Job 37:4-5
After it his voice roars; he thunders with his majestic voice, and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard. God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easy to miss is that the thunder's "majestic voice" isn't just a loud sound; it's God declaring His power. When He thunders, He doesn't hold back the lightning, showing that His pronouncements are accompanied by immediate, unrestrained action, leaving no doubt about His awesome authority.
Elihu, speaking to Job, is describing the awesome power of God displayed in a thunderstorm. He's emphasizing that even the lightning and thunder, which seem chaotic, are directed by God's majestic voice and will, unleashed with overwhelming force without restraint. This follows Elihu's challenge to Job to consider God's mighty works, and precedes his further descriptions of how storms and weather phenomena demonstrate God's control over creation.
Ever noticed how the thunder always seems to follow the lightning? There's a divine purpose and a powerful message in that sequence.
Elihu highlights the sequence of thunder and lightning as a powerful display of God's might. While we might scientifically understand that light travels faster than sound, here it's presented as God's deliberate announcement.
Divine Sequencing
This order emphasizes that God's actions are not random. He announces His power with a visual spectacle, followed by a sound that commands attention, making His majesty undeniable.
God's thunder isn't just loud; it's 'majestic.' And His lightning? It's unleashed without restraint.
The verse emphasizes that God thunders 'with his majestic voice.' This isn't just about volume; it speaks to the inherent grandeur and supreme authority in His declaration. It's a voice that commands absolute awe.
Furthermore, 'he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard.' This highlights the absolute freedom and unstoppable nature of God's power. When God speaks, His power is fully unleashed, not held back or limited. The lightning, a powerful and terrifying force, is allowed to flash unchecked, signifying that God's commands and power are beyond human control or containment.
Understand the original words
gaon · Hebrew Adjective
Relating to excellence, grandeur, or the display of kingly authority. When applied to God, it highlights His incomparable majesty, sovereignty, and the awe-inspiring nature of His character.
El · Hebrew Noun
The supreme Being, the Creator, and Sustainer of all things. The term emphasizes His power, authority, and covenant relationship with humanity as the one true object of worship.
pala · Hebrew Adjective/Verb
Actions or occurrences that are extraordinary, miraculous, or beyond normal human understanding. It denotes something that evokes astonishment and points directly to divine power rather than natural cause.
chaqar · Hebrew Verb
This Psalm vividly describes God's voice as powerful and majestic, directly comparing it to thunder that shakes the earth, echoing the majestic voice of God in Job 37:4.
Psalm 18:12This verse speaks of God's presence being revealed through dark clouds, lightning, and thunder, reinforcing the imagery of God's awesome power displayed in storms as seen in Job.
Matthew 24:30This passage describes the visible 'coming of the Son of Man' accompanied by 'lightning,' which has a powerful, unmistakable, and far-reaching effect, paralleling the unstoppable nature of God's power in Job 37:4.
Nahum 1:3Nahum describes God's power over the elements, where the storm is His 'way' and the thunder is His 'voice,' directly linking natural phenomena to God's sovereign action, similar to Elihu's assertion in Job.
cambridgeJob 37:4: "After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard."
4 . with the voice of his excellency ] Rather, with his voice of majesty . he will not stay them ] Rather, he stayeth them not; He restrains not His lightnings. The words describe the play of the lightning, rapidly succeeding the thunder. When God’s presence is announced by His terrible voice, there also are His awful ministers, the lightnings, swift to do His…
clarkeJob 37:4: "After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard."
After it a voice roareth - After the flash has been seen, the peal is heard; and this will be more or fewer seconds after the peal, in proportion to the distance of the thunder cloud from the ear. Lightning traverses any space without any perceivable succession of time; nothing seems to be any obstacle to its progress. A multitude of persons taking hands, the…
What's easy to miss is that the thunder's "majestic voice" isn't just a loud sound; it's God declaring His power. When He thunders, He doesn't hold back the lightning, showing that His pronouncements are accompanied by immediate, unrestrained action, leaving no doubt about His awesome authority.
Elihu, speaking to Job, is describing the awesome power of God displayed in a thunderstorm. He's emphasizing that even the lightning and thunder, which seem chaotic, are directed by God's majestic voice and will, unleashed with overwhelming force without restraint. This follows Elihu's challenge to Job to consider God's mighty works, and precedes his further descriptions of how storms and weather phenomena demonstrate God's control over creation.
Elihu, speaking to Job, is describing the awesome power of God displayed in a thunderstorm. He's emphasizing that even the lightning and thunder, which seem chaotic, are directed by God's majestic voice and will, unleashed with overwhelming force without restraint. This follows Elihu's challenge to Job to consider God's mighty works, and precedes his further descriptions of how storms and weather phenomena demonstrate God's control over creation.
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The inability of the human mind to fully grasp the depth, wisdom, or ways of God. It acknowledges the infinite transcendence of the Creator compared to the finite understanding of human creatures.
"After it his voice roars; he thunders with his majestic voice, and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard. God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend." — What's easy to miss is that the thunder's "majestic voice" isn't just a loud sound; it's God declaring His power. When He thunders, He doesn't hold back the lightning, showing that His pronouncements…
