Job 26:2-12

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.

Job 26:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

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.