Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?
Parallel translations
- WEB Do you know the workings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge?
- BSB Do you understand how the clouds float, those wonders of Him who is perfect in knowledge?
- NKJV Do you know how the clouds are balanced, Those wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?
- NASB “Do you know about the hovering of the clouds, The wonders of One who is perfect in knowledge,
- NLT Do you understand how he moves the clouds with wonderful perfection and skill?
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
Job is asked if he understands how the clouds are balanced by the One who is perfect in knowledge. Only God possesses such complete wisdom.
Overview
Elihu highlights the delicate poising of the clouds as a work of God's flawless knowledge. The phrase 'perfect in knowledge' marks the infinite gap between Creator and creature. It quietly rebukes Job's attempts to reason out God's justice from limited human understanding.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Job 36:4For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.
- Isa 40:22It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
- Job 36:29Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?
- 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.
- Prov 3:19–20The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
- Ps 104:2–3Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
- Job 26:8He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them.
- Ps 104:24O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
- Ps 147:5Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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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 37:16 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
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.