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Read the Bible

Myles Coverdale Bible

Job 37:13

whether it be to punysh eny londe, or to do good vnto them, that seke him.

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.
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

6 When he commaundeth the snowe, it falleth vpon the earth: As soone as he geueth the rayne a charge, Immediatly the showers haue their strength and fall downe 7 He sendeth feare vpon euery man, that they might knowe their owne workes. 8 The beestes crepe in to their dennes, & take their rest. 9 Out of the south commeth the tempest, and colde out of the north. 10 At the breth of God, the frost commeth, & the waters are shed abrode. 11 The cloudes do their laboure in geuynge moystnesse, the cloudes poure downe their rayne. 12 He distributeth also on euery syde, acordinge as it pleaseth him to deale out his workes, that they maye do, what so euer he commaundeth the thorow the whole worlde: 13 whether it be to punysh eny londe, or to do good vnto them, that seke him.

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
After these actes God tempted Abraham, and sayde vnto him: Abraham. And he answered: I am here.
Genesis 27:1
And it came to passe when Isaac was olde, his eyes waxed dymme of sight, and he called Esau his greater sonne, and sayde vnto him: My sonne. He answered him: Here am I.
Genesis 27:18
And he brought it in vnto his father, and sayde: My father. He answered: here am I, who art thou my sonne?
Genesis 37:1
Iacob dwelt in ye lande, wherin his father was a straunger, namely in the lade of Canaa.
Genesis 37:3
Israel loued Ioseph more the all his childre because he had begotte him in his olde age, and he made him a cote of many coloures.
Genesis 37:4
Now wha his brethre sawe, yt his father loued him more the all his brethre, they had euell wyll at him, & coude not speake a fredly worde vnto hi.
Genesis 37:6
for he sayde: Heare I praye you what I dreamed.
Genesis 37:17
The man sayde: They are gone from hence, for I herde them saye: let vs go vnto Dothan. Then folowed Ioseph after his brethren, and founde them at Dothan.
Genesis 37:20
come on, and let vs sley him, & cast him in a pytt, and saye: a wicked beast hath deuoured him: the shal it be sene, what his dreames are.
1 Samuel 3:8
And ye LORDE called Samuel ye thirde tyme. And he arose, & wente vnto Eli, & sayde: Beholde, here am I, thou hast called me. Then perceaued Eli yt the LORDE called ye childe,

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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