Job 37:10
Job 37:10 in Multiple Translations
By the breath of God the ice is formed and the watery expanses are frozen.
By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.
By the breath of God ice is given; And the breadth of the waters is straitened.
By the breath of God ice is made, and the wide waters are shut in.
God's breath produces ice, freezing the surface of water solid.
At the breath of God the frost is giuen, and the breadth of the waters is made narrowe.
From the breath of God is frost given, And the breadth of waters is straitened,
By the breath of God, ice is given, and the width of the waters is frozen.
By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.
When God bloweth there cometh frost, and again the waters are poured out abundantly.
In the ◄winter/cold season►, the cold north wind is like God’s breath that causes [MET] water to freeze; he causes the lakes/streams to become ice.
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 37:10
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Job 37:10 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
מִ/נִּשְׁמַת
אֵ֥ל
יִתֶּן
קָ֑רַח
וְ/רֹ֖חַב
מַ֣יִם
בְּ/מוּצָֽק
מִ/נִּשְׁמַת
nᵉshâmâh
H5397
breath
Prep | N-fs
אֵ֥ל
ʼêl
H410
god
N-ms
יִתֶּן
nâthan
H5414
to give
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
קָ֑רַח
qerach
H7140
ice
N-ms
וְ/רֹ֖חַב
rôchab
H7341
width
Conj | N-ms
מַ֣יִם
mayim
H4325
Water (Gate)
N-mp
בְּ/מוּצָֽק
mûwtsaq
H4164
constraint
Prep | N-ms
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Job 37:10
מִ/נִּשְׁמַת
nᵉshâmâh
H5397
"breath"
Prep | N-fs
This word means breath, spirit, or wind, and is used in Genesis and other Old Testament books to describe God's breath and the breath of living things. It is related to the idea of divine inspiration and intellect, and is used in various contexts in the Bible.
Definition: 1) breath, spirit 1a) breath (of God) 1b) breath (of man) 1c) every breathing thing 1d) spirit (of man) Aramaic equivalent: nish.ma (נִשְׁמָא "breath" H5396)
Usage: Occurs in 24 OT verses. KJV: blast, (that) breath(-eth), inspiration, soul, spirit. See also: Genesis 2:7; Job 32:8; Psalms 18:16.
אֵ֥ל
ʼêl
H410
"god"
N-ms
In the Bible, 'el means strength or power, and is often used to refer to God or false gods. It describes something or someone as mighty or powerful, like the Almighty. This concept is central to understanding the Bible's view of God.
Definition: : god 1) god, god-like one, mighty one 1a) mighty men, men of rank, mighty heroes 1b) angels 1c) god, false god, (demons, imaginations) 1d) God, the one true God, Jehovah 2) mighty things in nature 3) strength, power Also means: ": power" (el אֵל H0410L)
Usage: Occurs in 235 OT verses. KJV: God (god), [idiom] goodly, [idiom] great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong. Compare names in '-el.' See also: Genesis 14:18; Job 33:14; Psalms 5:5.
יִתֶּן
nâthan
H5414
"to give"
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Definition: : give/deliver/send/produce 1) to give, put, set 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend 1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate 1a3) to make, constitute 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned 1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up 1c2) to be put upon
Usage: Occurs in 1816 OT verses. KJV: add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield. See also: Genesis 1:17; Genesis 40:21; Exodus 30:12.
קָ֑רַח
qerach
H7140
"ice"
N-ms
Ice or frost, used to describe cold temperatures, like the frost that covered the ground in Exodus, and also rock crystal, a shiny mineral.
Definition: 1) frost, ice, ice crystal 1a) frost (of night) 1b) ice
Usage: Occurs in 7 OT verses. KJV: crystal, frost, ice. See also: Genesis 31:40; Job 38:29; Psalms 147:17.
וְ/רֹ֖חַב
rôchab
H7341
"width"
Conj | N-ms
This Hebrew word means width or breadth, used to describe physical size or space. It appears in the Bible to describe the width of the earth or a room. In the KJV, it is translated as breadth or broad.
Definition: breadth, width, expanse
Usage: Occurs in 89 OT verses. KJV: breadth, broad, largeness, thickness, wideness. See also: Genesis 6:15; Ezekiel 40:13; Isaiah 8:8.
מַ֣יִם
mayim
H4325
"Water (Gate)"
N-mp
This word means water, referring to a liquid or a source of refreshment. It appears in the Bible as a literal and figurative term, including references to wasting or urine. The word is used in various contexts, such as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Definition: This name means water, refreshment
Usage: Occurs in 525 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)). See also: Genesis 1:2; Leviticus 14:9; Joshua 18:15.
בְּ/מוּצָֽק
mûwtsaq
H4164
"constraint"
Prep | N-ms
This word means a tight or difficult spot, like being trapped. It can also mean feeling distressed or anxious, like in Psalm 119:143. The KJV often translates it as anguish.
Definition: constraint, distress
Usage: Occurs in 3 OT verses. KJV: anguish, is straitened, straitness. See also: Job 36:16; Job 37:10; Isaiah 8:23.
Study Notes — Job 37:10
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 37:10 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 37:10
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 37:10
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 37:10
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 37:10
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 37:10
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 37:10
- Cambridge Bible on Job 37:10
- Barnes' Notes on Job 37:10
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 37:10
Context — Elihu Proclaims God’s Majesty
8The wild animals enter their lairs; they settle down in their dens.
9The tempest comes from its chamber, and the cold from the driving north winds.
10By the breath of God the ice is formed and the watery expanses are frozen.
