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Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Literal Standard Version

Job 37:13

Whether for a rod, or for His land, || Or for kindness—He causes it to come.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blessing;   God;   God Continued...;   Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena;   Religion;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Clouds;   Judgments;   Providence of God, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Nature, Natural;   Testimony;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Judgement;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elihu;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Correction;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He causes this to happen for punishment,for his land, or for his faithful love.
Hebrew Names Version
Whether it is for correction, or for his land, Or for lovingkindness, that he causes it to come.
King James Version
He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.
English Standard Version
Whether for correction or for his land or for love, he causes it to happen.
New Century Version
He uses the clouds to punish people or to water his earth and show his love.
New English Translation
Whether it is for punishment for his land, or whether it is for mercy, he causes it to find its mark.
Amplified Bible
"Whether [it be] for correction, or for His earth [generally] Or for [His] mercy and lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.
New American Standard Bible
"Whether for correction, or for His earth, Or for goodness, He causes it to happen.
World English Bible
Whether it is for correction, or for his land, Or for lovingkindness, that he causes it to come.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Whether it be for punishment, or for his lande, or of mercie, he causeth it to come.
Legacy Standard Bible
Whether for correction, or for His world,Or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.
Berean Standard Bible
Whether for punishment or for His land, He accomplishes this in His loving devotion.
Contemporary English Version
to release their cargo— sometimes as punishment for sin, sometimes as kindness.
Complete Jewish Bible
he brings them forth on the earth sometimes to punish, sometimes to express his grace.
Darby Translation
Whether he cause it to come as a rod, or for his land, or in mercy.
Easy-to-Read Version
He causes the clouds to punish people with floods or to water his earth and show his love.
George Lamsa Translation
He causes it to rain, whether it be for the princes or for the land or for kindness to those who are found upon it.
Good News Translation
God sends rain to water the earth; he may send it to punish us, or to show us his favor.
Lexham English Bible
Whether as correction or for his land, or as loyal love, he lets it happen.
Literal Translation
Whether as a whip, or for His land, or for mercy, He finds it.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
whether it be to punysh eny londe, or to do good vnto them, that seke him.
American Standard Version
Whether it be for correction, or for his land, Or for lovingkindness, that he cause it to come.
Bible in Basic English
For a rod, or for a curse, or for mercy, causing it to come on the mark.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Whether it be for correction, or for His earth, or for mercy, that He cause it to come.
King James Version (1611)
He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Whether it be for punishment, or for his lande, or to do good to them that seeke him.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
this has been appointed by him on the earth, whether for correction, or for his land, or if he shall find him an object for mercy.
English Revised Version
Whether it be for correction, or for his land, or for mercy, that he cause it to come.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
whether in o lynage, ethir in his lond, ether in what euer place of his merci he comaundith tho to be foundun.
Update Bible Version
Whether it is for correction, or for his land, Or for loving-kindness, that he causes it to come.
Webster's Bible Translation
He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.
New King James Version
He causes it to come, Whether for correction, Or for His land, Or for mercy.
New Living Translation
He makes these things happen either to punish people or to show his unfailing love.
New Life Bible
He causes it to happen for punishment, or for His world, or because of His love.
New Revised Standard
Whether for correction, or for his land, or for love, he causes it to happen.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Whether, as a rod, or for his earth, or in lovingkindness, he causeth it to come.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Whether in one tribe, or in his own land, or in what place soever of his mercy he shall command them to be found.
Revised Standard Version
Whether for correction, or for his land, or for love, he causes it to happen.
Young's Literal Translation
Whether for a rod, or for His land, Or for kindness -- He doth cause it to come.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Whether for correction, or for His world, Or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.

Contextual Overview

6For He says to snow: Be [on] the earth. And the small rain and great rain of His power. 7Into the hand of every man he seals, || For the knowledge by all men of His work. 8And the beast enters into [its] lair, || And it continues in its habitations. 9From the inner chamber comes a windstorm, || And from scatterings winds—cold, 10From the breath of God is frost given, || And the breadth of waters is constricted, 11Indeed, by filling He presses out a cloud, [and] His light scatters a cloud. 12And it is turning itself around by His counsels, || For their doing all He commands them, || On the face of the habitable earth. 13Whether for a rod, or for His land, || Or for kindness—He causes it to come.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

whether: Job 37:6, Job 36:31, Job 38:37, Job 38:38, Exodus 9:18-25, 1 Samuel 12:18, 1 Samuel 12:19, Ezra 10:9

correction: Heb. a rod

for his: Job 38:26, Job 38:27

for mercy: 2 Samuel 21:10, 2 Samuel 21:14, 1 Kings 18:45, Joel 2:23

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 51:16 - there is Amos 5:8 - that calleth

