38:22 Have you entered the storehouse 1 of the snow,
or seen the armory 2 of the hail,
38:23 which I reserve for the time of trouble,
for the day of war and battle? 3
38:24 In what direction is lightning 4 dispersed,
or the east winds scattered over the earth?
38:25 Who carves out a channel for the heavy rains,
and a path for the rumble of thunder,
38:26 to cause it to rain on an uninhabited land, 5
a desert where there are no human beings, 6
1 sn Snow and ice are thought of as being in store, brought out by God for specific purposes, such as times of battle (see Josh 10:11; Exod 9:2ff.; Isa 28:17; Isa 30:30; and Ps 18:12 [13]).
2 tn The same Hebrew term (אוֹצָר, ’otsar), has been translated “storehouse” in the first line and “armory” in the second. This has been done for stylistic variation, but also because “hail,” as one of God’s “weapons” (cf. the following verse) suggests military imagery; in this context the word refers to God’s “ammunition dump” where he stockpiles hail.
3 sn The terms translated war and battle are different Hebrew words, but both may be translated “war” or “battle” depending on the context.
4 tn Because the parallel with “light” and “east wind” is not tight, Hoffmann proposed ‘ed instead, “mist.” This has been adopted by many. G. R. Driver suggests “parching heat” (“Problems in the Hebrew text of Job,” VTSup 3 [1955]: 91-92).
5 tn Heb “on a land, no man.”
6 tn Heb “a desert, no man in it.”