Job 37:18
Job 37:18 in Multiple Translations
can you, like Him, spread out the skies to reflect the heat like a mirror of bronze?
Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?
Canst thou with him spread out the sky, Which is strong as a molten mirror?
Will you, with him, make the skies smooth, and strong as a polished looking-glass?
Can you hammer out the sky so it becomes like a molten mirror, as he does?
Hast thou stretched out the heaues, which are strong, and as a molten glasse?
Thou hast made an expanse with Him For the clouds — strong as a hard mirror!
Can you, with him, spread out the sky, which is strong as a cast metal mirror?
Hast thou with him spread out the sky which is strong, and as a molten looking-glass?
Thou perhaps hast made the heavens with him, which are most strong, as if they were of molten brass.
◄Can you stretch out the skies like God does and make them as hard as [SIM] a sheet of polished brass?/You certainly cannot stretch out the skies like God does and make them as hard as [SIM] a sheet of polished brass!► [RHQ]
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 37:18
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 37:18 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
תַּרְקִ֣יעַ
עִ֭מּ/וֹ
לִ/שְׁחָקִ֑ים
חֲ֝זָקִ֗ים
כִּ/רְאִ֥י
מוּצָֽק
תַּרְקִ֣יעַ
râqaʻ
H7554
to beat
V-Hiphil-Imperf-2ms
עִ֭מּ/וֹ
ʻim
H5973
with
Prep | Suff
לִ/שְׁחָקִ֑ים
shachaq
H7834
cloud
Prep | N-mp
חֲ֝זָקִ֗ים
châzâq
H2389
strong
Adj
כִּ/רְאִ֥י
rᵉʼîy
H7209
mirror
Prep | N-ms
מוּצָֽק
yâtsaq
H3332
to pour
V-Hophal-Inf-c
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
Use ← → arrow keys to navigate between words.
Hebrew Word Reference — Job 37:18
תַּרְקִ֣יעַ
râqaʻ
H7554
"to beat"
V-Hiphil-Imperf-2ms
This Hebrew verb means to beat or pound something, like metal, to shape or expand it. It is used to describe the process of making metal plates for the tabernacle in Exodus. The word also implies a sense of passion or strong emotion.
Definition: 1) to beat, stamp, beat out, spread out, stretch 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to stamp, beat out 1a2) one who beats out (participle) 1b) (Piel) to overlay, beat out (for plating) 1c) (Pual) beaten out (participle) 1d) (Hiphil) to make a spreading (of clouds)
Usage: Occurs in 11 OT verses. KJV: beat, make broad, spread abroad (forth, over, out, into plates), stamp, stretch. See also: Exodus 39:3; Isaiah 40:19; Psalms 136:6.
עִ֭מּ/וֹ
ʻim
H5973
"with"
Prep | Suff
This Hebrew word means with or together, like when God is with his people in Exodus 33:14-15. It's used to describe accompaniment or association, and can also mean against or beside. The word is used to convey a sense of relationship or proximity between people or things.
Definition: 1) with 1a) with 1b) against 1c) toward 1d) as long as
Usage: Occurs in 919 OT verses. KJV: accompanying, against, and, as ([idiom] long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-) to, with(-al). See also: Genesis 3:6; Exodus 21:14; Deuteronomy 29:11.
לִ/שְׁחָקִ֑ים
shachaq
H7834
"cloud"
Prep | N-mp
This noun refers to a cloud or a thin vapor in the sky, as in Psalm 36:5 where God's faithfulness reaches to the clouds. It can also mean the firmament or heaven, like in Genesis 1:20 where birds fly across the sky. The word appears about 20 times in the Bible.
Definition: 1) dust, cloud 1a) fine dust 1b) (thin) cloud
Usage: Occurs in 21 OT verses. KJV: cloud, small dust, heaven, sky. See also: Deuteronomy 33:26; Psalms 68:35; Psalms 18:12.
חֲ֝זָקִ֗ים
châzâq
H2389
"strong"
Adj
Strong refers to something or someone powerful, but often in a bad sense, like being severe or hard, as translated in the KJV.
Definition: 1) strong, stout, mighty 1a) strong 1a1) severe, sharp, hot 1a2) firm, hard 1b) a strong one (subst)
Usage: Occurs in 54 OT verses. KJV: harder, hottest, [phrase] impudent, loud, mighty, sore, stiff(-hearted), strong(-er). See also: Exodus 3:19; 1 Kings 18:2; Psalms 35:10.
כִּ/רְאִ֥י
rᵉʼîy
H7209
"mirror"
Prep | N-ms
A mirror is a reflective surface, used for seeing one's image. In the Bible, it is mentioned as a looking glass, used for personal grooming. This word is translated as 'looking glass' in the KJV.
Definition: mirror
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: looking glass. See also: Job 37:18.
