Job 36:22

22 “Look, God is all-powerful. Who is a teacher like him?

Job 36:22 Meaning and Commentary

Job 36:22

Behold, God exalteth by his power
He exalts himself, or causes himself to be exalted, and even above all the blessing and praise of his creatures; by his power, in the works of creation and providence, he makes such a display of his glorious perfections, as to set him on high, and out of the reach of the highest praises of men. He exalts his Son as Mediator, and has made him higher than the kings of the earth, ( 1 Timothy 2:5 ) ( Hebrews 9:15 ) ; he exalts him as a Prince and a Saviour, ( Acts 5:31 ) , to give repentance and remission of sins to his people, and to be the Judge of quick and dead, ( Acts 10:42 ) ( 2 Timothy 4:1 ) . He has exalted the human nature of Christ to the grace of union to the Son of God: and exalted him in this nature at his right hand, far above all principality and power, ( Ephesians 1:21 ) : he exalts men in a civil sense, who are in a low estate, and raises them to a very high one; promotion is alone of him, he sets up and puts down at pleasure. In a spiritual sense, he exalts men when he brings them out of a state of nature into an open state of grace; brings them out of the horrible pit, and sets their feet upon the rock Christ Jesus; takes them as beggars from the dunghill, and places them among princes, even the princes of his people; admits them to communion with himself, puts and keeps them in his favour, as in a garrison; and at last causes them to inherit the throne of glory, ( 1 Samuel 2:8 ) . He exalts men, when he sets the poor on high from affliction, and brings them out of adversity into prosperity; and which is what may be chiefly intended here; let a man he brought as low as may, God can by his power, if he will, raise him up again. And this may be said for the comfort and encouragement of Job, in his present circumstances: and so Aben Ezra interprets it,

``God will exalt thee;''

as he afterwards did. The Targum is,

``behold, God alone is strong in his might;''

see ( Psalms 21:13 ) ;

who teacheth like him?
He teaches by his providences, adverse as well as prosperous; he teaches by his word and ordinances; he teaches by his Spirit and grace, and none teaches like him. Ministers of the word teach men both doctrine and duty, but not like him; they have their gifts for teaching, their wisdom and knowledge, their doctrine, and all the use they are of, from him; none teach so pleasantly, so profitably, so powerfully and effectually, as he does: the Targum adds,

``right things?''

Job 36:22 In-Context

20 Do not long for the cover of night, for that is when people will be destroyed.
21 Be on guard! Turn back from evil, for God sent this suffering to keep you from a life of evil.
22 “Look, God is all-powerful. Who is a teacher like him?
23 No one can tell him what to do, or say to him, ‘You have done wrong.’
24 Instead, glorify his mighty works, singing songs of praise.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.