Job Chapter 26 (WEB)

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Job 26 is part of “Third Cycle of Dialogue” (22–31) in the outline of Job.

Job 26 summary

This is Job's short reply to Bildad's short discourse, in which he is so far from contradicting him that he confirms what he had said, and out-does him in magnifying God and setting forth his power, to show what reason he had still to say, as he did (Job 13:2), "What you know, the same do I know also." I. He shows that Bildad's discourse was foreign to the matter he was discoursing of - though very true and good, yet not to the purpose (Job 26:2-4). II. That it was needless to the person he was discoursing with; for he knew it, and believed it, and could speak of it as well as he and better, and could add to the proofs which he had produced of God's power and greatness, which he does in the rest of his discourse (Job 26:5-13), concluding that, when they had both said what they could, all came short of the merit of the subject and it was still far from being exhausted (Job 26:14).

Source: Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706–21; Romans–Revelation completed by Nonconformist ministers). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).

1 Then Job answered,
2 “How have you helped him who is without power! How have you saved the arm that has no strength!
3 How have you counseled him who has no wisdom, and plentifully declared sound knowledge!
4 To whom have you uttered words? Whose spirit came out of you?
5 “The departed spirits tremble, those beneath the waters and all that live in them.
6 Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering.
7 He stretches out the north over empty space, and hangs the earth on nothing.
8 He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not burst under them.
9 He encloses the face of his throne, and spreads his cloud on it.
10 He has described a boundary on the surface of the waters, and to the confines of light and darkness.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his rebuke.
12 He stirs up the sea with his power, and by his understanding he strikes through Rahab.
13 By his Spirit the heavens are garnished. His hand has pierced the swift serpent.
14 Behold, 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?”