The Meaning of Job 38:26 Explained

Job 38:26

KJV: To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;

YLT: To cause it to rain on a land -- no man, A wilderness -- no man in it.

Darby: To cause it to rain on the earth, where no one is; on the wilderness wherein there is not a man;

ASV: To cause it to rain on a land where no man is; On the wilderness, wherein there is no man;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

To cause it to rain  on the earth,  [where] no man  [is; on] the wilderness,  wherein [there is] no man; 

What does Job 38:26 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 38:19-41 - What Man Cannot Do
In this chapter a number of nature-pictures pass before us. These include the creation of the earth, Job 38:4-7; the sea, Job 38:8-11; light, Job 38:12-15; the mysteries of the unseen, Job 38:16-18; snow and rain, Job 38:22-30; the constellations of heaven, Job 38:31-38; and the recesses of the forest-glades, Job 38:39-41.
What does it all mean? Ah! there are times when the voice of God through nature falls on our hearts like sweet music, and we hardly know whence or how, but we are comforted and strengthened. The peace passes understanding. Besides, the frequent question, Hast thou? was intended to turn Job's attention to the great mysteries contained in common and ordinary things. If he could not unravel these, how could he hope to fathom all the wonderful dealings of God with the human soul? His ways are above ours and His thoughts higher than ours; but we are sure from Calvary that He is love. Let us quiet ourselves, therefore, and trust. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 38

1  God challenges Job to answer
4  God, by his mighty works, convinces Job of ignorance
31  and weakness

What do the individual words in Job 38:26 mean?

to cause it to rain on a land no [where there is] one a wilderness [there is] man in which
לְ֭הַמְטִיר עַל־ אֶ֣רֶץ לֹא־ אִ֑ישׁ מִ֝דְבָּ֗ר אָדָ֥ם בּֽוֹ

לְ֭הַמְטִיר  to  cause  it  to  rain 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: מָטַר  
Sense: to rain.
אֶ֣רֶץ  a  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
לֹא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אִ֑ישׁ  [where  there  is]  one 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מִ֝דְבָּ֗ר  a  wilderness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
אָדָ֥ם  [there  is]  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
בּֽוֹ  in  which 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular