Job 26:7-14

7 He ¹stretches out the north over ²the void and hangs the earth on nothing.

8 He ³binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not split open under them.

9 He covers the face of the full moon^[a] and ⁴spreads over it his cloud.

10 He has inscribed ⁵a circle on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness.

11 ⁶The pillars of heaven tremble and are astounded at his ⁷rebuke.

12 By his power he ⁸stilled the sea; by his understanding he shattered ⁹Rahab.

13 ¹⁰By his wind the heavens were made fair; his hand pierced ¹¹the fleeing serpent.

14 Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ¹²ways, and how small ¹³a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?"

Job 26:7-14 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.

Cross References

• 1. See Job 9:8
• 2. [Genesis 1:2]
• 3. Proverbs 30:4
• 4. [Job 36:29]
• 5. Proverbs 8:29; [Job 38:8-11; Psalms 33:7; Jeremiah 5:22]
• 6. Job 9:6; Psalms 75:3
• 7. Psalms 104:7
• 8. Isaiah 51:15; Jeremiah 31:35
• 9. See Job 9:13
• 10. [Psalms 33:6]
• 11. Isaiah 27:1
• 12. Job 40:19
• 13. Job 4:12

Footnotes

• [a]. Or his throne