מוּצָֽק
yâtsaq
H3332
"to pour"
V-Hophal-Inf-c
This verb means to pour something out, like liquid or metal, and can also imply making something firm or hard. It's used in books like Isaiah 44:3 and Jeremiah 10:14.
Definition: : pour 1) to pour, flow, cast, pour out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to pour, pour out 1a2) to cast 1a3) to flow 1b) (Hiphil) to pour, pour out 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be poured 1c2) cast, molten (participle) 1c3) being firmly established (participle)
Usage: Occurs in 49 OT verses. KJV: cast, cleave fast, be (as) firm, grow, be hard, lay out, molten, overflow, pour (out), run out, set down, stedfast. See also: Genesis 28:18; 1 Kings 7:24; Psalms 41:9.
Study Notes — Job 37:18
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 37:18 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 37:18
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 37:18
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 37:18
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 37:18
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 37:18
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 37:18
- Cambridge Bible on Job 37:18
- Barnes' Notes on Job 37:18
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 37:18
- Sermons on Job 37:18
Context — Elihu Proclaims God’s Majesty
16Do you understand how the clouds float, those wonders of Him who is perfect in knowledge?
17You whose clothes get hot when the land lies hushed under the south wind,
18can you, like Him, spread out the skies, as strong as a mirror of bronze?
19Teach us what we should say to Him; we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness. 20Should He be told that I want to speak? Would a man ask to be swallowed up ?Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 44:24 | Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who by Myself spread out the earth, |
| 2 | Psalms 104:2 | He wraps Himself in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent, |
| 3 | Isaiah 40:22 | He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. |
| 4 | Exodus 38:8 | Next he made the bronze basin and its stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. |
| 5 | Psalms 150:1 | Hallelujah! Praise God in His sanctuary. Praise Him in His mighty heavens. |
| 6 | Psalms 148:4–6 | Praise Him, O highest heavens, and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He gave the command and they were created. He established them forever and ever; He issued a decree that will never pass away. |
| 7 | Isaiah 40:12 | Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on a scale and the hills with a balance? |
| 8 | Proverbs 8:27 | I was there when He established the heavens, when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, |
| 9 | Genesis 1:6–8 | And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters, to separate the waters from the waters.” So God made the expanse and separated the waters beneath it from the waters above. And it was so. God called the expanse “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. |
| 10 | Job 9:8–9 | He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. |
Job 37:18 Summary
This verse is asking if we can do what God does, which is to spread out the skies and reflect the heat of the sun. It's a reminder that God is all-powerful and we are limited in our abilities, as seen in Jeremiah 32:17. We can't do what God does, but we can trust in His power and sovereignty, as seen in Psalm 104:2. By acknowledging our limitations and God's power, we can cultivate a sense of humility and awe, and reflect His glory in our own lives, just like the 'mirror of bronze' in this verse.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the significance of the 'mirror of bronze' in Job 37:18?
The 'mirror of bronze' in Job 37:18 is a reference to the way the sky can reflect the heat of the sun, much like a polished bronze mirror reflects light, as seen in Exodus 38:8 where the bronze laver was made for the priests to wash in, symbolizing purification and reflection of God's glory.
How does this verse relate to God's power and our limitations?
This verse highlights the vast difference between God's power and our own, as seen in Jeremiah 32:17, where Jeremiah declares that nothing is too difficult for God, and in contrast, we are limited in our abilities, as seen in Job 37:18, where we are asked if we can spread out the skies like God can.
What is the purpose of Elihu's question in Job 37:18?
Elihu's question in Job 37:18 is meant to humble Job and acknowledge God's sovereignty, as seen in Isaiah 40:22, where the prophet declares that God sits above the circle of the earth, and in Psalm 104:2, where the psalmist says that God stretches out the heavens like a curtain.
How does this verse relate to our understanding of creation?
This verse relates to our understanding of creation by highlighting God's role as the Creator who stretched out the heavens, as seen in Psalm 19:1, where the psalmist declares that the heavens declare the glory of God, and in Genesis 1:1, where God is described as the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
Reflection Questions
- What are some areas in my life where I am trying to 'spread out the skies' and control things that are beyond my power, and how can I surrender those things to God?
- How does the idea of God's power and majesty, as seen in Job 37:18, impact my daily life and my relationship with Him?
- In what ways can I reflect the glory of God, like the 'mirror of bronze' in this verse, in my own life and actions?
- What are some things that I can do to cultivate a sense of awe and wonder at God's creation, as seen in this verse?
Gill's Exposition on Job 37:18
Hast thou with him spread out the sky?.... Wast thou concerned with him at the first spreading out of the sky? wast thou an assistant to him in it?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 37:18
Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass? Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass? With him - like as he does (Job 40:15).
