
came
H3318
יָצָ֣א
came
Strong's:
H3318
Word #:
3 of 8
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim
הַקָּ֑רַח
the ice
H7140
הַקָּ֑רַח
the ice
Strong's:
H7140
Word #:
4 of 8
ice (as if bald, i.e., smooth); hence, hail; by resemblance, rock crystal
וּכְפֹ֥ר
and the hoary frost
H3713
וּכְפֹ֥ר
and the hoary frost
Strong's:
H3713
Word #:
5 of 8
properly, a cover, i.e., (by implication) a tankard (or covered goblet); also white frost (as covering the ground)
שָׁ֝מַיִם
of heaven
H8064
שָׁ֝מַיִם
of heaven
Strong's:
H8064
Word #:
6 of 8
the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies r
Historical Context
Ancient cosmologies often featured divine couples producing natural phenomena. Biblical monotheism rejected such mythologies. God encompasses all generative power without requiring a consort. This distinguished Israel's faith from surrounding polytheism and elevated God above all creation.
Questions for Reflection
- How do the varied metaphors for God's creative work expand our understanding of His nature?
- What false "sources" of blessing or provision do we need to recognize as coming ultimately from God?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
"Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?" Continuing the parentage theme, God uses feminine imagery—womb (beten, בֶּטֶן) and gendering (yalad, יָלָד). Ice and frost lack natural parents; God alone produces them. The mixing of masculine (fathering) and feminine (womb) imagery for God's creative work shows both are metaphors pointing to the One who transcends gender categories. This challenges any limitation of God to human categories while affirming He is the sole source of all creation.