Job 26
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But Job answered and said,
2 How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength?
3 How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom? and how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is?
4 To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee?
5 Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof.
6 Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.
7 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.
8 He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them.
9 He holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it.
10 He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof.
12 He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud.
13 By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.
14 Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Job 26:1-14
Job Replies: God’s Majesty Is Unsearchable
1Then Job answered and said:
2“How you have helped him who has no power!
How you have saved the arm that has no strength!
3How you have counseled him who has no wisdom,
and plentifully declared sound knowledge!
4With whose help have you uttered words,
and whose breath has come out from you?
5The dead tremble
under the waters and their inhabitants.
6Sheol is naked before God,
and Abaddon has no covering.
7He stretches out the north over the void
and hangs the earth on nothing.
8He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,
and the cloud is not split open under them.
9He covers the face of the full moon
and spreads over it his cloud.
10He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters
at the boundary between light and darkness.
11The pillars of heaven tremble
and are astounded at his rebuke.
12By his power he stilled the sea;
by his understanding he shattered Rahab.
13By his wind the heavens were made fair;
his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
14Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,
and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
But the thunder of his power who can understand?”
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Job 26:1-14
Job
1Then Job replied:
2“How you have helped the powerless!
How you have saved the arm that is feeble!
3What advice you have offered to one without wisdom!
And what great insight you have displayed!
4Who has helped you utter these words?
And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?
5“The dead are in deep anguish,
those beneath the waters and all that live in them.
6The realm of the dead is naked before God;
Destruction lies uncovered.
7He spreads out the northern skies over empty space;
he suspends the earth over nothing.
8He wraps up the waters in his clouds,
yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
9He covers the face of the full moon,
spreading his clouds over it.
10He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters
for a boundary between light and darkness.
11The pillars of the heavens quake,
aghast at his rebuke.
12By his power he churned up the sea;
by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces.
13By his breath the skies became fair;
his hand pierced the gliding serpent.
14And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
how faint the whisper we hear of him!
Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
Job answers his friends with dismay. “What advice have you given to one without wisdom? How many have you made knowledgeable?” (v. 3) “To whom have you spoken and what spirit came out of your mouth?” (v. 4).
Job seems to mock his friends' Egyptian theological approach and asks: “Why do you keep thinking about the gods and the sacred bark that takes men away from under the waters? When men hear this, they tremble” (v. 4). Job wants to know the specifics of the source of this Egyptian theology of what the dead go through after death. There are no evil monsters lurking on the heavenly Nile trying to grab the deceased souls from the bark of the [sungod] Ra as he makes his trip at midnight through the twelve gates to the judgment hall of Osiris, the judge of the dead.
Dear God,
With Moses and Job, we also understand that God created the heavens and the earth, and will at last eradicate Satan and his angels. Standing at the door of great events concluding this world’s history, help us to stand firm. Amen.
Koot van Wyk
Kyungpook National University
Sangju, South Korea
