Job 38:22
Hebrew Bible
20 that you may take them to their borders and perceive the pathways to their homes? 21 You know, for you were born before them; and the number of your days is great! 22 Have you entered the storehouse of the snow or seen the armory of the hail, 23 which I reserve for the time of trouble, for the day of war and battle? 24 In what direction is lightning dispersed, or the east winds scattered over the earth?
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Sirach 39:29
Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus
Deuterocanon
27 All these are good for the godly, but for sinners they turn into evils. 28 "There are winds created for vengeance, and in their anger they can dislodge mountains; on the day of reckoning they will pour out their strength and calm the anger of their Maker. 29 Fire and hail and famine and pestilence, all these have been created for vengeance; 30 the fangs of wild animals and scorpions and vipers, and the sword that punishes the ungodly with destruction. 31 They take delight in doing his bidding, always ready for his service on earth; and when their time comes they never disobey his command."
Date: 195-175 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
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Notes and References
"... In Jeremiah 29:17-18, sword, famine, and pestilence are mentioned together as punishments for infidelity to Yahweh. Famine and pestilence were the usual accompaniments of a prolonged siege; compare Leviticus 26:25-26; Jeremiah 21:2-9; Ezekiel 5:12; 7:15. 'Ravenous beasts' (literally 'beasts of tooth') and reptiles (39:30) are agents of destruction also in Deuteronomy 32:24. "Scorpions" (39:29) are an image of chastisement in 1 Kings 12:11, 14 (= 2 Chronicles 10:11, 14). "The avenging sword" (39:30) is an allusion to Leviticus 26:25. All these instruments of destruction God created "to meet a need" (39:30), i.e., to requite the evil of the wicked, for the Deuteronomic theology insisted that the wicked would not go unpunished in their lifetimes. The image of God's 'storehouse' occurs again in 43:14; compare Job 38:22-23. 'The proper time' (39:30) is the moment of retribution, which will come sooner or later ..."
Skehan, Patrick W., and Alexander A. Di Lella
The Wisdom of Ben Sira: A New Translation with Notes
(pp. 460-461) Doubleday, 1987
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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