Job 26
A plain-spoken deep dive on the whole chapter. Read the chapter →
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Honor is not seemly in a fool. The correction and treatment suitable to such. Of the slothful man. Of him who interferes with matters which do not concern him. Contentions to be avoided. Of the dissembler and the lying tongue.
Open source ↗JOB'S REPLY. (Job 26:1-14) without power . . . no strength . . . no wisdom--The negatives are used instead of the positives, powerlessness, &c., designedly (so Isa 31:8; Deu 32:21). Granting I am, as you say (Job 18:17; Job 15:2), powerlessness itself, &c. "How hast thou helped such a one?" savest--supportest.
Open source ↗But Job answered,.... In a very sharp and biting manner; one would wonder that a man in such circumstances should have so much keenness of spirit, and deal in so much irony, and be master of so much satire, and be able to laugh at his antagonist in the manner he does: and said; as follows.
Open source ↗One would not have thought that Job, when he was in so much pain and misery, could banter his friend as he does here and make himself merry with the impertinency of his discourse. Bildad thought that he had made a fine speech, that the matter was so weighty, and the language so fine, that he had gained the reputation both of an oracle and of an orator; but Job peevishly enough shows that his performance was not so valuable as he thought it and ridicules him for it. He shows, I. That there was no great matter to be found in it (Job 26:3): How hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is? This is spoken ironically, upbraiding Bildad with the good conceit he himself had of what he had said. 1. He thought he had spoken very clearly, had declared the thing as it is. He was very fond (as we are all apt to be) of his own notions, and thought they only were right, and true, and intelligible, and all other notions of the thing were false, mistaken, and confused; whereas, when we speak of the glory of God, we cannot declare the thing as it is, for we see it through a glass darkly, or but by reflection, and shall not see him as he is till we come to heaven. Here we cannot order our speech concerning him, Job 37:19. 2. He thought he had spoken very fully, though in few words, that he had plentifully declared it, and, alas! it was but poorly and scantily that he declared it, in comparison with the vast compass and copiousness of the subject. II. That there was no great use to be made of it. Cui bono - What good hast thou done by all that thou hast said? How hast thou, with all this mighty flourish, helped him that is without power? Job 26:2. How hast thou, with thy grave dictates, counselled him that has no wisdom? Job 26:3. Job would convince him, 1. That he had done God no se…
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
אִיּוֹב (ʼÎyôwb, H347) — Ijob, the patriarch famous for his patience עָנָה (ʻânâh, H6030) — properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond;… אָמַר (ʼâmar, H559) — to say (used with great latitude)
Open source ↗עָזַר (ʻâzar, H5826) — to surround, i.e. protect or aid כֹּחַ (kôach, H3581) — vigor, literally (force, in a good or a bad sense) or figuratively (capacity, means,… יָשַׁע (yâshaʻ, H3467) — properly, to be open, wide or free, i.e. (by implication) to be safe; causatively, to… זְרוֹעַ (zᵉrôwaʻ, H2220) — the arm (as stretched out), or (of animals) the foreleg; figuratively, force לֹא (lôʼ, H3808) — not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles עֹז (ʻôz, H5797) — strength in various applications (force, security, majesty, praise)
Open source ↗יָעַץ (yâʻats, H3289) — to advise; reflexively, to deliberate or resolve לֹא (lôʼ, H3808) — not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles חׇכְמָה (chokmâh, H2451) — wisdom (in a good sense) רֹב (rôb, H7230) — abundance (in any respect) יָדַע (yâdaʻ, H3045) — to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses,… תּוּשִׁיָּה (tûwshîyâh, H8454) — support or (by implication) ability, i.e. (direct) help, (in purpose) an undertaking,…
Open source ↗נָגַד (nâgad, H5046) — properly, to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to… מִלָּה (millâh, H4405) — a word; collectively, a discourse; figuratively, a topic נְשָׁמָה (nᵉshâmâh, H5397) — a puff, i.e. wind, angry or vital breath, divine inspiration, intellect. or (concretely)… יָצָא (yâtsâʼ, H3318) — to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and…
