Job 38:9
When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
Original Language Analysis
בְּשׂוּמִ֣י
When I made
H7760
בְּשׂוּמִ֣י
When I made
Strong's:
H7760
Word #:
1 of 5
to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
עָנָ֣ן
the cloud
H6051
עָנָ֣ן
the cloud
Strong's:
H6051
Word #:
2 of 5
a cloud (as covering the sky), i.e., the nimbus or thunder-cloud
לְבֻשׁ֑וֹ
the garment
H3830
לְבֻשׁ֑וֹ
the garment
Strong's:
H3830
Word #:
3 of 5
a garment (literally or figuratively); by implication (euphemistically) a wife
Historical Context
Swaddling was universal ancient practice for newborn care, symbolizing protection and proper development. The imagery would be immediately accessible to Job's audience. Unlike creation myths featuring violent divine conflicts, this presents creation as God's careful, loving work—simultaneously cosmic and intimate.
Questions for Reflection
- How does viewing creation as God's carefully nurtured work affect our environmental stewardship?
- What does God's tender care for primordial creation reveal about His care for you personally?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
"When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it." The poetic imagery presents creation wrapped in clouds and darkness like an infant in swaddling clothes. The Hebrew lebusho (לְבֻשׁוֹ, "garment") and chatullato (חֲתֻלָּתוֹ, "swaddling") suggest tender care alongside sovereign power. God portrays Himself as caring for primordial creation, clothing the earth before dry land appeared. This combines majesty (clouds and darkness) with intimacy (swaddling), revealing God as both transcendent Creator and immanent Provider who nurtures what He makes.