Job 38:23
Job 38:23 in Multiple Translations
which I hold in reserve for times of trouble, for the day of war and battle?
Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, Against the day of battle and war?
Which I have kept for the time of trouble, for the day of war and fighting?
I have stored them up for the time of trouble, for the day of war and battle.
Which I haue hid against the time of trouble, against the day of warre and battell?
That I have kept back for a time of distress, For a day of conflict and battle.
which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
Which I have prepared for the time of the enemy, against the day of battle and war?
I store the snow and the hail in order that I can use them to help my people when they have troubles, in times when they are fighting wars [DOU].
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 38:23
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 38:23 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
אֲשֶׁר
חָשַׂ֥כְתִּי
לְ/עֶת
צָ֑ר
לְ/י֥וֹם
קְ֝רָ֗ב
וּ/מִלְחָמָֽה
אֲשֶׁר
ʼăsher
H834
which
Rel
חָשַׂ֥כְתִּי
châsak
H2820
to withhold
V-Qal-Perf-1cs
לְ/עֶת
ʻêth
H6256
time
Prep | N-cs
צָ֑ר
tsar
H6862
narrow
Adj
לְ/י֥וֹם
yôwm
H3117
day
Prep | N-ms
קְ֝רָ֗ב
qᵉrâb
H7128
battle
N-ms
וּ/מִלְחָמָֽה
milchâmâh
H4421
battle
Conj | N-fs
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 38:23
אֲשֶׁר
ʼăsher
H834
"which"
Rel
This Hebrew word is a conjunction that connects ideas and events in the Bible, like in the book of Genesis, where it's used to describe the relationship between God and His creation.
Definition: A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when
Usage: Occurs in 4440 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever, when, where ([phrase] -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, [phrase] whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection. See also: Genesis 1:7; Genesis 20:9; Genesis 31:16.
חָשַׂ֥כְתִּי
châsak
H2820
"to withhold"
V-Qal-Perf-1cs
This verb means to withhold or restrain something. It can also mean to spare, preserve, or observe. In the Bible, it is used to describe holding back or keeping something for oneself.
Definition: 1) to withhold, restrain, hold back, keep in check, refrain 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to withhold, keep back, keep for oneself, keep from, hold in check, refrain, spare, reserve 1a2) to restrain, check 1b) (Niphal) to assuage, be spared
Usage: Occurs in 27 OT verses. KJV: assuage, [idiom] darken, forbear, hinder, hold back, keep (back), punish, refrain, reserve, spare, withhold. See also: Genesis 20:6; Job 33:18; Psalms 19:14.
לְ/עֶת
ʻêth
H6256
"time"
Prep | N-cs
Eth means time, especially now or when, and can refer to an event, experience, or occasion. It is often used to describe a specific moment or period.
Definition: 1) time 1a) time (of an event) 1b) time (usual) 1c) experiences, fortunes 1d) occurrence, occasion
Usage: Occurs in 258 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] after, (al-) ways, [idiom] certain, [phrase] continually, [phrase] evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-, noon-) tide, (meal-), what) time, when. See also: Genesis 8:11; 2 Chronicles 35:17; Psalms 1:3.
צָ֑ר
tsar
H6862
"narrow"
Adj
This word means hard or narrow, often referring to trouble or a tight spot, like an adversary or affliction. It can also mean a small stone or pebble, such as flint, and is used in various biblical contexts to describe challenges.
Definition: narrow, tight
Usage: Occurs in 107 OT verses. KJV: adversary, afflicted(-tion), anguish, close, distress, enemy, flint, foe, narrow, small, sorrow, strait, tribulation, trouble. See also: Genesis 14:20; Psalms 89:24; Psalms 3:2.
לְ/י֥וֹם
yôwm
H3117
"day"
Prep | N-ms
The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.
Definition: : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow
Usage: Occurs in 1930 OT verses. KJV: age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger. See also: Genesis 1:5; Genesis 33:13; Exodus 23:15.
קְ֝רָ֗ב
qᵉrâb
H7128
"battle"
N-ms
A battle or war, often referring to a hostile encounter between two or more groups, like the battle of Jericho in Joshua 6:1-27. This word emphasizes the intensity and conflict of the encounter.
Definition: battle, war Aramaic equivalent: qe.rav (קְרָב "war" H7129)
Usage: Occurs in 9 OT verses. KJV: battle, war. See also: 2 Samuel 17:11; Psalms 68:31; Psalms 55:19.
