Job 11:9 kjv
The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.
Job 11:9 nkjv
Their measure is longer than the earth And broader than the sea.
Job 11:9 niv
Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.
Job 11:9 esv
Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.
Job 11:9 nlt
It is broader than the earth
and wider than the sea.
Job 11 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Job 26:14 | Indeed, these are the mere edges of His ways... | God's works are vast, only partly revealed to man. |
| Job 37:23 | The Almighty is beyond our reach... He is great in power and justice. | Emphasizes God's transcendence and incomprehensibility. |
| Ps 145:3 | Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable. | God's magnitude cannot be fully understood. |
| Ps 147:5 | Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. | God's understanding has no limit. |
| Isa 40:28 | ...The Lord is the everlasting God... His understanding no one can fathom. | Reiterates the incomprehensibility of God's understanding. |
| Rom 11:33 | Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable...! | Paul's awe at God's profound and inscrutable ways. |
| Deut 29:29 | The secret things belong to the Lord our God... | Acknowledges limits of human knowledge regarding God's will. |
| Eccl 3:11 | ...He has put eternity in their hearts, yet so that man cannot find out the work... | Humanity cannot fully grasp God's eternal plan. |
| Ps 92:5 | How great are Your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep. | Acknowledges the profound depth of God's thinking. |
| Isa 55:8-9 | For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways... | God's wisdom operates on a superior plane to human thought. |
| 1 Kgs 8:27 | ...heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You... | Emphasizes God's omnipresence and immeasurability. |
| Jer 23:24 | Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him...? | God's presence fills all of space, limitless. |
| Ps 139:7-8 | Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? | God's inescapable, boundless presence. |
| Prov 25:3 | As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable. | A human comparison showing something profound and difficult to understand. |
| Isa 40:12 | Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand...? | Contrasts God's ability to measure vastness with human limitations. |
| Job 9:10 | Who does great things past finding out, yes, wonders without number. | Similar theme of God's immeasurable works. |
| Ps 33:8 | Let all the earth fear the Lord... | Right response to the immensity of God's nature. |
| Hab 3:6 | He stood and measured the earth... | God alone can measure and control the vastness of the earth. |
| Job 11:7 | Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? | Direct preceding verse emphasizing human inability to fathom God. |
| Ps 77:19 | Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters, and Your footprints were not known. | God's ways are beyond human tracking or comprehension. |
| Col 2:3 | in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. | Christ as the embodiment of God's immeasurable wisdom. |
| Rom 9:20 | But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? | The inappropriateness of finite man questioning infinite God. |
Job 11 verses
Job 11 9 Meaning
Job 11:9 conveys the immense and immeasurable nature of God's wisdom and understanding. It metaphorically describes His ways and knowledge as being longer than the earth and broader than the sea, emphasizing that they far exceed any human scale of comprehension or measurement. This statement highlights the divine transcendence and the finite limitations of human wisdom in grasping God's infinite essence.
Job 11 9 Context
Job 11:9 is part of Zophar the Naamathite's first speech (Job 11:1-20), responding to Job's earlier lament and protestations of innocence. Zophar, like the other friends, operates under the assumption of retribution theology, believing Job's suffering must be due to his sin. He argues that Job's pain is less than what his sin deserves, and if God were to fully reveal His knowledge, Job would see his own guilt clearly. Zophar's intent in this verse, and those surrounding it (especially v. 7-8), is to highlight the infinite and unsearchable nature of God's wisdom and understanding, thereby implying that Job, with his limited human intellect, is utterly incapable of comprehending or questioning God's actions. Zophar's theology is fundamentally correct about God's immense wisdom, but he misapplies it to accuse Job, failing to understand the specific dynamics of Job's unique trial.
Job 11 9 Word analysis
- Its: (Hebrew: אָרְכָּהּ, ʼorkah - 'her length'). This pronoun refers back to God's understanding/wisdom mentioned in verse 7: "Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?" The feminine singular suffix indicates 'its' referring to God's "deep things" or "wisdom" or "understanding." It signifies a profound and comprehensive attribute of God.
