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Job 26

BSB·14 verses ·Old Testament
✦ Tap any verse to open Scripture Explorer — original Hebrew/Greek, commentary, notes & highlights
1Then Jobאִיּ֗וֹב’î·yō·wḇ — He weeps or sorrowsH347 — Full Word Study → answeredוַיַּ֥עַןway·ya·‘an — To answer, respond, or testifyH6030 — Full Word Study →: 2Howמֶה־meh- — What? Why? How? (interrogative particle)H4100 — Full Word Study → you have helpedעָזַ֥רְתָּ‘ā·zar·tā — to help, aid, supportH5826 — Full Word Study → the powerlessלְלֹא־lə·lō- — not; negation; absenceH3808 — Full Word Study → and saved the armזְר֣וֹעַzə·rō·w·a‘ — arm; power, strength, mightH2220 — Full Word Study → that is feebleלֹא־lō- — not; negation; absenceH3808 — Full Word Study →! 3Howמַה־mah- — What? Why? How? (interrogative particle)H4100 — Full Word Study → you have counseledיָּ֭עַצְתָּyā·‘aṣ·tā — to advise, counsel, or devise a planH3289 — Full Word Study → the unwiseלְלֹ֣אlə·lō — not; negation; absenceH3808 — Full Word Study → and provided fully soundלָרֹ֥בlā·rōḇ — Abundance, multitude, or great quantityH7230 — Full Word Study → insightוְ֝תוּשִׁיָּ֗הwə·ṯū·šî·yāh — Wisdom, sound counsel, practical understandingH8454 — Full Word Study →! 4Toאֶת־’eṯ- — direct object marker; signs accusative caseH853 — Full Word Study → whomמִ֭יmî — who? what person?H4310 — Full Word Study → have you utteredהִגַּ֣דְתָּhig·gaḏ·tā — to tell, declare, make knownH5046 — Full Word Study → these wordsמִלִּ֑יןmil·lîn — speech, word, matter, thing saidH4405 — Full Word Study →? And whoseמִ֝יmî — who? what person?H4310 — Full Word Study → spiritוְנִשְׁמַת־wə·niš·maṯ- — breath, spirit, life-breathH5397 — Full Word Study → spokeיָצְאָ֥הyā·ṣə·’āh — To go out, come forth, exitH3318 — Full Word Study → through youמִמֶּֽךָּ׃mim·me·kā — from, out of, by means ofH4480 — Full Word Study →? 5The deadהָרְפָאִ֥יםhā·rə·p̄ā·’îm — Shade, shadow, ghost of the deadH7496 — Full Word Study → trembleיְחוֹלָ֑לוּyə·ḥō·w·lā·lū — To twist, whirl, dance, writhe; to be in pain or travailH2342 — Full Word Study →those beneathמִתַּ֥חַתmit·ta·ḥaṯ — Under, beneath, instead of, in place ofH8478 — Full Word Study → the watersמַ֝֗יִםma·yim — Water; liquid; fluidsH4325 — Full Word Study → and those who dwell in themוְשֹׁכְנֵיהֶֽם׃wə·šō·ḵə·nê·hem — To dwell, inhabit, or settle in a placeH7931 — Full Word Study →. 6Sheolשְׁא֣וֹלšə·’ō·wl — The grave; the abode of the dead; the underworldH7585 — Full Word Study → is nakedעָר֣וֹם‘ā·rō·wm — naked, bare, exposedH6174 — Full Word Study → before God, and Abaddonלָֽאֲבַדּֽוֹן׃lā·’ă·ḇad·dō·wn — Destruction, ruin, perditionH11 — Full Word Study → has noוְאֵ֥יןwə·’ên — nothing, nonexistence, absenceH369 — Full Word Study → coveringכְּ֝ס֗וּתkə·sūṯ — covering, garment, clothingH3682 — Full Word Study →. 7He stretches outנֹטֶ֣הnō·ṭeh — to stretch out, extend, incline, bendH5186 — Full Word Study → the northצָפ֣וֹןṣā·p̄ō·wn — North; northern direction or regionH6828 — Full Word Study → overעַל־‘al- — upon, over, against; concerningH5921 — Full Word Study → empty spaceתֹּ֑הוּtō·hū — Formlessness, emptiness, void, or chaosH8414 — Full Word Study →; He hangsתֹּ֥לֶהtō·leh — to hang, suspend, or hang upH8518 — Full Word Study → the earthאֶ֝֗רֶץ’e·reṣ — Land, earth, or countryH776 — Full Word Study → uponעַל־‘al- — upon, over, against; concerningH5921 — Full Word Study → nothingבְּלִי־bə·lî- — without, lack of, absenceH1097 — Full Word Study →. 8He wraps upצֹרֵֽר־ṣō·rêr- — to bind, squeeze, or oppress; to distress or afflictH6887 — Full Word Study → the watersמַ֥יִםma·yim — Water; liquid; fluidsH4325 — Full Word Study → in His cloudsבְּעָבָ֑יוbə·‘ā·ḇāw — Cloud, thick cloud, or cloud massH5645 — Full Word Study →, yet the cloudsעָנָ֣ן‘ā·nān — cloud; visual manifestation of God's presenceH6051 — Full Word Study → do notוְלֹא־wə·lō- — not; negation; absenceH3808 — Full Word Study → burstנִבְקַ֖עniḇ·qa‘ — To break open, split, or break throughH1234 — Full Word Study → under their own weightתַּחְתָּֽם׃taḥ·tām — Under, beneath, instead of, in place ofH8478 — Full Word Study →. 