Job 38:37

Job 38:37

Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,

a. ASV: Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: Who doth number the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who doth cause to lie down,  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the [water] bottles of the heavens? [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Job, Jewish Publication Society of America Text: Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour the bottles of heaven?  [Soncino Books of the Bible, Job, 1946; Jewish Publication Society of America Text; Commentary, Rabbi Dr. Victor E. Reichert]

e. ESV:  Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens, [Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

1. “Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,”

a. Who [Strong: 4310 mîy, me; an interrogative pronoun of persons, as H4100 is of things, who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix:—any (man), × he, × him, O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), would to God.]

b. [can] number [Strong: 5608 çâphar, saw-far'; a primitive root; properly, to score with a mark as a tally or record, i.e. (by implication) to inscribe, and also to enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e. celebrate:—commune, (ac-) count; declare, number, penknife, reckon, scribe, shew forth, speak, talk, tell (out), writer.]

c. [the] clouds [Strong: 7834 shachaq, shakh'-ak; from H7833; a powder (as beaten small); by analogy, a thin vapor; by extension, the firmament:—cloud, small dust, heaven, sky.]

d. [in] wisdom [Strong: 2451 chokmâh, khok-maw'; from H2449; wisdom (in a good sense):—skilful, wisdom, wisely, wit.]

e. [or] who [Strong: 4310 mîy, me; an interrogative pronoun of persons, as H4100 is of things, who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix:—any (man), × he, × him, O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), would to God.]

f. [can] stay [Strong: 7901 shâkab, shaw-kab'; a primitive root; to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose):—× at all, cast down, (lover-)lay (self) (down), (make to) lie (down, down to sleep, still with), lodge, ravish, take rest, sleep, stay.]

g. [the] bottles [Strong: 5035 nebel, neh'-bel; or נֵבֶל nêbel; from H5034; a skin-bag for liquids (from collapsing when empty); hence, a vase (as similar in shape when full); also a lyre (as having a body of like form):—bottle, pitcher, psaltery, vessel, viol.]

h. [of] heaven [Strong: 8064 shâmayim, shaw-mah'-yim; dual of an unused singular שָׁמֶה shâmeh; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve):—air, × astrologer, heaven(-s).]