Job 37:21 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

And; or, for, as this particle is oft rendered; the following words containing a reason of those which go before. Now: this particle is either,

1. A note of time, and so it intimates a sudden change which then was in the weather, which having been very dark, began now to clear up; or rather,

2. A note of inference to usher in the argument. Men see not; either,

1. Do not observe (as seeing is oft used) nor consider these glorious works of God; or,

2. Cannot behold, or at least not gaze upon it. In the clouds; or, in the skies; for the Hebrew word signifies both clouds and skies. This is to be understood, either,

1. Of bright and lightsome clouds; or rather,

2. Of the sun, which is oft and emphatically called light, as was noted before, and here the bright light; which men ofttimes cannot behold, either when it is covered with a black and thick cloud; or when, as it follows, the sky is very clear, and consequently the sunshine is very bright. And therefore it is not strange if we cannot see God, who dwelleth in darkness, 1 Kings 8:12, nor discern his counsels and ways, which are covered with great obscurity; and if we dare not approach to him, with whom is, as it here follows, terrible majesty; and if we presume to do so, we must needs be swallowed up, as was said, Job 37:20. But the wind passeth; or rather, when (as this particle is used) the wind passeth. Cleanseth them; earlier the clouds, i.e. cleanseth the air from them; or the skies, by driving away those clouds which darkened it.

Job 37:21

21 And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the wind passeth, and cleanseth them.