9He coversמְאַחֵ֥זmə·’a·ḥêz — to grasp, seize, or take hold ofH270 — Full Word Study → the faceפְּנֵי־pə·nê- — face; presence; beforeH6440 — Full Word Study → of the full moonכִסֵּ֑הḵis·sêh — Throne; seat of authority and rulershipH3678 — Full Word Study →, spreadingפַּרְשֵׁ֖זpar·šêz — to spread out, stretch forthH6576 — Full Word Study → over itעָלָ֣יו‘ā·lāw — upon, over, against; concerningH5921 — Full Word Study → His cloudעֲנָנֽוֹ׃‘ă·nā·nōw — cloud; visual manifestation of God's presenceH6051 — Full Word Study →. 10He has inscribedחָ֭גḥāḡ — to mark out, circle, or compassH2328 — Full Word Study → a horizonחֹֽק־ḥōq- — A statute or decree; an appointed rule or lawH2706 — Full Word Study → onעַל־‘al- — upon, over, against; concerningH5921 — Full Word Study → the faceפְּנֵי־pə·nê- — face; presence; beforeH6440 — Full Word Study → of the watersמָ֑יִםmā·yim — Water; liquid; fluidsH4325 — Full Word Study → atעַד־‘aḏ- — until, till, up to (temporal or spatial limit)H5704 — Full Word Study → the boundaryתַּכְלִ֖יתtaḵ·lîṯ — end, limit, perfection, completionH8503 — Full Word Study → betweenעִם־‘im- — with, together with, amongH5973 — Full Word Study → lightא֣וֹר’ō·wr — Light; brightness; illuminationH216 — Full Word Study → and darknessחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ḥō·šeḵ — Darkness; absence of light; obscurityH2822 — Full Word Study →. 11The foundationsעַמּוּדֵ֣י‘am·mū·ḏê — pillar, column, support structureH5982 — Full Word Study → of heavenשָׁמַ֣יִםšā·ma·yim — The heavens; sky; dwelling place of GodH8064 — Full Word Study → quakeיְרוֹפָ֑פוּyə·rō·w·p̄ā·p̄ū — to shake, quake, or trembleH7322 — Full Word Study →, astoundedוְ֝יִתְמְה֗וּwə·yiṯ·mə·hū — to be astonished; to marvel or wonderH8539 — Full Word Study → at His rebukeמִגַּעֲרָתֽוֹ׃mig·ga·‘ă·rā·ṯōw — A sharp rebuke or reproof; stern correctionH1606 — Full Word Study →. 12By His powerבְּ֭כֹחוֹbə·ḵō·ḥōw — Strength, power, might, or abilityH3581 — Full Word Study → He stirredרָגַ֣עrā·ḡa‘ — To shake, tremble; to rest, be quietH7280 — Full Word Study → the seaהַיָּ֑םhay·yām — Sea, body of water; also directional (west, south)H3220 — Full Word Study →; by His understandingוּבִתוּבְנָתוֹū·ḇi·ṯū·ḇə·nå̄·ṯō — Prudent understanding; discernment and skillH8394 — Full Word Study → He shatteredמָ֣חַץmā·ḥaṣ — To strike through, wound, or pierceH4272 — Full Word Study → Rahabרָֽהַב׃rā·haḇ — Rahab; the primordial sea monster of chaosH7294 — Full Word Study →. 13By His breathבְּ֭רוּחוֹbə·rū·ḥōw — Spirit, breath, wind, or inner dispositionH7307 — Full Word Study → the skiesשָׁמַ֣יִםšā·ma·yim — The heavens; sky; dwelling place of GodH8064 — Full Word Study → were clearedשִׁפְרָ֑הšip̄·rāh — brightness, splendor, clarityH8235 — Full Word Study →; His handיָ֝ד֗וֹyā·ḏōw — hand; power, strength, controlH3027 — Full Word Study → piercedחֹֽלֲלָ֥הḥō·lă·lāh — to profane, defile, or beginH2490 — Full Word Study → the fleeingבָּרִֽיחַ׃bā·rî·aḥ — bolt, bar, or crossbar (structural)H1281 — Full Word Study → serpentנָחָ֥שׁnā·ḥāš — serpent, snakeH5175 — Full Word Study →. 14Indeedהֶן־hen- — Look! Behold! — an attention-directing particleH2005 — Full Word Study →, these are but the fringesקְצ֬וֹתqə·ṣō·wṯ — edge, border, or extremity of a placeH7098 — Full Word Study → of His waysדַּרְכּוֹdar·kō — way, path, journey, conductH1870 — Full Word Study →; howוּמַה־ū·mah- — What? Why? How? (interrogative particle)H4100 — Full Word Study → faintשֵּׁ֣מֶץšê·meṣ — a whisper, a hint, a trifleH8102 — Full Word Study → is the whisperדָּ֭בָרdā·ḇār — word, matter, thing, affairH1697 — Full Word Study → we hearנִשְׁמַע־niš·ma‘- — to hear, listen, obeyH8085 — Full Word Study → of Him! Who thenמִ֣יmî — who? what person?H4310 — Full Word Study → can understandיִתְבּוֹנָֽן׃סyiṯ·bō·w·nān — To understand, discern, perceiveH995 — Full Word Study → the thunderוְרַ֥עַםwə·ra·‘am — Thunder; the sound of divine powerH7482 — Full Word Study → of His powerגְּבוּרָתוֹgə·ḇū·rå̄·ṯō — Mighty power, strength, or valorH1369 — Full Word Study →?”
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Chapter Commentary — Job 26
Chapter Overview

