He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work.
Parallel translations
- WEB He seals up the hand of every man, that all men whom he has made may know it.
- KJV He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work.
- BSB He seals up the hand of every man, so that all men may know His work.
- NASB “He seals the hand of every person, So that all people may know His work.
- NLT Then everyone stops working so they can watch his power.
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 seals up everyone's hand in winter so all may know His work. He halts human labor so people will recognize His power.
Overview
Elihu observes that wintry weather can stop human activity, sealing up people's hands from work, so that all may acknowledge God's doing. Nature's seasons are designed to turn human attention to the Maker. The verse teaches that even interruptions to our plans serve God's purpose of revealing Himself, calling us to recognize His hand in all of life and to trust His providence.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Ps 111:2Yahweh’s works are great, pondered by all those who delight in them.
- Ps 109:27that they may know that this is your hand; that you, Yahweh, have done it.
- Eccl 8:17then I saw all the work of God, that man can’t find out the work that is done under the sun, because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he won’t find it. Yes even though a wise man thinks he can comprehend it, he won’t be able to find it.
- Job 36:24“Remember that you magnify his work, whereof men have sung.
- Job 9:7He commands the sun, and it doesn’t rise, and seals up the stars.
- Job 5:12He frustrates the devices of the crafty, So that their hands can’t perform their enterprise.
- Isa 5:12The harp, lyre, tambourine, and flute, with wine, are at their feasts; but they don’t respect the work of Yahweh, neither have they considered the operation of his hands.
- Ps 64:9All mankind shall be afraid. They shall declare the work of God, and shall wisely ponder what he has done.
- Ps 92:4For you, Yahweh, have made me glad through your work. I will triumph in the works of your hands.
- Ps 46:8Come, see Yahweh’s works, what desolations he has made in the earth.
- Job 12:14Behold, he breaks down, and it can’t be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.
- Isa 26:11Yahweh, your hand is lifted up, yet they don’t see; but they will see your zeal for the people, and be disappointed. Yes, fire will consume your adversaries.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 37:7 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.