וּ/מִלְחָמָֽה
milchâmâh
H4421
"battle"
Conj | N-fs
This word means battle or war, describing a fight or conflict. It is used in the Bible to talk about wars and battles, like the ones in the book of Joshua. The KJV translates it as battle or fight.
Definition: battle, war
Usage: Occurs in 308 OT verses. KJV: battle, fight(-ing), war(-rior). See also: Genesis 14:2; 1 Samuel 30:24; 2 Chronicles 13:14.
Study Notes — Job 38:23
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 38:23 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 38:23
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 38:23
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 38:23
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 38:23
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 38:23
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 38:23
- Cambridge Bible on Job 38:23
- Barnes' Notes on Job 38:23
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 38:23
- Sermons on Job 38:23
Context — The LORD Challenges Job
21Surely you know, for you were already born! And the number of your days is great!
22Have you entered the storehouses of snow or observed the storehouses of hail,
23which I hold in reserve for times of trouble, for the day of war and battle?
24In which direction is the lightning dispersed, or the east wind scattered over the earth? 25Who cuts a channel for the flood or clears a path for the thunderbolt,Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua 10:11 | As they fled before Israel along the descent from Beth-horon to Azekah, the LORD cast down on them large hailstones from the sky, and more of them were killed by the hailstones than by the swords of the Israelites. |
| 2 | Isaiah 30:30 | And the LORD will cause His majestic voice to be heard and His mighty arm to be revealed, striking in angry wrath with a flame of consuming fire, and with cloudburst, storm, and hailstones. |
| 3 | Exodus 9:18 | Behold, at this time tomorrow I will rain down the worst hail that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded until now. |
| 4 | Ezekiel 13:11–13 | tell those whitewashing the wall that it will fall. Rain will come in torrents, I will send hailstones plunging down, and a windstorm will burst forth. Surely when the wall has fallen, you will not be asked, ‘Where is the whitewash with which you covered it?’ Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: In My wrath I will release a windstorm, and in My anger torrents of rain and hail will fall with destructive fury. |
| 5 | Revelation 16:21 | And great hailstones weighing almost a hundred pounds each rained down on them from above. And men cursed God for the plague of hail, because it was so horrendous. |
| 6 | Job 36:13 | The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when He binds them, they do not cry for help. |
| 7 | Matthew 7:27 | The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!” |
| 8 | Exodus 9:24 | The hail fell and the lightning continued flashing through it. The hail was so severe that nothing like it had ever been seen in all the land of Egypt from the time it became a nation. |
| 9 | Job 36:31 | For by these He judges the nations and provides food in abundance. |
Job 38:23 Summary
This verse means that God has a special reserve of resources, like snow and hail, that He can use to help His people in times of trouble or war. He is all-powerful and can use these resources to accomplish His purposes, as we see in other parts of the Bible, like in the book of Exodus, where God used His power to rescue the Israelites from slavery. This reminds us that we can trust God to take care of us, even when things seem impossible, and that He is always working to accomplish His good plans for us, as we read in Jeremiah 29:11. By trusting in God's power and provision, we can have peace and confidence, even in the midst of difficult circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does God mean by 'times of trouble' in this verse?
God is referring to periods of great difficulty or hardship, when His people may need supernatural intervention, as seen in the story of the Israelites in Exodus 14:13-14, where God parted the Red Sea to save them from the pursuing Egyptian army.
How does God use hail and snow in times of war and battle?
God can use natural elements like hail and snow to confound and defeat His enemies, as seen in Joshua 10:11, where the Lord sent large hailstones to defeat the Amorite army, or in 1 Samuel 7:10, where the Lord sent thunder and rain to scatter the Philistines.
Is God saying that He causes wars and battles?
While God is sovereign over all things, including wars and battles, He does not delight in them, as seen in Isaiah 2:4, where the prophet says that God will one day bring an end to war, and nations will beat their swords into plowshares.
What can we learn from God's storehouses of snow and hail?
We can learn that God has resources and provisions that we may not be aware of, and that He can use them to accomplish His purposes, as seen in Psalm 135:7, where the psalmist says that God brings wind out of His treasuries.
Reflection Questions
- How do I respond when I face 'times of trouble' in my own life, and what can I learn from God's promise to provide for His people in those times?
