Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
Parallel translations
- WEB “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover you?
- BSB Can you command the clouds so that a flood of water covers you?
- NKJV “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That an abundance of water may cover you?
- NASB ¶“Can you raise your voice to the clouds, So that an abundance of water will cover you?
- NLT “Can you shout to the clouds and make it 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
Can Job command the clouds to drench him with rain? He has no power to summon the waters of the sky.
Overview
God asks if Job can raise his voice and make the clouds pour out water at his bidding. The obvious answer exposes Job's helplessness over the rain. It contrasts human weakness with the LORD who freely opens and closes the heavens.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Job 22:11Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.
- Zech 10:1Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.
- Amos 5:8Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:
- Job 36:27–28For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:
- Jas 5:18And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
- 1 Sam 12:18So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.
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 38:34 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.