Chapter Overview

Job chapter 26 marks a turning point in Job's response to his friends. Though weary and suffering, Job rises to defend himself and, more significantly, to declare the absolute sovereignty and majesty of God. Rather than accepting Bildad's shallow platitudes about divine justice, Job uses sarcasm to expose the inadequacy of his friends' counsel, then pivots to a magnificent testimony of God's power and wisdom displayed throughout creation. This chapter reveals that even in the depths of suffering, Job's faith in God's greatness remains unshaken.

Verses 1-4: Job's Sarcastic Rebuke

Job opens with biting sarcasm directed at Bildad (who had just spoken in chapter 25). He questions: "How hast thou helped him that is without power?" Job is saying, in effect, you have offered me nothing but empty words. Verse 2 continues this theme—Job has no strength left, no resources, and his friends have provided no real help. Verse 3 asks how Bildad has counselled someone without wisdom; this is Job acknowledging his own confusion while suggesting that Bildad's advice has failed to illuminate anything. Verse 4 pushes further: Job questions whether Bildad's words even come from genuine insight or from the Spirit of God. The underlying message is clear: human wisdom and counsel are insufficient in the face of genuine suffering. Job's friends have offered diagnosis without cure, judgment without mercy.

Verses 5-6: The Hidden Counsel of God

Verse 5 speaks of "dead things formed from under the waters"—likely referring to the residents of Sheol (the place of the dead) and the vast unseen realm beneath creation. This is not pessimism but acknowledgment of reality: there are dimensions of existence and knowledge beyond human sight. Verse 6 declares that "Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering"—nothing is hidden from God. What Job is building toward is profound: God sees what we cannot see, knows what we cannot know. This suggests that ultimate justice and wisdom belong to Him alone, not to mortal judges sitting in comfort.

Verses 7-13: The Majesty of God's Creation

Here Job transitions from rebuke to worship. He marvels at God's cosmic power: stretching out the heavens (v. 7), suspending the earth "upon nothing" (an astonishing statement of cosmological accuracy), binding up waters in clouds (v. 8), and setting boundaries to the seas (v. 10). Verses 11-13 intensify the vision: heaven's pillars tremble at God's reproof, He divides the sea by His power, and by His spirit He has adorned the heavens and formed "the crooked serpent"—likely the constellation Draco or a poetic reference to primordial chaos brought into order.

What emerges is a God of breathtaking majesty and infinite power. Every element of creation testifies to His sovereignty. Job is not denying his pain; he is contextualizing it within a vision of divine grandeur that transcends human complaint.

Verse 14: The Limitation of Human Understanding

Job concludes with humility: "Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him?" What we observe and understand of God is only a fragment. The thunder of His power remains beyond human comprehension. This is not despair but appropriate awe—a recognition that God's ways are higher than our ways.

Application for Today

When suffering tempts us to question God's justice or when others offer shallow comfort, we need Job's perspective: to lift our eyes beyond immediate pain to the character of God. Our limited understanding cannot contain His infinite wisdom. Rather than demanding answers, we are invited to trust the One who holds all creation in His hands and sees what we cannot see.

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