When 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.
Parallel translations
- WEB When he utters his voice, there is a roar of waters in the heavens, and he causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and brings the wind out of his treasuries.
- BSB When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.
- NKJV When He utters His voice— There is a multitude of waters in the heavens: “He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightnings for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries.”
- NASB When He utters His voice, there is a roar of waters in the heavens, And He makes the clouds ascend from the end of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain And brings out wind from His storehouses.
- NLT When he speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
At God's voice the waters roar, clouds rise, lightning and rain come, and He brings wind from His storehouses. The Lord governs all nature with effortless authority.
Overview
Continuing the creation hymn, this verse shows God's active control over weather and the elements that pagans attributed to their storm gods. Every thunderclap and gust answers to His command. Such mastery over creation assures believers that the same sovereign Lord directs history, including Babylon's fall, and that He is worthy of the trust offered to His Son who stilled the storm.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 24
- Ps 135:7He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.
- Ps 18:13The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
- Jonah 1:4But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
- Jer 10:12–13He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.
- Ps 147:18He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.
- Job 36:26–33Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.
- Ps 78:26He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.
- Ps 68:33To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
- Ps 29:3–10The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.
- Exod 14:21And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
- Job 38:22Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
- Amos 9:7Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the LORD. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?
- Exod 10:19And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.
- Job 38:34–38Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
- Job 40:9Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
- Ps 46:6The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
- Job 37:2–11Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth.
- Gen 8:1And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;
- Matt 8:26–27And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
- Ezek 10:5And the sound of the cherubims’ wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.
- Exod 10:13And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
- Ps 104:7At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.
- Job 37:13He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.
- Jonah 4:8And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
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Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 51:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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