God's mastery over creation is vividly displayed through His absolute command of the weather, carefully balancing the forces of clouds, light, and water. He spreads His power across the skies, orchestrating the elements from above the clouds. The primary approach among commentators is that God casts actual light across the clouds, whether in the form of sunlight [רלב״ג, רמב״ן, אבן עזרא, תקות אנוש, אלשיך], flashing lightning [ביאור שטיינזלץ], or intense fire and heat contained within the clouds themselves [מלבי״ם]. However, another perspective suggests that what is cast upon the clouds is not illumination, but heavy rain [מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד]. This precipitation is conceptually linked to light because rainfall is influenced by the movements of the moon, the lesser celestial light [אבן עזרא].
These differing natural forces directly shape how God interacts with the depths, or the roots, of the sea. When God uses heat and sunlight, He scatters the clouds to hold back the rain [רמב״ן, תקות אנוש, מלבי״ם]. As a result, the water vapors that originally rose from the ocean—viewed as the sea's roots—simply vanish into the air rather than gathering into thick rainclouds [מלבי״ם]. Alternatively, the sun's heat drives the clouds to the western horizon, which is considered the very edge and root of the sea [אלשיך].
On the other hand, when God brings down rain, He showers water from His heavenly treasury to cover the ocean's depths and borders [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. He does this so the clouds remain fully saturated and do not need to draw any more water from the ocean below [מצודת דוד]. Another view suggests that God covers the sea with heavy clouds specifically to draw water up from it, which He then releases as rain [רמב״ן]. Alternatively, the roots of the sea are understood to be the rivers and streams that flow into the ocean to sustain it. In this scenario, God sends down massive amounts of rain to fill these waterways until they overflow their banks and cover the surrounding land [תקות אנוש]. Ultimately, whether God uses the sun to scatter the clouds and withhold water, or commands the skies to release heavy rain, He uses these powerful shifts in weather to judge the nations of the world [אבן עזרא].