Job 38:24

By what way is the light parted,.... That is, dost thou know by what way it is parted or divided?

By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth? Is ... parted - parts, so as to diffuse itself over the whole earth, though seeming to come from one point.

By what way; dost thou know all the causes, means, methods, and circumstances of this work of God? Is the light parted or dispersed or distributed, to wit, in the air, or upon the face of the earth? By light he understands either, 1. The lightning, which breaks forth suddenly out of a cloud, and with strange swiftness disperseth itself, and fleeth from east to west, as is noted, . But this word light put by itself, and being understood properly, is constantly used in this book for the light of the sun, and never for the lightning; and where it is meant of the lightning, there is some other word added to it, as , where it is called the light of his cloud. And besides, he speaks of the lightning in the next verse; which were superfluous, if it were here mentioned. Or rather, 2. Of the light of the sun, which is commonly called light without any other word added to it, as ,9,16 24:14 25:3, &c. And this light of the sun is variously parted or distributed in the world, shining in one place and time, when it doth not shine in another; or for a longer time, or with greater brightness, and power, and virtue, than it doth in another; all which are the effects of God’ s infinite wisdom and power, and such as were out of Job’ s reach to understand, or at least to effect. Which scattereth the east wind upon the earth, i.e. which light scattereth, &c., i.e. raiseth, the east wind, and causeth it to blow hither and thither upon the earth. For as the sun is justly called by the poets and others the father of the winds, because he draws up those exhalations which give matter to the winds, and for other reasons; so in particular the east wind is oft observed to rise together with the sun, from which also it hath both its Latin and Greek name. But some make this a distinct question from the former, and render the words thus; and (repeat, by which way) the east wind (under which all the other winds may be comprehended) scattereth itself upon the earth, i.e. whence the winds come, and whither they go, which is mentioned as a secret in nature, , and how it comes to pass that they blow in such several manners, and with such various and even contrary effects. Or thus, and by which way the east wind scattereth (to wit, the clouds, or other light things; for this is noted in Scripture to be a most vehement wind, and to scatter the clouds, ) upon the earth, i.e. whence it comes to pass that the east wind was so violent and furious. But the words may be rendered thus, which (i.e.

Job 38:24 By what way is the light parted, [which] scattereth the east wind upon the earth?Ver. 24. By what way is the light parted] sc. From the clouds by lightning, or from darkness by the sunrising? Knowest thou that? Or the cause of it? Nothing less. Something philosophers have to say here, but upon no great certainty. Which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?] Eurus est ventus urens, exsiccans; the east wind hath its name in Hebrew from the sunrising; the Latins call it, Venture subsolanum, as that which usually followeth the rising sun; but whence it cometh, and whither it goeth, is more than Job or any other can tell.

(24) By what way is the light parted?—i.e., distributed in turn to all the inhabitants of the earth. The east wind.—As naturally suggested by the origin of light and the mention of it.

Verse 24. By what way is the light parted] Who can accurately describe the cause and operation of a thunder cloud, the cause, nature, and mode of operation of the lightning itself? Is it a simple element or compound substance? What is its velocity? and why not conductible by every kind of substance, as it is known to exist in all, and, indeed, to be diffused through every portion of nature? How is it parted? How does it take its zigzag form? this is the curious, indescribable, and unknown parting. Are all the causes of positive and negative electricity found out? What are its particles, and how do they cohere, and in what order are they propagated? Much has been said on all these points, and how little of that much satisfactorily! Scattereth the east wind upon the earth?] קדים kadim, the eastern storm, euroclydon, or levanter.

4–38. A survey of the inanimate creation, the wonders of earth and sky—the earth, Job 38:4-18; the heavens, Job 38:18-38

By what way is the light parted - The reference here is to the light of the morning, that seems to come from one point, and to spread itself at once over the whole earth.

24. By what way, etc. — What is the way that light divides itself? (Dillmann and Hitzig.) Which scattereth, etc. — [How] does the east wind scatter itself over the earth?