Job 37:2
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Job 37:2
2 Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth.
Chapter Context
Job 37 is a wisdom dialogue chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of judgment, obedience, redemption. Written during the patriarchal period (literary composition later), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Ancient wisdom traditions often wrestled with the problem of suffering and divine justice.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-24: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it contributes to the biblical metanarrative of redemption. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Job and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Job 37:2
2 Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth.
Analysis
Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth—Elihu calls Job to careful listening as a thunderstorm approaches. Shim'u shamoa (שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ, hear, yes hear!) employs the intensive infinitive absolute—'listen most attentively!' The verb shama (שָׁמַע) means not just auditory perception but obedient hearing, the same word in the Shema: 'Hear, O Israel' (Deuteronomy 6:4). Rogez qolo (רֹגֶז קֹלוֹ, the roar/rumbling of His voice) uses rogez (רֹגֶז), trembling or thunder, identifying the storm's rumble as divine speech.
Vehegeh mipiv yetse (וְהֶגֶה מִפִּיו יֵצֵא, and the murmur from His mouth goes forth) uses hegeh (הֶגֶה), meaning a low rumble, moan, or meditative murmur. This word appears in Psalm 1:2 for meditating on God's law day and night. The thunder isn't random noise but divine utterance—God's voice rumbling from His mouth. This anticipates God's actual speech from the whirlwind beginning in chapter 38. Psalm 29 develops this theology extensively: 'The voice of the LORD is upon the waters... The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars' (vv. 3-5). Elihu prepares Job for theophany—God will speak, and nature's tumult is His prelude.
Historical Context
Elihu's speeches (Job 32-37) form a bridge between the failed counsel of Job's three friends and God's climactic self-revelation. Chapter 37 describes an approaching thunderstorm that becomes the vehicle for God's appearance. Ancient Near Eastern theophanies regularly featured storm imagery (Mount Sinai's thunder and lightning, Exodus 19:16-19; Elijah's whirlwind, 2 Kings 2:1). Elihu, whose name means 'He is my God,' functions as a theological corrective, pointing beyond human wisdom to divine self-disclosure. His command to 'hear attentively' echoes Moses's call to Israel before receiving God's law.
Reflection
- When has God spoken to you through creation's 'voice'—thunderstorms, wind, ocean waves—and what did you hear?
- What does it mean to listen 'attentively' to God's voice in nature compared to casual observation or scientific analysis?
- How does recognizing nature's sounds as proceeding 'from His mouth' change your experience of weather phenomena?