36:30 See how he scattered 1 his lightning 2 about him;
he has covered the depths 3 of the sea.
36:32 With his hands 4 he covers 5 the lightning,
and directs it against its target.
1 tn The word actually means “to spread,” but with lightning as the object, “to scatter” appears to fit the context better.
2 tn The word is “light,” but taken to mean “lightning.” Theodotion had “mist” here, and so most commentators follow that because it is more appropriate to the verb and the context.
3 tn Heb “roots.”
4 tn R. Gordis (Job, 422) prefers to link this word with the later Hebrew word for “arch,” not “hands.”
5 tn Because the image might mean that God grabs the lightning and hurls it like a javelin (cf. NLT), some commentators want to change “covers” to other verbs. Dhorme has “lifts” (נִשָּׂא [nissa’] for כִּסָּה [kissah]). This fit the idea of God directing the lightning bolts.