Job 37:22
Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty.
Fair weather cometh out of the north,.... Or "gold" {x}, which some understand literally; this being found in northern climates as well as southern, as Pliny relates {y}; particularly in Colchis and Scythia, which lay to the north of Palestine and Arabia; and is thought by a learned man {z} to be here intended: though to understand it figuratively of the serenity of the air, bright and pure as gold, or of fair weather, which is golden weather, as Mr. Broughton renders it,
"through the north the golden cometh,''
seems best to agree with the subject Elihu is upon; and such weather comes from the north, through the north winds, which drive away rain,
with God is terrible majesty; majesty belongs to him as he is King of kings, whose the kingdom of nature and providence is; and he is the Governor among and over the nations of the world. His throne is prepared in the heavens; that is his throne, and his kingdom ruleth over all: and this majesty of his is "terrible", commanding awe and reverence among all men, who are his subjects; and especially among his saints and peculiar people; and strikes a terror to others, even to great personages, the kings and princes of the earth; to whom the Lord is sometimes terrible now, and will be hereafter; see Psalms 76:12 Revelation 6:15; and to all Christless sinners, especially when he comes to judgment; see Isaiah 2:19. Or "terrible praise" {a}; for God is "fearful in praises", Exodus 15:11; which may respect the subject of praise, terrible things, and the manner of praising him with fear and reverence, Ps 106:22.
{x} bhz "aurum", Pagninus, Montanus, &c.
{y} Nat. Hist. l. 6. c. 11. & l. 33. c. 3, 4.
{z} Reland. de Paradiso, s. 9, 10. p. 22, 23, 24. And, in the countries farthest north were mines of gold formerly, as Olaus Magnus relates, though now destroyed. De Ritu Gent. Septent. l. 6, 11. Vid. l. 3, 5.
{a} dwh arwn foberov ainov, Symmachus, "formidolosa laudatio", V. L. "terribilem laude", Vatablus.