Job 26: Job on God's power over Sheol, the sea and the sky
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Job answers and asks how the one he speaks to has helped the one without power and counseled the one without wisdom. He then speaks of God's power: Sheol is naked before him, he hangs the earth on nothing, binds up the waters in his clouds, draws a limit on the waters, stirs up the sea and strikes through Rahab. He ends by saying these are only the outskirts of God's ways, and asks who can understand the thunder of his power.
Who is speaking?
God does not speak in this chapter, so nothing is in gold. The narrator gives one line in verse 1, and Job speaks from verse 2 to the end. No one else is quoted. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Then Job answered,
In plain English: Then Job answered.
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2“How have you helped him who is without power! How have you saved the arm that has no strength!
In plain English: How have you helped him who is without power! How have you saved the arm that has no strength!
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3How have you counseled him who has no wisdom, and plentifully declared sound knowledge!
In plain English: How have you counseled him who has no wisdom, and made known sound knowledge (or: sound wisdom) in great amount!
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4To whom have you uttered words? Whose spirit came out of you?
In plain English: To whom have you told words? Whose spirit (or: breath) has come out of you?
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5“The departed spirits tremble, those beneath the waters and all that live in them.
In plain English: The departed spirits tremble, those beneath the waters and all that live in them.
The Hebrew word: "Departed spirits" is rapha, which the dictionary gives as "properly, lax, i.e. (figuratively) a ghost (as dead ...)". It is in 8 verses of the Bible, and the WEB says "departed spirits" in all 8. The other 7 are , , , , , and .
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6Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering.
In plain English: Sheol is naked before him (the WEB says: before God), and Abaddon has no covering.
The Hebrew word: "Abaddon" is abaddon, which the dictionary gives as "abstract, a perishing; concrete, Hades". It is in 5 verses of the Bible: , , , and this one. The WEB prints "Abaddon" in 2 of them and "Destruction" in 3.
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7He stretches out the north over empty space, and hangs the earth on nothing.
In plain English: He stretches out the north over empty space, and hangs the earth on nothing.
The Hebrew words: "Empty space" is tohu, which the dictionary gives as "a desolation (of surface), i.e. desert; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vain". It is in 19 verses of the Bible, including , where the WEB says "formless". The WEB says "empty space" in 1 of the 19, this one, "waste" in 5, "nothing" in 5 and "vain" in 4. "On nothing" is one Hebrew word, belimah, which the dictionary gives as "(as indefinitely) nothing whatever". It is in this verse only in the whole Bible.
What changes: The verse says the earth hangs on nothing. The text does not say how, or what holds it.
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8He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not burst under them.
In plain English: He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not split open under them.
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9He encloses the face of his throne, and spreads his cloud on it.
In plain English: He covers (or: holds, encloses) the face of his throne, and spreads his cloud over it.
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10He has described a boundary on the surface of the waters, and to the confines of light and darkness.
In plain English: He has drawn a circle as a limit on the surface of the waters, to the confines (or: end) of light and darkness.
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11The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his rebuke.
In plain English: The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his rebuke.
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12He stirs up the sea with his power, and by his understanding he strikes through Rahab.
In plain English: By his power he stirs up (or: stills) the sea, and by his understanding he strikes through Rahab.
The Hebrew words: "Stirs up" is raga, which the dictionary gives as "properly, to toss violently and suddenly (the sea with waves, the skin with boils); figuratively (in a favorable manner) to settle, i.e. quiet". It is in 13 verses of the Bible, and the WEB says "stir" in 3, "rest" in 5 and "quiet" in 1. "Rahab" is a name the WEB also prints in , , , and . The dictionary gives "Rahab (i.e. boaster), an epithet of Egypt" for the name. It also lists a word rahab, "bluster", which is in 3 verses: Job 9:13, this verse and Isaiah 30:7. says "I have called her Rahab" of Egypt. asks the arm of Yahweh whether it was not it that cut Rahab in pieces.
What changes: With "stirs up" God tosses the sea. With the other meaning he quiets it. The text of Job says only that he strikes through Rahab, and does not say what Rahab is.
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13By his Spirit the heavens are garnished. His hand has pierced the swift serpent.
In plain English: By his Spirit (or: wind) the heavens are bright (the WEB says: garnished). His hand has pierced the swift serpent.
The Hebrew words: "By his Spirit" is ruach, which the dictionary gives as "wind; by resemblance breath ... by resemblance spirit". It is in 31 verses of Job, and the WEB says "spirit" in 13, "wind" in 9 and "breath" in 8. "Garnished" is shiphrah, which the dictionary gives as "brightness". It is in this verse only in the whole Bible. "Swift serpent" is nachash bariach. The dictionary gives "a fugitive, i.e. the serpent (as fleeing), and the constellation by that name" for bariach. It is in 3 verses of the Bible: , and this one. The WEB says "serpent" in 2 of them.
What changes: Word by word the first half reads "by his wind the heavens are brightness", so it can be God's Spirit or a wind from him that makes the heavens bright. The second half can be a fleeing serpent or, with the other dictionary meaning, a constellation. The text does not say which is meant.
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14Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways. How small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?”
In plain English: Look, these are only the outskirts (or: ends) of his ways. How small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his mighty deeds, who can understand?
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