Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, July 26th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Good News Translation

Job 38:25

Who dug a channel for the pouring rain and cleared the way for the thunderstorm?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blessing;   God;   Lightning;   Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Miracles;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - God;   Mystery;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Conduit;   River;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Conduit;   Job, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Knowledge;   Nature;   River;   Thunder;   World;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Conduit;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Thunder;   Watercourse;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Who cuts a channel for the flooding rainor clears the way for lightning,
Hebrew Names Version
Who has cut a channel for the flood water, Or the path for the thunderstorm;
King James Version
Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
English Standard Version
"Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain and a way for the thunderbolt,
New Century Version
Who cuts a waterway for the heavy rains and sets a path for the thunderstorm?
New English Translation
Who carves out a channel for the heavy rains, and a path for the rumble of thunder,
Amplified Bible
"Who has prepared a channel for the torrents of rain and for the flood, Or a path for the thunderbolt,
New American Standard Bible
"Who has split open a channel for the flood, And a way for the thunderbolt,
World English Bible
Who has cut a channel for the flood water, Or the path for the thunderstorm;
Geneva Bible (1587)
Who hath deuided the spowtes for the raine? or the way for the lightning of ye thunders,
Legacy Standard Bible
"Who has cleft a conduit for the flood,Or a way for the thunderbolt,
Berean Standard Bible
Who cuts a channel for the flood or clears a path for the thunderbolt,
Contemporary English Version
Who carves out a path for thunderstorms? Who sends torrents of rain
Complete Jewish Bible
Who cut a channel for the downpours, or a way for the lightning and thunder,
Darby Translation
Who hath divided a channel for the rain-flood, and a way for the thunder's flash;
Easy-to-Read Version
Who dug ditches in the sky for the heavy rain? Who made a path for the thunderstorm?
George Lamsa Translation
Who causes a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder?
Lexham English Bible
"Who has cut open a channel for the torrents and a way for the thunder bolts,
Literal Translation
Who has cut a channel for the flood; or a way for the thunderclaps,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Who deuydeth the abundauce of waters in to ryuers, or who maketh a waye for the stormy wether,
American Standard Version
Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood, Or the way for the lightning of the thunder;
Bible in Basic English
By whom has the way been cut for the flowing of the rain, and the flaming of the thunder;
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood, or a way for the lightning of the thunder;
King James Version (1611)
Who hath diuided a water-course for the ouerflowing of waters? Or a way for the lightning of thunder,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Who deuideth the waters into diuers chanels? or who maketh a way for the lightening and thunder,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And who prepared a course for the violent rain, and a way for the thunders;
English Revised Version
Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood, or a way for the lightning of the thunder;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Who yaf cours to the strongeste reyn,
Update Bible Version
Who has cleft a channel for the waterflood, Or the way for the lightning of the thunder;
Webster's Bible Translation
Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
New King James Version
"Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water, Or a path for the thunderbolt,
New Living Translation
"Who created a channel for the torrents of rain? Who laid out the path for the lightning?
New Life Bible
"Who has cut open a way for the flood, and a path for the thunderstorm?
New Revised Standard
"Who has cut a channel for the torrents of rain, and a way for the thunderbolt,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Who hath cloven - for the torrent - a channel? Or a way for the lightning of thunders;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who gave a course to violent showers, or a way for noisy thunder:
Revised Standard Version
"Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain, and a way for the thunderbolt,
Young's Literal Translation
Who hath divided for the flood a conduit? And a way for the lightning of the voices?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Who has cleft a channel for the flood, Or a way for the thunderbolt,

Contextual Overview

25 Who dug a channel for the pouring rain and cleared the way for the thunderstorm? 26 Who makes rain fall where no one lives? 27 Who waters the dry and thirsty land, so that grass springs up? 28 Does either the rain or the dew have a father? 29 Who is the mother of the ice and the frost, 30 which turn the waters to stone and freeze the face of the sea? 31 Can you tie the Pleiades together or loosen the bonds that hold Orion? 32 Can you guide the stars season by season and direct the Big and the Little Dipper? 33 Do you know the laws that govern the skies, and can you make them apply to the earth? 34 Can you shout orders to the clouds and make them drench you with rain?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Job 28:26, Job 36:27, Job 36:28, Job 37:3-6, Psalms 29:3-10

