Job 37:23

23 Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out : he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict .

Job 37:23 Meaning and Commentary

Job 37:23

[Touching] the Almighty
Or with respect to God, who is almighty; with whom nothing is impossible; who can do and does do all things he pleases, and more than we can ask or think; and who is all sufficient, as this word is by some rendered; has enough of every thing in himself and of himself to make him happy; and needs not any of his creatures, nor anything they can do or give him, but has a sufficiency for himself and them;

we cannot find him out;
found he may be in his works, and especially in his Son, the express image of his person; in whom he makes himself known as the God of grace: but he is not to be found out to perfection; neither by the light of nature, which is very dim, and by which men grope after him, if haply they may find him; nor even by the light of grace in the present state: and there are many things in God quite out of the reach of man, and ever will be, fully to comprehend; as the modes of the subsistence of the three Persons in the Godhead; the eternity and immensity of God; with all secret things, which belong not to us to inquire curiously into;

[he is] excellent in power;
or great and much in it; which is displayed in the works of creation and sustentation of the world; in the redemption and conversion of his people; in the support, protection, and preservation of them; and in the destruction of his and their enemies;

and in judgment;
in the government of the world in so righteous a manner; in the judgments he executes on wicked men; and as he will appear to be in the general judgment of the world, at the great day, which will be a righteous one;

and in plenty of justice;
being most just, righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works; distributing justice to all, acting according to the rules of it, in all things and towards all persons; so that though he is great in power, he does not abuse that power, to do things that are not just;

he will not afflict;
without a just cause and reason for it; nor willingly, but with reluctance; nor never beyond deserts, nor more than he gives strength to bear; and only for the good of his people, and in love to them. Some render it, "he will not answer" F2; or give an account of his matters, or the reason of his dealings with men.


FOOTNOTES:

F2 (hgey al) "non respondebit", Tigurine version; so some in Mercerus and Drusius.

Job 37:23 In-Context

21 And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the wind passeth , and cleanseth them.
22 Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty.
23 Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out : he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict .
24 Men do therefore fear him: he respecteth not any that are wise of heart.
The King James Version is in the public domain.