Open source ↗רָפָא (râphâʼ, H7496) — properly, lax, i.e. (figuratively) a ghost (as dead; in plural only) חוּל (chûwl, H2342) — properly, to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), i.e. (specifically) to… מַיִם (mayim, H4325) — water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen שָׁכַן (shâkan, H7931) — to reside or permanently stay (literally or figuratively)
Open source ↗שְׁאוֹל (shᵉʼôwl, H7585) — Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories… עָרוֹם (ʻârôwm, H6174) — nude, either partially or totally אֲבַדּוֹן (ʼăbaddôwn, H11) — abstract, a perishing; concrete, Hades כְּסוּת (kᵉçûwth, H3682) — a cover (garment); figuratively, a veiling
Open source ↗נָטָה (nâṭâh, H5186) — to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used… צָפוֹן (tsâphôwn, H6828) — properly, hidden, i.e. dark; used only of the north as aquarter (gloomy and unknown) תֹּהוּ (tôhûw, H8414) — a desolation (of surface), i.e. desert; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in… תָּלָה (tâlâh, H8518) — to suspend (especially to gibbet) אֶרֶץ (ʼerets, H776) — the earth (at large, or partitively a land) בְּלִימָה (bᵉlîymâh, H1099) — (as indefinitely) nothing whatever
Open source ↗צָרַר (tsârar, H6887) — to cramp, literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive מַיִם (mayim, H4325) — water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen עָב (ʻâb, H5645) — properly, an envelope, i.e. darkness (or density, 2 Chronicles 4:17); specifically, a… עָנָן (ʻânân, H6051) — a cloud (as covering the sky), i.e. the nimbus or thunder-cloud בָּקַע (bâqaʻ, H1234) — to cleave; generally, to rend, break, rip or open
Open source ↗אָחַז (ʼâchaz, H270) — to seize (often with the accessory idea of holding in possession) פָּנִים (pânîym, H6440) — the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and… כִּסֵּא (kiççêʼ, H3678) — properly, covered, i.e. a throne (as canopied) פַּרְשֵׁז (parshêz, H6576) — to expand עָנָן (ʻânân, H6051) — a cloud (as covering the sky), i.e. the nimbus or thunder-cloud
Open source ↗חוּג (chûwg, H2328) — to describe a circle פָּנִים (pânîym, H6440) — the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and… מַיִם (mayim, H4325) — water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen חֹק (chôq, H2706) — an enactment; hence, an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage) אוֹר (ʼôwr, H216) — illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.) חֹשֶׁךְ (chôshek, H2822) — the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively, misery, destruction, death,… תַּכְלִית (taklîyth, H8503) — completion; by implication, an extremity
Open source ↗עַמּוּד (ʻammûwd, H5982) — a column (as standing); also a stand, i.e. platform שָׁמַיִם (shâmayim, H8064) — the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds… רוּף (rûwph, H7322) — properly, to triturate (in a mortar), i.e. (figuratively) to agitate (by concussion) תָּמַהּ (tâmahh, H8539) — to be in consternation גְּעָרָה (gᵉʻârâh, H1606) — a chiding
Open source ↗רָגַע (râgaʻ, H7280) — properly, to toss violently and suddenly (the sea with waves, the skin with boils);… יָם (yâm, H3220) — a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the… כֹּחַ (kôach, H3581) — vigor, literally (force, in a good or a bad sense) or figuratively (capacity, means,… תָּבוּן (tâbûwn, H8394) — intelligence; by implication, an argument; by extension, caprice מָחַץ (mâchats, H4272) — to dash asunder; by implication, to crush, smash or violently plunge; figuratively, to… רַהַב (rahab, H7293) — bluster(-er)
Open source ↗רוּחַ (rûwach, H7307) — wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively,… שִׁפְרָה (shiphrâh, H8235) — brightness שָׁמַיִם (shâmayim, H8064) — the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds… יָד (yâd, H3027) — a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.), חוּל (chûwl, H2342) — properly, to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), i.e. (specifically) to… בָּרִיחַ (bârîyach, H1281) — a fugitive, i.e. the serpent (as fleeing), and the constellation by that name נָחָשׁ (nâchâsh, H5175) — a snake (from its hiss)
Open source ↗קָצָה (qâtsâh, H7098) — a termination דֶּרֶךְ (derek, H1870) — a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb שֶׁמֶץ (shemets, H8102) — an inkling דָּבָר (dâbâr, H1697) — a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause שָׁמַע (shâmaʻ, H8085) — to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively,… רַעַם (raʻam, H7482) — a peal of thunder גְּבוּרָה (gᵉbûwrâh, H1369) — force (literally or figuratively); by implication, valor, victory בִּין (bîyn, H995) — to separate mentally (or distinguish), i.e.(generally) understand
Open source ↗