For He draws up drops of water which distill the rain from the mist,
Parallel translations
- WEB For he draws up the drops of water, which distill in rain from his vapor,
- KJV For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:
- NKJV For He draws up drops of water, Which distill as rain from the mist,
- NASB “For He draws up the drops of water; They distill rain from its celestial stream,
- NLT He draws up the water vapor and then distills it into rain.
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
God draws up drops of water that distill as rain from His vapor. He governs the cycle that brings rain to the earth.
Overview
Elihu begins a meditation on God's control of the weather, describing how He lifts water that falls as rain. This reflects accurate observation of the water cycle, all of it under God's providential hand (cf. Jer. 10:13). Such reflection on God's care over creation magnifies His wisdom and power, reminding us that the Maker of rain is also the faithful Provider for His people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Ps 147:8who covers the sky with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow on the hills.
- Job 38:25–28Who cuts a channel for the flood or clears a path for the thunderbolt,
- Ps 65:9–13You attend to the earth and water it; with abundance You enrich it. The streams of God are full of water, for You prepare our grain by providing for the earth.
- Ps 148:8lightning and hail, snow and clouds, powerful wind fulfilling His word,
- Job 5:9the One who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.
- Gen 2:5–6Now no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth, nor had any plant of the field sprouted; for the LORD God had not yet sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.
- Isa 5:6I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and thorns and briers will grow up. I will command the clouds that rain shall not fall on it.”
- Job 36:33The thunder declares His presence; even the cattle regard the rising storm.
- Job 38:34Can you command the clouds so that a flood of water covers you?
- Jer 14:22Can the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies alone send showers? Is this not by You, O LORD our God? So we put our hope in You, for You have done all these things.
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Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 36:27 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.