Cross-References

Genesis 22:1
And it comes to pass after these things that God has tried Abraham and says to him, "Abraham"; and he says, "Here I [am]."
Genesis 27:1
And it comes to pass that Isaac [is] aged, and his eyes are too dim for seeing, and he calls [for] his older son Esau and says to him, "My son"; and he says to him, "Here I [am]."
Genesis 27:18
And he comes to his father and says, "My father"; and he says, "Here I [am]; who [are] you, my son?"
Genesis 37:1
And Jacob dwells in the land of his father's sojournings—in the land of Canaan.
Genesis 37:3
And Israel has loved Joseph more than any of his sons, for he [is] a son of his old age, and has made for him a long coat;
Genesis 37:4
and his brothers see that their father has loved him more than any of his brothers, and they hate him, and have not been able to speak [to] him peaceably.
Genesis 37:6
And he says to them, "Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:
Genesis 37:17
And the man says, "They have journeyed from this, for I have heard some saying, Let us go to Dothan," and Joseph goes after his brothers, and finds them in Dothan.
Genesis 37:20
and now, come, and we slay him, and cast him into one of the pits, and have said, An evil beast has devoured him; and we see what his dreams are."
1 Samuel 3:8
And YHWH adds to call Samuel the third time, and he rises and goes to Eli, and says, "Here I [am], for you have called for me"; and Eli understands that YHWH is calling to the youth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He causeth it to come,.... The cloud, and rain by it;

whether for correction; for the reproof and chastisement of men for their sins, by suffering such quantities to fall as wash away, or corrupt and destroy, the fruits of the earth: or "for a tribe" t, as the word sometimes signifies; the rain is sent, and comes only to a particular part or spot of ground, to one city and not to another, Amos 4:7;

or for his land; some particular land he has a favour for, as the land of Canaan he cared for from one end of the year to another, and therefore sent on it rain in due season, though as yet it did not appear to be the object of his peculiar regard; or for the whole earth, which is his; and wherever rain comes seasonably and in proper quantity, it is for the benefit of it; though some think the land which no man has a property in but the Lord is meant, even the wilderness where no man is, Job 38:26;

or for mercy; to some particular spot, and to some particular persons; and indeed it is a kindness and benefit both to good and bad men; hereby the earth is watered and made fertile and fruitful, to bring forth seed to the sower and bread to the eater, see Matthew 5:45; the word of God is for the correction of some, and for the comfort of others, 2 Timothy 3:16; yea, the savour of death unto death to some, and the savour of life unto life to others, 2 Corinthians 2:16. The Targum paraphrases the words,

"either a rain of vengeance on the seas and deserts, or an impetuous rain on the trees of the mountains and hills, or a still rain of mercy on the fruitful fields and vineyards.''

t לשבט "in una tribu", V. L. "uni tribui", Tigurine version.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He causeth it to come - That is, the rain, or the storm. It is entirely under the hand of God, like the lightning Job 36:30, and designed to accomplish his purposes of mercy and of justice.

Whether for correction - Margin, as in Hebrew “a rod.” The rod is often used as an emblem of punishment. The idea is, that God, when he pleases, can send the rain upon the earth for the purpose of executing punishment. So he did on the old world Genesis 7:11-12, and so the overflowing flood is often now sent to sweep away the works of man, to lay waste his fields, and to cut off the wicked.

Or for his land - When necessary to render the land productive. He waters it by timely rains. It is called “his land,” meaning that the earth belongs to the Lord, and that he cultivates it as his own; Psalms 24:1.

Or for mercy - In kindness and benignity to the world. But for this, the earth would become baked and parched, and all vegetation would expire. The idea is, that the rains are entirely under the control of God, and that he can make use of them to accomplish his various purposes - to execute his judgments, or to express his benignity and love. These various uses to which the lightning, the storm, and the rain could be made subservient under the divine direction. seem to have been one of the main ideas in the mind of Elihu, showing the supremacy and the majesty of God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 37:13. He causeth it to come — The Vulgate translates the text thus: Sive in una tribu, sine in terra sua, sive in quocunque loco misericordiae suae eas jusserit inveniri. "Whether in one tribe, or whether in his own land, or in whatsoever place of his mercy he has commanded them to come." In the preceding verse it is said that God conducts the clouds according to the orders of his counsels, whithersoever he pleases: and here it is added that, when he designs to heap favours upon any land, he commands the clouds to go thither, and pour out on it their fertilizing showers. See Calmet.

The Vulgate certainly gives a good sense, and our common version is also clear and intelligble; but there are doubts whether the Hebrew will bear this meaning. Here it is stated that God sends the rain either for correction, לשבט leshebet, which signifies rod, staff, tribe, and is here taken as the symbol of correction, he sends rain sometimes as a judgment, inundating certain lands, and sweeping away their produce by irresistible floods: or for his land, לארצו leartso, his own land, Palestine, the place of his favoured people: or for mercy, לחסד lechesed; when a particular district has been devoured by locusts, or cursed with drought, God, in his mercy, sends fertilizing rains to such places to restore the ears which the caterpillars have eaten, and to make the desert blossom like the garden of the Lord. Some think that Job refers to the curse brought upon the old world by the waters of the deluge. Now although God has promised that there shall no more be a flood of waters to destroy the whole earth; yet we know he can, very consistently with his promise, inundate any particular district; or, by a superabundance of rain, render the toil of the husbandman in any place vain. Therefore, still his rain may come for judgment, for mercy, or for the especial help of his people or Church.


 
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