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 37:18
Wast thou his co-worker or assistant in spreading out the sky like a tent or canopy over the earth? or canst thou spread out such another sky? Then indeed thou mayst with some colour pretend to be privy to his counsels, and to judge of his works. Which is strong; which though it be very thin and transparent, yet is also firm, and compact, and stedfast, and of great force when it is pent up. As a molten looking-glass, made of brass or steel, as the manner then was.
Trapp's Commentary on Job 37:18
Job 37:18 Hast thou with him spread out the sky, [which is] strong, [and] as a molten looking glass?Ver. 18. Hast thou with him spread out the sky] He had convinced Job of his ignorance, and now he will of his impotence and imbecility; and this by an irony; q.d. Tune ille gigas es? Art thou indeed that giant, or demi-god, that helped the Almighty when he spread the heavens, when he laid the foundation of the earth? &c. Age itaque si tantus vires, quantum te ostentas, &c., Go to, then, if thou be indeed such a one as thou wouldst seem to be, while thou takest upon thee to be, viz. to contend with God, and to complain of his hard dealing with thee. "Teach us what we shall say unto him," &c., as Job 37:19, for we dare not, as thou hast done, dare him to come into the lists with us, as hoping to have the better of him. Which is strong] Not by reason of any hard massy elemental thickness, but by reason of their airy, incorruptible, indissoluble nature, composed of very thin and even parts (Diodati). Hence the Greeks call it στερεωμα, and the Latins firmamentum. And as a molten looking glass?] Perspicuum et sapphirinum, dear and transparent as a mirror wherein God maketh himself visible, as it were; who of himself is too subtile for sight or sinew to seize upon (R. Levi).
The Hebrew hath it, which is strong as a molten looking glass; i.e. as a polished brazen looking glass, being more solid than brass, more transparent than crystal.
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 37:18
(18) Spread out the sky.—Some understand this of the action of the sun in dispersing the clouds; but it seems more probable that it refers to God. “Hast thou spread out with Him the magnificent dome of heaven?” The words used, however, imply the clouds rather than the cloudless sky which resembles a burnished mirror; so that it is not improbable that the sun may be the subject here and in the following verses.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 37:18
Verse 18. Hast thou with him spread out the sky] Wert thou with him when he made the expanse; fitted the weight to the winds; proportioned the aqueous to the terrene surface of the globe; the solar attraction to the quantum of vapours necessary; to be stored up in the clouds, in order to be occasionally deposited in fertilizing showers upon the earth? and then dost thou know how gravity and elasticity should be such essential properties of atmospheric air, that without them and their due proportions, we should neither have animal nor vegetable life? Strong-as a molten looking-glass?] Like a molten mirror. The whole concave of heaven, in a clear day or brilliant night, being like a mass of polished metal, reflecting or transmitting innumerable images.
Cambridge Bible on Job 37:18
18. The present tense is better in this verse, Canst thou with him spread out the skies, Strong, as a molten mirror? “With Him” may mean “along with Him,” or rather like Him. The comparison of the clear, dry, burnished summer skies of the East to “brass” is made in other parts of Scripture. The Eastern mirrors were plates of metal, Exodus 38:8.
Barnes' Notes on Job 37:18
Hast thou with him spread out the sky? - That is, wert thou employed with God in performing that vast work, that thou canst explain how it was done?
Whedon's Commentary on Job 37:18
18. Molten looking-glass — Septuagint, Vision of Melting. The mirrors of the ancients were made of metal, whose power of reflection depended upon their being highly burnished.
Sermons on Job 37:18
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
(Through the Bible) Isaiah 43-45 by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of not worshiping nature or created things, but rather worshiping the Creator, God. He highlights that nature reveals God to |
|
|
The More Sure Word by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, Pastor Skip leads a study on Isaiah 44 through 46. He highlights the richness and significance of these chapters and expresses his excitement to delve into them. Th |
|
(1 Peter - Part 24): Venerate All God's Creation by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the verse from Peter, chapter 2, verse 17: "Honor all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king." The speaker emphasizes the import |
|
|
His Immensity - Part 2 by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the speaker reflects on the wonder and mystery of God's creation. They share a personal anecdote about their younger brother's fear of falling up, highlighting the |
|
Mounting Up With Eagles Wings - Part 1 by Leonard Ravenhill | Leonard Ravenhill emphasizes the power and majesty of God as depicted in Isaiah 40, particularly focusing on the promise that those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength |
|
Praise and Thanksgiving: Praise the Creator by Warren Wiersbe | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on Revelation chapter 4 and highlights the central theme of worship in heaven. The chapter describes John's arrival in heaven, where he sees a |
|
What Kind of Being Is Man - Part 1 by Paris Reidhead | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the nature of God and highlights several characteristics of God mentioned in the scripture. He emphasizes that God is right, truth, light, li |