Job 26

1 Forsooth Job answered, and said,

2 Whose helper art thou? whether of the feeble, and sustainest the arm of him, which is not strong? (Whose helper art thou? of the feeble? and sustainest thou the arm of him, who is not strong?)

3 To whom hast thou given counsel? In hap to him that hath not wisdom (Perhaps to someone who hath not wisdom); and thou hast showed full much prudence.

4 Either whom wouldest thou teach? whether not him, that made breathing? (Or whom wouldest thou teach? surely not he, who gave you breathe!)

5 Lo! giants wail under waters, and they that dwell with them. (Lo! the spirits of the dead wail under the waters, and they that dwell with them.)

6 Hell is naked before him, and no covering is to perdition. (Sheol is naked before him, and perdition hath no covering.)

7 The which God stretcheth forth the north upon (a) void thing, and he hangeth the earth upon nought.

8 And he bindeth waters in their clouds, that those break not out (al)together downward. (And he bindeth up the waters in the clouds, so that they do not burst open.)

9 He holdeth the cheer of his seat, and spreadeth abroad thereon his cloud. (He spreadeth his cloud upon the surface of his throne.)

10 He hath (en)compassed a term, or an end, to (the) waters, till that light and darkness be ended. (He hath surrounded the waters with a border, where light and darkness meet.)

11 The pillars of heaven tremble, and dread at his will. (The pillars of heaven tremble, and fear his will.)

12 In the strength of him the seas were gathered together suddenly (By his strength he divided the seas), and his prudence smote the proud.

13 His spirit hath adorned (the) heavens (By his breathe he hath cleared the skies), and the crooked serpent was led out by his hand, leading him out as a midwife leadeth out a child.

14 Lo! these things be said in part of his ways; and when we have heard scarcely a little drop of his word, who may see the thunder of his greatness? (Lo! these things that be said be but a part of his ways; and as we have scarcely heard but a little drop of his word, who can understand the thunder of his greatness?)

Job 26 Commentary

Chapter 26

Job reproves Bildad. (1-4) Job acknowledges the power of God. (5-14)

Verses 1-4 Job derided Bildad's answer; his words were a mixture of peevishness and self-preference. Bildad ought to have laid before Job the consolations, rather than the terrors of the Almighty. Christ knows how to speak what is proper for the weary, ( Isaiah 50:4 ) ; and his ministers should not grieve those whom God would not have made sad. We are often disappointed in our expectations from our friends who should comfort us; but the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, never mistakes, nor fails of his end.

Verses 5-14 Many striking instances are here given of the wisdom and power of God, in the creation and preservation of the world. If we look about us, to the earth and waters here below, we see his almighty power. If we consider hell beneath, though out of our sight, yet we may conceive the discoveries of God's power there. If we look up to heaven above, we see displays of God's almighty power. By his Spirit, the eternal Spirit that moved upon the face of the waters, the breath of his mouth, ( Psalms 33:6 ) , he has not only made the heavens, but beautified them. By redemption, all the other wonderful works of the Lord are eclipsed; and we may draw near, and taste his grace, learn to love him, and walk with delight in his ways. The ground of the controversy between Job and the other disputants was, that they unjustly thought from his afflictions that he must have been guilty of heinous crimes. They appear not to have duly considered the evil and just desert of original sin; nor did they take into account the gracious designs of God in purifying his people. Job also darkened counsel by words without knowledge. But his views were more distinct. He does not appear to have alleged his personal righteousness as the ground of his hope towards God. Yet what he admitted in a general view of his case, he in effect denied, while he complained of his sufferings as unmerited and severe; that very complaint proving the necessity for their being sent, in order to his being further humbled in the sight of God.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 26

In this chapter Job, in a very sarcastic manner, rallies Bildad on the weakness and impertinence of his reply, and sets it in a very ridiculous light; showing it to be quite foolish and stupid, and not at all to the purpose, and besides was none of his own, but what he had borrowed from another, Job 26:1-4; and if it was of any avail in the controversy to speak of the greatness and majesty of God, of his perfections and attributes, of his ways and works, he could say greater and more glorious things of God than he had done, and as he does, Job 26:5-13; beginning at the lower parts of the creation, and gradually ascending to the superior and celestial ones; and concludes with observing, that, after all, it was but little that was known of God and his ways, by himself, by Bildad, or by any mortal creature, Job 26:14.