The Word Am I

The Book of Job

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- Chapter 26 -

Job: The weakness of man and the majesty of God

1
Then Job responded by saying:
2
Whose assistant are you? Is he weak-minded? And do you sustain the arm of him that is not strong?
3
To whom have you given advice? Perhaps it is to him that has no wisdom or prudence that you have revealed your many ideas.(a)
4
Who is it that you wanted to teach? Was it not him that created the breath of life?
5
Behold, giant things groan under the waters, and they dwell with them.
6
The underworld is naked before him, and there is no covering for perdition.
7
He stretched out the North over emptiness, and he suspended the land over nothing.
8
He secures the waters in his clouds, so that they do not burst forth downward all at once.
9
He holds back the face of his throne, and he stretches his cloud over it.
10
He has set limits around the waters, until light and darkness shall reach their limit.
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The pillars of heaven tremble and are frightened at his nod.
12
By his strength, the seas suddenly gather together, and his foresight has struck the arrogant.
13
His spirit has adorned the heavens, and his birthing hand has brought forth the winding serpent.(b)
14
Behold, these things have been said about his ways in part, and, since we barely have heard a small drop of his word, who will be able to gaze upon the thunder of his greatness?

Footnotes

(a)26:3 Notice that in this verse and others the word ‘et’ is sometimes best translated as ‘or’ rather than as ‘and.’ In Latin, the word ‘et’ is sometimes used where English would favor the word ‘or,’ even though the meaning is the same. Also, notice that ‘plurimam’ means ‘many’ or ‘many things,’ but in this context it is translated as ‘many ideas.’(Conte)
(b)26:13 His obstetric hand brought forth the winding serpent:That is, the omnipotent power of God: which brought forth all things created in time, but conceived in the Divine mind from all eternity. The winding serpent, a constellation of fixed stars winding round the north pole, called Draco. This appears from the foregoing part of the same verse, His spirit has adorned the heavens.(Challoner)

Job: The weakness of man and the majesty of God

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 (a) is naked before God, and Abaddon(b) 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?”

Footnotes

(a)26:6 Sheol is the place of the dead.
(b)26:6 Abaddon means Destroyer.
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