Job 26:5-14

5 Shall giants be born from under the water and the inhabitants thereof?

6 Hell is naked before him, and destruction has no covering.

7 He stretches out the north wind upon nothing, and he upon nothing hangs the earth;

8 binding water in his clouds, and the cloud is not rent under it.

9 He keeps back the face of his throne, stretching out his cloud upon it.

10 He has encompassed the face of the water by an appointed ordinance, until the end of light and darkness.

11 The pillars of heaven are prostrate and astonished at his rebuke.

12 He has calmed the sea with might, and by wisdom the whale has been overthrown.

13 And the barriers of heaven fear him, and by a command he has slain the apostate dragon.

14 Behold, these are parts of his way; and we will hearken to him at the least intimation of his word: but the strength of his thunder who knows, when he shall employ ?

Job 26:5-14 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.