11He loads the clouds with moisture; He scatters His lightning through them. 12They swirl about, whirling at His direction, accomplishing all that He commands over the face of all the earth.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 38:29–30 | From whose womb does the ice emerge? Who gives birth to the frost from heaven, when the waters become hard as stone and the surface of the deep is frozen? |
| 2 | Psalms 147:16–18 | He spreads the snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes; He casts forth His hail like pebbles. Who can withstand His icy blast? He sends forth His word and melts them; He unleashes His winds, and the waters flow. |
| 3 | Psalms 78:47 | He killed their vines with hailstones and their sycamore-figs with sleet. |
Job 37:10 Summary
This verse says that God's breath is what makes the ice form and the oceans freeze. This means that God is in control of everything, even the smallest details of the weather and the natural world (Psalm 135:6-7). It's a reminder that God is powerful and wise, and that He cares about everything He has made (Genesis 1:31). By trusting in God's power and goodness, we can have peace and confidence, even in the midst of difficult or uncertain circumstances (Romans 8:28).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean that the ice is formed by the breath of God?
This phrase highlights God's power and creative ability, as seen in Psalm 33:6, where it says that by the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and in Genesis 1:3, where God speaks and creates light.
Is this verse only talking about the physical creation of ice or is there a deeper meaning?
While the verse does describe the physical process of ice formation, it also points to the greater theme of God's sovereignty over all creation, as seen in Job 38:1, where God speaks to Job from the whirlwind and reminds him of His power and authority.
How does this verse relate to the rest of the book of Job?
This verse is part of Elihu's speech to Job, where he is emphasizing God's power and wisdom in creation, encouraging Job to trust in God's goodness and sovereignty, as seen in Job 42:2-3, where Job acknowledges God's power and his own limited understanding.
What can we learn from the fact that God's breath is what forms the ice?
This emphasizes God's intimate involvement in all aspects of creation, from the smallest details to the largest phenomena, as seen in Colossians 1:16-17, where it says that all things were created by and for Jesus Christ.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I can see God's power and creativity in the world around me, and how can I respond to those observations?
- How does the fact that God's breath forms the ice challenge or encourage my understanding of God's role in my life?
- What are some areas of my life where I need to trust in God's sovereignty and wisdom, just as Elihu is encouraging Job to do?
- What does this verse teach me about the relationship between God's power and His care for His creation?
Gill's Exposition on Job 37:10
By the breath of God frost is given,.... By the word of God, as the Targum; at his command it is, at his word it comes, and at his word it goes, Psalms 147:15; or by his will, as Ben Gersom
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 37:10
By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened. Frost - rather, ice. The breath of God - poetically for the ice-producing north wind.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 37:10
By the breath of God, i.e. by the word of God, as this very phrase is explained, ; by his will or appointment, to which as the principal cause all these works are ascribed. The breadth of the waters is straitened; the frost dries up the waters in great measure, and bringeth the remainder into a narrower compass, as we see.
Trapp's Commentary on Job 37:10
Job 37:10 By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.Ver. 10. By the breath of God frost is given] Frost is the excess of cold by the blowing of the coldest winds, which are here called, "The breath of God"; these congeal the waters, and turn them into ice, contracting them into a narrower room. Hence it is, that as any country is more northerly, so it is colder; the sea also is frozen and impassable. And the breadth of the waters is straitened] This the same again in other words, though some understand it to be hail; when the broad flowing water in the clouds by the force of the cold is narrowed up into hail. All this is of the Lord. Fides non in ordinem operis, sed in authorem oculos suos dirigit, saith Brentius upon the text; faith seeth God in all.
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 37:10
(10) The breadth of the waters is straitened.—Firm, like a molten mass.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 37:10
Verse 10. By the breath of God frost is given] The freezing of water, though it is generally allowed to be the effect of cold, and has been carefully examined by the most eminent philosophers, is still involved in much mystery; and is a very proper subject to be produced among the great things which God doeth, and which we cannot comprehend, Job 37:5. Water, when frozen, becomes solid, and increases considerably in bulk. The expansive power in freezing is so great, that, if water be confined in a gun-barrel, it will split the solid metal throughout its whole length. Bombshells have been filled with water, and plugged tight, and exposed to cold air, when they have been rent, though the shell has been nearly two inches thick! Attempts have been made to account for this; but they have not, as yet, been generally successful. The breath of God freezes the waters; and that breath thaws them. It is the work of Omnipotence, and there, for the present, we must leave it. The breadth of the waters is straitened.] This has been variously translated; מוצק mutsak, which we here render straitened, we translate Job 37:18 melted. Mr.
Good thinks that the idea of a mirror is implied, or something molten; and on this ground it may be descriptive of the state of water formed into ice. He therefore translates: - By the blast of God the frost congealeth, And the expanse of the waters into a mirror. I have only to observe, that in the act of freezing wind or air is necessary; for it has been observed that water which lay low in ponds did not freeze till some slight current of air fell on and ruffled the surface, when it instantly shot into ice.
Cambridge Bible on Job 37:10
10. By the breath of God frost] Rather, ice. The wind is the breath of God as the thunder is His voice. This cold breath gives ice.
Barnes' Notes on Job 37:10
By the breath of God frost is given - Not by the violent north wind, or by the whirlwind of the south, but God seems to “breathe” in a gentle manner, and the earth is covered with hoary frost.
Whedon's Commentary on Job 37:10
10. By the breath of God — See note on Job 4:9. Frost is given — The preceding verse has spoken of the whirlwind of the south, and the mysterious mezarim that “scatter” the clouds, and prepare the