Reciprocal: Exodus 19:16 - thunders Leviticus 26:4 - Then I Job 36:30 - he Job 37:15 - the light Job 37:21 - General Psalms 29:10 - sitteth Psalms 104:13 - watereth Jeremiah 10:13 - maketh

Cross-References

Genesis 37:32
They took the robe to their father and said, "We found this. Does it belong to your son?"
Genesis 38:18
"What shall I give you as a pledge?" he asked. She answered, "Your seal with its cord and the walking stick you are carrying." He gave them to her. Then they had intercourse, and she became pregnant.
Psalms 50:21
You have done all this, and I have said nothing, so you thought that I am like you. But now I reprimand you and make the matter plain to you.
Jeremiah 2:26
The Lord says, "Just as a thief is disgraced when caught, so all you people of Israel will be disgraced—your kings and officials, your priests and prophets.
Romans 2:16
And so, according to the Good News I preach, this is how it will be on that Day when God through Jesus Christ will judge the secret thoughts of all.
1 Corinthians 4:5
So you should not pass judgment on anyone before the right time comes. Final judgment must wait until the Lord comes; he will bring to light the dark secrets and expose the hidden purposes of people's minds. And then all will receive from God the praise they deserve.
Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, great and small alike, standing before the throne. Books were opened, and then another book was opened, the book of the living. The dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters,.... For a very large shower of rain, as the Vulgate Latin version: for this is not to be understood of an aqueduct, channel, or canal made on earth, either for the draining of waters off of land overflowed thereby, or for the conveyance of it to different parts to overflow it; such as were cut out of the Nile in Egypt, for the overflowing of the land, to make it fruitful; such may be and have been made by men: but of a watercourse in the air or atmosphere, as a canal or channel, for the rain to come down upon the earth; and this is the work of God, and him only, who directs and steers the course of rain, that it falls regularly and gently, not in spouts and floods, but in drops larger or lesser, on what spot of ground, or part of the earth, he pleases: and if what Jarchi says true, that every drop has its course, its canal, through which it passes, it is still more wonderful;

or a way for the lightning of thunder: which generally go together, and are of God. His fire and voice, and for which he makes a way, by which they burst and break forth out of the cloud, and their course is directed by him under the whole heavens; see Job 28:26. So the Gospel, compared to rain and lightning, has its direction and its course steered to what part of the world, he pleases; see Psalms 19:4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Who hath divided a water-course for the overflowing of waters - That is, for the waters that flow down from the clouds. The idea seems to be this, that the waters of heaven, instead of pouring down in floods, or all coming down together, seemed to flow in certain canals formed for them; as if they had been cut out through the clouds for that purpose. The causes of rain, the manner in which water was suspended in the clouds, and the reasons why the rain did not come down altogether in floods, early attracted attention, and gave occasion to investigation. The subject is more than once referred to in this book; see the notes at Job 26:8.

Or a way for the lightning of thunder - For the thunder-flash. The idea is this: a path seems to be opened in the dark cloud for the passage of the flash of lightning. How such a path was made, by what agency or by what laws, was the question proposed for inquiry. The lightning seemed at once to burst through the dark cloud where there was no opening and no sign of a path before, and pursue its zig-zag journey as if all obstructions were removed, and it passed over a beaten path. The question is, who could have traced out this path for the thunder-flash to go in? Who could do it but the Almighty? And still, with all the light that science has cast on the subject, we may repeat the question.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 38:25. Divided a water-course — The original תעלה tealah, from עלה alah, to ascend, may signify rather a cloud, or clouds in general, where the waters are stored up. I cannot see how the overflowings or torrents of water can be said to ascend any other way than by evaporation; and it is by this Divine contrivance that the earth is not only irrigated, but even dried; and by this means too much moisture is not permitted to lie upon the ground, which would not only be injurious to vegetation, but even destroy it. But query, may not a waterspout be intended?

A way for the lightning of thunder — "A path for the bolt of thunder." God is represented as directing the course even of the lightning; he launches the bolt, and makes the path in which it is to run. To grasp, manage, and dart the thunderbolt or lightning, was a work which heathenism gave to Jupiter, its supreme god. None of the inferior deities were capable of this. But who can thunder with a voice like the Almighty? He is THE THUNDERER.


 
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