Job 26 13

Job 26:13 kjv

By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

Job 26:13 nkjv

By His Spirit He adorned the heavens; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

Job 26:13 niv

By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent.

Job 26:13 esv

By his wind the heavens were made fair; his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

Job 26:13 nlt

His Spirit made the heavens beautiful,
and his power pierced the gliding serpent.

Job 26 verses

Job 26 13 Meaning

Job 26:13 asserts God's transcendent power and wisdom in creation. Through His Spirit, God beautifully adorns the heavens, manifesting His meticulous artistry and cosmic sovereignty. His hand precisely forms and establishes the cosmic order, powerfully overcoming chaotic forces, symbolized by the "fleeing serpent." Job's statement magnifies God's omnipotence and control over all realms, both celestial and mythological/spiritual, portraying Him as the supreme orderer of the universe, far beyond human comprehension.

Job 26 13 Context

Job 26:13 is part of Job’s profound speech in response to his friends (specifically implied, as Bildad has already offered a very short speech in Job 25). In this chapter, Job articulates a magnificent poem about God's awesome, inscrutable power in creation and judgment, far surpassing human comprehension. He acknowledges the immensity of God’s works and the ultimate limits of human understanding concerning the Divine. Verse 13 specifically focuses on God’s creative artistry in the heavens and His sovereign control over primordial chaos. This affirmation of God’s unparalleled might serves as a rhetorical counterpoint to his friends’ limited and simplistic understanding of God's justice, implying that if God's creative power is unfathomable, how much more so are His ways of governing humanity. The historical/cultural context involves ancient Near Eastern cosmogonies where powerful deities battled chaos monsters (like Tiamat or Lotan) to establish order. Job's assertion is a powerful polemic: Yahweh alone, without struggle, "forms" and conquers any "fleeing serpent," demonstrating His absolute and unchallenged sovereignty, thereby asserting a unique monotheistic ordering principle.

Job 26 13 Word analysis

• By his spirit: (בְּרוּח֑וֹ be-rucho)
  • בְּרוּח֑וֹ (be-rucho): "By his Spirit/breath/wind." Ruach (רוּחַ) signifies God's active, dynamic presence and power in creation. It is the life-giving force and executive agent of God's will. Its connection to God's creative activity is foundational, similar to Gen 1:2 where the Spirit of God hovers over the waters, bringing order and life. It suggests a non-material, powerful emanation from God that actualizes His creative designs.
• He has garnished: (שָׁפְרָ֣ה shaphera)
  • שָׁפְרָ֣ה (shaphera): "He has made beautiful," "adorned," "brightened." The verb implies not just construction but deliberate artistry, a process of beautification and bringing order and brilliance. It emphasizes the aesthetic aspect of creation—that God does not merely arrange, but decorates and perfects, transforming the heavens into something magnificent and harmonious.
• the heavens: (שָׁמָ֑יִם shamayim)
  • שָׁמָ֑יִם (shamayim): "The heavens," referring to the visible firmament, the cosmic expanse, and often the abode of God and celestial beings. In this context, it speaks of the vastness and grandeur of the sky with its stars, planets, and celestial bodies as manifestations of God's intricate handiwork.
• His hand has formed: (חֹֽלְלָ֖ה יָדוֹ֙ holelah yado)
  • חֹֽלְלָ֖ה (holelah): This verb means "has writhed," "twisted," "brought forth" or "formed." When applied to creation, it implies labor or pain, but more commonly, it indicates an originating act, "bringing forth" with deliberation, akin to a birth or intense formative process.
  • יָדוֹ֙ (yado): "His hand." A strong anthropomorphism representing God's active power, agency, and intimate involvement in creation. It signifies deliberate design, control, and execution, much like a craftsman shaping his material. The emphasis is on God's direct, purposeful, and powerful engagement.
• the fleeing serpent: (נָחָ֥שׁ בָּרִֽיחַ nachash bariach)
  • נָחָ֥שׁ (nachash): "Serpent," "snake." This term is used broadly for a snake, but in mythological and biblical contexts, it often refers to a formidable, chaotic, or even demonic entity.
  • בָּרִֽיחַ (bariach): "Fleeing," "swift," or "crooked." This epithet implies a rapid, elusive, or uncontrollable quality.
  • נָחָ֥שׁ בָּרִֽיחַ (group): This phrase likely refers to a primordial chaos monster, identified with creatures like Leviathan (see Isa 27:1: "Leviathan the fleeing serpent"). In ancient Near Eastern cosmologies, various gods contended with serpentine or draconic forces to bring about order. Job here asserts that God does not merely battle or overcome, but forms (or births/establishes order over) this "fleeing serpent" – that is, God has complete, inherent dominion over all forces of chaos, disorder, and even perceived evil from the very moment of their conception or existence. This highlights God’s effortless and complete control, subduing chaos without effort and incorporating it into His established cosmic order. It can also symbolize celestial constellations or even spiritual adversaries, all utterly under God's dominion.

Job 26 13 Bonus section

The reference to the "fleeing serpent" (נָחָ֥שׁ בָּרִֽיחַ nachash bariach) holds multiple layers of interpretation. The primary one links it to cosmic dragons or sea monsters like Leviathan (mentioned in Job 40-41, Ps 74:14, Isa 27:1) and Rahab (Job 9:13, Ps 89:10). These figures represent primeval chaos that God, uniquely among deities, does not merely conquer but effortlessly commands or even forms into His established order. This serves as a strong theological polemic against polytheistic or dualistic myths prevalent in the ancient Near East, where gods struggled to gain mastery over chaos. For Job, Yahweh's dominion is inherent and absolute. Some interpretations also suggest that "fleeing serpent" could refer to a constellation (perhaps Draco or the Milky Way), indicating God's dominion over even the celestial arrangements, aligning the "garnishing" of the heavens with the formation of this celestial "serpent." Ultimately, it signifies God’s complete sovereignty over all creation, whether understood mythologically, cosmologically, or spiritually, asserting that no force, natural or supernatural, stands outside His complete control.

Job 26 13 Commentary

Job 26:13 offers a majestic portrayal of God's unparalleled cosmic power and sophisticated artistry. Far from merely stating that God created the heavens, Job declares that God's very Spirit, an expression of His essence and active will, is the source of the heavens' beauty and order, meticulously garnishing them. The phrase "His hand has formed the fleeing serpent" is deeply significant. It speaks not of a struggle, but of divine formation, suggesting that even what appears as primal chaos, or mythical representations of disorder and rebellion (like Leviathan/Rahab in ANE thought), is ultimately subservient to God's creative power, indeed, part of His grand design or entirely subjugated by it. Job elevates God above all lesser deities or independent chaotic forces envisioned by surrounding cultures. His power is absolute; even the elusive and fearsome is brought forth and controlled by His will. This profound assertion underscores the limitlessness of God's majesty and wisdom, offering a vital theological foundation in the face of Job's profound suffering, implying that God's ways are beyond simple human explanation and always aligned with His absolute sovereignty and might.