- measure: (Hebrew: מִדָּה, middah - "measure," "standard," "extent," "limit"). The term implies a boundary or a defined extent. The context, however, is paradoxical, stating that 'its measure' (i.e., its boundlessness) is described, meaning it has no measurable limit for humanity. This word sets up the following comparisons that defy human measurement.
- longer: (Hebrew: אָרֹךְ, ʼarok - "long," "stretched out"). This is a direct comparison of spatial extent, specifically length. It suggests something that continues without end in one dimension.
- than the earth: (Hebrew: מֵאֶרֶץ, meʼerets - "from the earth," "than the earth"). "Earth" (ʼerets) represents a vast but finite and knowable physical entity to humans. By stating God's wisdom is longer than this, it hyperbolically communicates an unimaginable scale.
- and broader: (Hebrew: וּרְחָבָה, u'rᵉchavah - "and broad," "and wide"). This extends the comparison to another spatial dimension—width. It reinforces the idea of comprehensive immensity.
- than the sea: (Hebrew: מִיָּם, miyam - "from the sea," "than the sea"). The "sea" (yam) represents another immense, deep, and seemingly endless physical body, yet one still contained within the boundaries of the earth. Comparing God's wisdom to something even broader than the sea further emphasizes its limitless nature beyond human capacity to grasp or contain.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Its measure longer than the earth": This phrase introduces the concept of God's wisdom surpassing any earthly dimension. The earth, vast and seemingly endless to ancient peoples, becomes a finite reference point, immediately dwarfed by God's infinite wisdom.
- "and broader than the sea": This adds another dimension to the description of divine immensity. The sea, with its depth and wide expanse, is used to further underscore the boundless nature of God's knowledge. Together, "longer than the earth and broader than the sea" function as a merism (using two contrasting parts to refer to a whole or general concept) or an exaggerated comparison, highlighting the absolute incomparability and incomprehensibility of God's wisdom using the grandest earthly metaphors available. The implied meaning is that God's wisdom, ways, and knowledge are utterly unsearchable, infinite, and beyond human understanding or measurement.
Job 11 9 Bonus section
The language in Job 11:9 employs hyperbole and merism to express infinite attributes using finite, albeit grand, earthly comparisons. This literary device is common in Hebrew poetry to emphasize concepts of unparalleled greatness. While the friends misapply their theology to Job's situation, their descriptions of God's character are often biblically sound, reflecting widely accepted views of divine transcendence. This tension – sound doctrine applied erroneously – is a major hermeneutical challenge presented by the book of Job, highlighting the importance of understanding when and how to apply theological truths.
Job 11 9 Commentary
Job 11:9 is Zophar's poetic declaration of God's profound, immeasurable wisdom. It directly follows his challenge to Job in verse 7: "Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?" and verse 8, which speaks of God's knowledge being "as high as heaven" and "deeper than Sheol." This verse further concretizes the unfathomable nature of God's understanding through powerful natural metaphors: "longer than the earth and broader than the sea." These are the largest, most expansive known entities to ancient humanity. Yet, God's wisdom dwarfs them.
While Zophar correctly asserts God's transcendent wisdom and knowledge, his application to Job's situation is flawed. He implies that because God's ways are beyond human understanding, Job should simply accept his suffering as just punishment and repent, without questioning. Zophar uses God's infinitude as an argument against Job's attempts at self-justification, suggesting Job is too limited to grasp divine justice. However, Job's struggle is precisely with the application of this justice to his seemingly innocent suffering, not necessarily questioning God's nature. This verse encapsulates a crucial biblical truth about God's infinite understanding versus man's finite comprehension, which remains a key theme throughout the book of Job and the wider Scripture. It serves to humble humanity before the divine, encouraging awe rather than challenging God's sovereignty.