- In what ways can I trust God to use His power and resources to accomplish His purposes in my life and in the world around me?
- What are some ways that God has provided for me in the past, and how can I express my gratitude to Him for those provisions?
- How can I seek to understand and align myself with God's purposes, even when I don't understand the circumstances around me?
Gill's Exposition on Job 38:23
Which I have reserved against the time of trouble,.... For the punishment or affliction of men; and is explained as follows, against the day of battle and war? as his artillery and ammunition to light his enemies with.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 38:23
Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 38:23
Which, i.e. which snow, and especially hail. Against the time of trouble, i.e. when I intend to bring trouble or calamity upon any country or people for their sins, or for their trial. Or, against the time of the enemy, i.e. when I intend to punish mine or my people’ s enemies, and to fight against them with these weapons; of which see instances . Compare .
Trapp's Commentary on Job 38:23
Job 38:23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?Ver. 23. Which I have reserved against the time of trouble] Or, against the time of the enemy to punish him, as Exodus 9:24 Joshua 10:11 Isaiah 30:30. By deep snows men are sometimes withered and destroyed; by violent hail stones and coals of fire. What an overthrow was procured against the Quades by the prayers of the thundering legion, as they were afterwards called in the days of Aurelius the emperor! Ingens grando compluraque fulmina in hostes ceciderunt, Huge hail stones and many lightning bolts fell upon the enemy, saith the heathen historian (Dio in Vit. Ant. Phil.). Against the day of battle and war?] When God is pleased to bring forth his upper and lower troops ready pressed, as the Rabbis phrase it.
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 38:23
(23) The time of trouble.—As was the case with the Canaanites, in Joshua 10:11. (Comp. Psalms 18:13.)
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 38:23
Verse 23. Reserved against the time of trouble] לעת צר leeth tsar, "to the season of strictness," i.e., the season when the earth is constringed or bound by the frost. Against the day of battle and war?] Hailstones being often employed as instruments of God's displeasure against his enemies, and the enemies of his people. There is probably an allusion here to the plague of hail sent on the Egyptians. See Exodus 9:23, and the notes there, for more particulars concerning hailstones, remarkable showers of them, c. There may be also a reference to Joshua 10:10-11, where a destructive shower of what are called hailstones fell upon the Canaanitish kings who fought against Israel. See the note there also.
Cambridge Bible on Job 38:23
23. Compare such passages as Joshua 10:11; Psalms 68:14; Isaiah 30:30; Ezekiel 13:13.
Barnes' Notes on Job 38:23
Which I have reserved - As if they were carefully treasured up to be brought forth as they shall be needed. The idea is, that they were entirely under the direction of God.
Whedon's Commentary on Job 38:23
23. The day of battle and war — Man’s ordnance for war is the wide-mouthed and wide-resounding cannon; God’s, the silent snowflake, the blight, the unseen fungi floating in the air, or marshalled hosts of insects.
Sermons on Job 38:23
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Testimonies From Asia Harvest 05 by Paul Hattaway | In the video, the eyewitnesses describe the arrival of Major Thomas to the village of Sendinu. The villagers were instructed to greet him by shaking his hand and singing hymns as t |
|
Joshua Leading the People in God's Victory by Bob Hoekstra | Bob Hoekstra preaches on the importance of fully yielding to the Lord as the divine Commander in our battles, just as Joshua did before the first battle at Jericho. Joshua's encoun |
|
The Tribulation, and Those Who Are to Pass Through It. by William Kelly | William Kelly preaches about the great tribulation, emphasizing the distinction between the tribulation that the Christian must endure in this world and the specific trouble at the |
|
The Seventh Seal and the Beginning of the Trumpets by John F. Walvoord | John F. Walvoord delves into the opening of the seventh seal in Revelation, signifying the beginning of the prophetic judgments of God. The seventh seal encompasses the subsequent |
|
Will the Church Go Through the Tribulation by Paris Reidhead | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the idea that as a person goes through life and achieves certain milestones, they become increasingly ready to go home. These milestones inclu |
|
Hell by Thomas Boston | Thomas Boston preaches about the eternal state of the damned in hell, emphasizing the everlasting misery and torment prepared for those who are cursed and sentenced to separation f |
|
A Good Report by David Wilkerson | David Wilkerson shares a powerful report on the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in New York City, emphasizing the miraculous conversions and spiritual hunger witnessed durin |